A sellout crowd of 16,514 braved the bitter cold to trek to Prudential Center for Thursday's tilt between the rival Devils and Rangers.
Not included in the total were the scouts from a reported 20 other NHL teams. Though they couldn't care less about the outcome, a 4-3 Rangers victory, their interest in the game was no less vested.
They were there to evaluate certain players on two teams who seem destined for the lottery and are expected to be sellers prior to the Feb. 25 trade deadline.
While the Rangers' most tradable assets (hat trickster Mika Zibanejad, Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes) auditioned well, the Devils, unfortunately, were more of a mixed bag.
Here's an update on which Devils who will be unrestricted free agents after this season are trending up or down in the eyes of teams looking for deadline boosts as the calendar turns to February:
Keith Kinkaid ↓
The Devils goalie has been consistently inconsistent all season, be it from game-to-game or within games. Getting a second consecutive start after a stellar performance in Pittsburgh on Monday, Kinkaid was superb at times against the Rangers, particularly in the second period. However, he had no excuse for not stopping Chris Kreider's snap shot from the right circle that gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead in the third period.
"I don't know if I was looking the wrong way," Kinkaid said. "It just squeaked by me. I can't let that happen."
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Kinkaid could be marketed to a contender looking for an injury replacement or simple goalie insurance. He was outstanding in helping the Devils reach the playoffs down the stretch of last season. However, with his goals-against average (3.12) and save percentage (.898) in the bottom quartile of the league among goalies who have played at least 20 games, he might be a hard sell.
Marcus Johansson ↑
With his highlight-reel goal following a head-first dive and primary assist Thursday, Johansson, who has underachieved since his acquisition in a trade with Washington prior to last season, has points in three consecutive games. Previously, a slew of tough-luck injuries always seemed to put the brakes on his game whenever it got going.
"It's been good to keep playing, but I didn't play good enough (Thursday)," Johansson said. "I couldn't quite find my legs. No excuse why."
It would behoove the Devils to move Johansson before he hits unrestricted free agency. His no-trade clause is merely a five-team list. With his talent and playoff experience, it shouldn't be difficult -- if he's healthy.
Brian Boyle ↔
Due to Boyle's medical issue (he was treated for chronic myeloid leukemia last season and said in October that it's in remission), I'm not sure this case is business as usual for New Jersey general manager Ray Shero. Boyle was a rental player two seasons ago in Toronto, and there are some who believe he would be willing to reprise that role.
At 34, Boyle is at his best in smaller doses. However, Devils coach John Hynes has him on both specialty units, even though the results have been mixed. Boyle has six power-play goals this season, but in his 122 minutes of power-play ice time, his teammates have only scored a combined eight times, per NaturalStatTrick.com. Similarly, the Devils' penalty-kill success rate takes a dip when the Boyle/Pavel Zacha tandem is on the ice when compared to the Travis Zajac/Blake Coleman unit.
At five-on-five, the Devils have been trapped in their own end for lengthy periods many times this season, with Boyle often one of those caught unable to get off the ice. That's how the Rangers got the game-winner. After Boyle iced the puck, the Devils couldn't clear the zone, and then Zibanejad got loose at the doorstep for his hat trick.
"You give them that much zone time, it's harder to defend," Boyle said. "You get tired a little quicker when you're defending. I got 5 feet until I get to the red line so I don't have to ice it. That was disappointing on my part."
There are few superior character guys in the NHL than Boyle, but as the game gets faster every year, potential trade partners have to evaluate whether it passed him by.
Ben Lovejoy ↑
By virtue of missing the last four games, the veteran defenseman may have seen his value tick up a bit. Lovejoy, 34, is a bit of a lightning rod among fans because of his glaring lack of speed. Still, the Devils were killing penalties at an 85 percent clip, the second-best rate in the league, when Lovejoy went on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. They're 22nd since, with a 71.4 percent success rate. Only Andy Greene has logged more ice time than Lovejoy when the Devils have been at a manpower disadvantage this season.
I know plus/minus is an imperfect stat, but there is something to be said for being a team-best plus-five on a squad that is 19-24-7. Lovejoy's advanced metrics aren't awful, either -- only Will Butcher, who was Lovejoy's partner for most of the season, has been better among Devils defensemen.
He's not going to fetch a high draft pick, but able defensemen on the market will attract suitors. Lovejoy just has to get himself able again.
For a FAN's perspective of the Nets, Devils and Jets, follow Steve on Twitter @SteveLichtenst1.
