New Jersey Devils defenseman Ty Smith (24): (Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports)
The New Jersey Devils knew they had a gem in defenseman Ty Smith. Despite his struggles in the preseason last year, there was no doubt he was on his way to a great NHL career. Most didn’t expect him to adapt to the NHL game so quickly, but he’s been great to start this season. He started the season playing next to Matt Tennyson. He was decent, but his defensive numbers were still bad. However, when he was paired with Damon Severson, everything changed.