When you stand still in hockey, you are at risk of getting blown by.
That goes for both on and off the ice.
As it relates to the Devils, who have been spectators during the early days of this NHL offseason, they shouldn't be resting on their laurels.
New Jersey was a surprise postseason entrant last season, its first since 2012, garnering the eighth seed in an ultra-competitive Eastern Conference. Without material improvements, however, any momentum the Devils worked so hard to generate could be lost.
The Devils did sign three players to two-way contracts. Eric Gryba, the most accomplished of the trio having played 279 NHL games (though only 21 last season for Edmonton), at best appears to be ticketed for the old Dalton Prout role, the seventh defenseman who never dresses.
Individually, the departures of wings Jimmy Hayes, Michael Grabner and Brian Gibbons plus defenseman John Moore in the free agent marketplace were not exactly devastating, but the overall team speed took a hit with the loss of the latter three skaters. Moore in particular was a three-on-three beast, with a team-leading six overtime goals over the last three seasons.
Devils general manager Ray Shero, obviously spooked by the John Tavares debacle in Brooklyn, wants to make sure he has the dough to satisfy Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall well before it's his turn to enter the free agency waters in the summer of 2020. Shero also has several restricted free agents to take care of this summer, plus he wants to retain unrestricted free agent Patrick Maroon and his strong net front presence.
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Still, it's imperative that Shero utilizes some of the approximately $23 million in cap space, per capfriendly.com, to boost a team that outplayed the sum of its parts last season.
As I've noted many times, the Devils need major upgrades on the back end to have any hope of taking the next step. Crossing fingers that Damon Severson "is going to get it" this season isn't a plan.
Unfortunately, top-end defensemen happen to be the most difficult players to procure these days. John Carlson was never let anywhere near the market, locked up by Washington for eight years at $64 million last week.
To show you how shallow this pool is, Moore was rated the third-best, behind Carlson and 32-year old Mike Green, among potential unrestricted free agents at his position by NHL.com.
The next best blueliner on the list is Calvin De Haan, who played just 33 games for the Islanders last season due to shoulder woes.
De Haan, 27, is more suited to a second-pair role but will probably get paid like a one, thanks to a bidding war for his services. It may end up costing the winners more than the $2.75 million AAV over five years that Moore received from Boston.
The Devils are reportedly in that De Haan mix as of this writing, but I would be very surprised if Shero emerged with the prize. It would be out of character.
Shero has fared much better when executing trades, bringing in core pieces Kyle Palmieri, Marcus Johansson, Sami Vatanen, and, of course, Hall during his three-plus years in charge.
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My concern, however, is that the NHL environment has shifted since the last few seasons. Teams don't have to worry about losing quality players in an expansion draft until just before the 2020-21 season. More problematic is that Shero has fewer colleagues in dire salary cap straits. Heck, even the Rangers aren't spending like a drunken sailor any more.
That means Shero might find it more difficult to negotiate trade opportunities with an advantage. The no-brainers, like Hall-for-Adam Larsson or Johansson/Palmieri-for-picks, might not materialize this offseason.
I'm with the "In Shero We Trust" crowd, considering the speed in which he made over a once plodding team into a fun and competitive unit. I applauded his go-for-it moves at the trade deadline, even if it didn't pan out, partially because Grabner couldn't put away all the glorious chances he finished when he was on the Rangers.
However, there are no easy answers here. Shero has been roundly praised for not throwing money on the open market and overpaying for marginal talent. Still, if he does nothing substantial, then the Devils could easily take a step back this season.
For a FAN's perspective of the Nets, Devils and Jets, follow Steve on Twitter @SteveLichtenst1.
