It's Devils day at Hockey Feed!

As part of our Countdown to Puck Drop series during the month of September, today we take a look at the New Jersey Devils.

Much of the hype around the Devils this season revolves around 2017 first overall draft pick Nico Hischier. The 19-year-old has dominated in the QMJHL and was a force for Team Switzerland at the 2017 World Junior Championships. With Devils' top center Travis Zjac sidelined long-term, there's a great chance for Hischier to make the club this season and make an immediate impact. He's highly skilled at both ends of the ice and possesses very strong hockey sense and on-ice awareness. In addition to his breakneck speed and filthy hands, Hischier appears to be a gamebreaker, delivering in the clutch when it matters most.

Through trades and free agency, the Devils were able to make some key offseason acquisitions this summer, including Marcus Johansson, Brian Boyle, Drew Stafford and Will Butcher. The 22-year-old Butcher is a very talented puck-moving blueliner who was a Hobey Baker winner and NCAA national champion with the University of Denver Pioneer, excelling at the college level. He'll give a big boost to a lacking defense core that's lacking a true number one defenseman. 

New Jersey did lose some players this summer, including Michael Cammalleri and Devante-Smith Pelley, who were both bought out. Fans were upset the team also let Beau Bennett walk, as he then signed a cheap contract with the Blues. It seemed like it would've been a smart move for the Devils to re-sign the 25-year-old to help bolster the bottom-six.

Heading into 2017-18, the Devils are set in goal with workhorse Cory Schneider and recently re-signed Keith Kinkaid, but defense remains a major concern. Players such as Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Pavel Zacha and now Hischier should have no problem finding the back of the net, but the Devils really missed out by not landing one of their offseason targets Kevin Shattenkirk.

The Devils are clearly in rebuilding mode, but aside from lacking on the blueline, this team could do some decent damage in 2017-18. 

For a full account of all of the Devils' offseason moves and how the 2017-18 season is shaping for them, follow Hockey Feed on Facebook all day today. And if you’re looking for all the latest news, rumors and analysis on the team throughout the season, be sure to check out Devils Feed.