The AAtJ Open Post for the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

After making the postseason last season, the New Jersey Devils missed it - and by a lot. The 2018-19 Devils finally crashed out at 29th out of 31 teams. The 2019 NHL Draft Lottery has come and went. It is now time for the greatest tourney in hockey: the National Hockey League Stanley Cup Playoffs. Even if you have no rooting interest, the action, the intensity, the passion, and the hockey are unmatched. I highly recommend watching it as a neutral if you can. I will as I hope to see Our Favorite Hockey Team to get back there in the very near future.

Here is the schedule for the first round of the playoffs. We can take solace in the fact that neither of the Devils’ hated rivals made the playoffs either. You may think the Isles are annoying and Carolina’s return to the postseason may bring up the painful reminder of 2009. But neither compare to the levels of hate that come from the Second Rate Rivals and Our Hated Rivals. So, my fellow Devils fans, feel free to cheer for whoever this year.

Due to the four trades Ray Shero made in February, there are four former Devils participating in the postseason and three of those trades involve picks in this year’s NHL Draft.

• Dallas has Ben Lovejoy and the Devils have their third round pick in 2019
• Nashville has Brian Boyle and the Devils have their second round pick in 2019 (4/25 Update: And Nashville was eliminated so this pick will be the 55th overall pick.)
• Boston has Marcus Johansson and the Devils have their second round pick in 2019
• Columbus has Keith Kinkaid and if he plays, then it is a minor miracle. The pick is a fifth rounder in 2022, so it is irrelevant for this year’s playoffs.

Maybe you would like to see any of these four three enjoy some playoff success that they would not have had if they were not traded from New Jersey. Maybe you would like the Devils to maximize the position of those picks. It would not be much since they would be in the second half of the rounds they are in, but a first round exit would be at least several spots better than a second or third round exit. Whatever you feel is up to you.

All I ask is that all talk about the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs - games, news, plays, etc. - goes here and not anywhere else on the site. As usual, all site rules apply for this open post. There will be a separate open post for the World Championships. At a minimum, we know John Hynes will be an assistant coach for the United States. Enjoy the postseason. I’ll update this on an as-needed basis. Go Playoffs!