For any NHL team, depth is a must when competing for a playoff spot. New Jersey
 Devils defenseman Steven Santini figures to play a part in that in 2018-19. On
 Aug. 14, the organization re-signed the restricted free agent to a three-year
deal that carries a cap hit of $1.42 million a year.

He';s coming off the heels of a season where he finished with 10 points in 38
games and struggled in a top-pair role. Although the Devils still value him, he
 has yet to become a fixture in the lineup. Is 2018-19 the season he earns
regular playing time on the Devils'; blue line?Santini Showed Potential in
2016-17

The 2016-17 Devils were a team to forget. They struggled to compete on most
nights, especially in the second half of the season. They finished with their
worst record since 1988-89 when they won just 27 games and finished with 66
points.

There weren';t many bright spots, but Santini was one of them. He had a
relative expected goals for (Rel xGF%) of 1.88%. The Devils averaged 52.36 shot
 attempts against per 60 minutes when he was on the ice, which made him one of
the team';s best shot suppressors. They also had an expected goals against per
60 minutes (xGA/60) of 1.96 with him on the ice. That was the best of the
team';s defensemen who played in 20 games or more.Steven Santini had a solid
debut as a rookie in 2016-17. (Photo Credit: New Jersey Devils/Patrick Dodson)

Santini';s five-on-five numbers didn';t come against lesser competition,
either. He had the fourth highest defensive zone start rate (DZS%) of the
team';s defensemen. He earned the trust of Devils head coach John Hynes, and as
 a result, saw time on the penalty kill. He averaged 16:05 of ice time a game
and ended the season with seven points in 38 games.A Sophomore Slump for
Santini

Santini got off to a strong start as a pro in 2016-17. However, things did not
go as smoothly last season. His five-on-five numbers took a significant plunge
from his prior season. In 36 games played, he finished with a minus-12.33%
relative Corsi For (Rel CF%) and a minus-11.96% Rel xGF%.

Those were the worst on the Devils by a wide margin and were among the bottom
two in the NHL for defensemen with more than 200 minutes played. He was
eventually phased out of the lineup and was returned to the AHL to fine tune
his game for the remainder of the season.Mackenzie Blackwood, Steven Santini
and Nikita Popugaev during the New Jersey Devils 2017 Development Camp. (Photo
Credit: New Jersey Devils/Patrick Dodson)

There are a couple of reasons for Santini';s second season struggles - the
first being his usage and how Hynes deployed him. Santini';s DZS% was 40.75%,
which was the highest of any defenseman in the NHL with more than 200 minutes
played. On the other end, his start rate in the offensive zone was 15.58%. In
short, that means Santini was getting close to no offensive zone time.

Another reason for Santini';s troubles has to do with his passing ability. The
following visual shows his impact in the offensive, neutral, and defensive
zones in each of the last two seasons.Visual by CJ Turturo, Data by Corey
Sznajder

The most notable area of concern for Santini was his zone exit rates. It';s
something he struggled with during 2016-17, and playing difficult defensive
minutes in 2017-18 surely didn';t help matters. It becomes tough to relieve
pressure when consistently dumping the puck out of the defensive zone. It also
becomes harder to get the puck forward to start an offensive rush.

Santini had the most difficult minutes of any Devils'; defenseman last season.
At the same time, he handled it as poorly as he could have. If he can improve
his puck-moving ability, it';ll help his chances at bouncing back in
2018-19.Related: Keys to Devils'; 2018-19 SuccessSantini Key to Devils
Defensive Depth

The Devils blue line is in a much better place than it was at this last time
year. They had yet to acquire Sami Vatanen, while Will Butcher was still an
unknown asset. Vatanen is a lock to play in the top four, as is Butcher after
his fantastic rookie season in 2017-18.

However, the team still has spots to fill out for third pair and depth roles.
Mirco Mueller and Egor Yakovlev should battle to play on the left side, while
Santini and Ben Lovejoy will compete on the right side. Santini will have to
earn that spot, and there';s good reason to believe he can do so this
preseason.A deeper Devils'; blue line should benefit Steven Santini in 2018-19
(Photo by Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports)

When games begin in a few weeks, Santini should be able to play a much more
suitable role. He won';t have to face the harsh minutes he did in 2017-18 with
Vatanen playing on the top pair. Hynes can shelter him and put him in
situations that will allow him to succeed. That should give him a chance to get
 back on the right track.

Time will tell if Santini can bud into a top-four defenseman. For now, the
Devils don';t need him to be one, nor are they paying him like one. They will
benefit from him providing steady third pair minutes and a physical element
they lack on their blue line. If he can do so, he';ll help answer any
uncertainty the Devils have regarding defensive depth.*    *    *Advanced
stats from Corsica Hockey

The post Can Devils'; Santini Make a Breakthrough? appeared first on The Hockey
 Writers.

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