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On Nico Hischier
I know a lot of people want to see Hischier with Taylor Hall -- it would certainly be a lot of fun to watch -- but I don't think the two should play together; at least not to start.
For one, teams often use their best players to try and slow Hall down. If Hischier played with Hall, that means he'd face the best of the best on a nightly basis and I'm not sure that's how you want to bring a kid along. As good as Auston Matthews is, even Mike Babcock tried to manage his workload and shelter him from top competition as best as he could (the Nazem Kadri line often played against opposing team's best players).
While Hischier can score, I think he's a little more of a passer than a shooter and Hall is the best passer on the roster so it would probably be best to spread that kind of ability throughout the lineup.
Given how effective the Hall - Travis Zajac - Kyle Palmieri line was last year, I think those three should probably play together while Hischier starts out on a line with Adam Henrique, who has scored 50 goals over the last two seasons, and another forward (Marcus Johansson?).
On Cody Franson
Franson has been mentioned as a possible target for the Devils for a while now and, on the surface, it makes sense.
The Devils need help on defense, right-handed shots are pretty hard to get, and Franson has a history with Ray Shero from their days in Nashville.
In saying all that, I don't think he's a great fit for the Devils.
Unless they plan on punting Ben Lovejoy, I just don't see how it would work. Franson wouldn't play ahead of Damon Severson (nor should he) and, given where the Devils are at, I think it makes a lot more sense to give Steve Santini steady minutes and see what he can become as opposed to sheltering him and giving Franson top-4 ice.
Franson has been an underrated player for a while now but he turns 30 in just a few days and is certainly not a long-term piece or core player. Slotting him ahead of younger players who will be around for the long haul is a horrible idea and I don't know how much he'd move the needle on the 3rd pairing.
I also worry about Franson's foot speed. He's never been fleet of foot and he's not going to get any faster. The Devils have added a *ton* of speed over the last year with Hall, Hischier, Johansson and Miles Wood entering the fold. Michael McLeod and Blake Speers can fly, too, and they're not far off from full-time duty, if at all.
A couple years ago Franson's style of play would have been perfect for the Devils but I don't think that's the case any longer. I think he'd struggle to keep up.
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New Jersey Devils Blogger • 
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