While it is early into the new season, one thing is clear the New Jersey Devils might need to inquire about a center. The loss of Michael McLeod due to the Hockey Canada scandal has limited this team’s ability to take draws all over the ice. While captain Nico Hischier is doing his fair share, a team cannot have one player take close to 60 percent of the face-offs over the course of a game.

The Devils have other centers on the roster, including superstar Jack Hughes, who is not a center. More on that at another time. Along with Hughes are Erik Haula, Paul Cotter, Curtis Lazar and Dawson Mercer. However, Mercer and Cotter play the wing; however, they know how to take face-offs. The issue is outside of Hischier (55.3 face-off winning percentage) and Haula (57.1 face-off winning percentage), the normal centers on the team; no one who plays the position is above a winning percentage of 50 percent.

While Stefan Noesen has a winning percentage of 62.5 percent, he does not play that position consistently enough. Jack Hughes has a face-off winning percentage of 33.3 percent, Cotter has a face-off winning percentage of 45.5 percent, and Lazar has a face-off winning percentage of 47.3 percent. And with Lazar missing some time, as Sheldon Keefe said post-game on Sunday evening, the Devils need to up their center game. These numbers are not going to get it done in the NHL.

Face-offs are crucial to the game. They allow you to gain puck control whether at five-on-five, with the man advantage, or short-handed. Not to mention, if the game gets to overtime, the team that wins the opening face-off can control how the overtime session will be played. Remember, three-on-three overtime is all about puck control.

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But like most teams, the New Jersey Devils do not know who they are. While they have played the most games in the season, other teams around the league are also discovering who they are. As Full Press Hockey has documented, teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, and Nashville Predators are also looking for center help.

The problem is that teams around the NHL are not moving any players at this time. Not to mention, if this was a center’s market, there would be some names out there. There are no names out there at this moment. But if the Devils want a center, they will have to pay a high cost like a Simon Nemec or a Seamus Casey, along with a first-round pick.

If you look ahead to the 2025 NHL Free Agent class, not many names that stick out who play center. We all expect John Tavares to stay in Toronto for a couple of more seasons. Does Yanni Gourde get to the open market? And what about Christian Dvorak? He has been linked to the Devils before. The Montreal Canadiens probably will look to lock up him, too.

Another name is Sam Bennett with the Florida Panthers. People are watching to see how things unfold there. But Panthers GM Bill Zito wants to lock Bennett up long-term. So, where does the answer lie?

Again teams don’t know if they are in or out of the playoff mix. And teams that have centers want high prices for them. There is a reason why if you have a good elite center, you lock him up. So, the answer has to come from within, at least right now.

But the center position is something to watch for the New Jersey Devils moving forward.