Haula has played minutes on Jack Hughes LW as a way better faceoff option I presume since Jack is only a career 35.7% at the faceoff dot, maybe Gourde could fill that void on Hughes LW and leave Haula at 3C.
I assume the plan going forward would be to keep Haula as a 3C but if Hughes were to fail at the dot again this season, maybe it would be in the Devils best interest to keep a good faceoff man on Hughes line or outright switch Hughes to LW which a lot of Devils fans and myself would disagree with since Hughes handles every other center responsibility with relative ease.
McLeod was their best faceoff option in the defensive zone, Nosek and Tierney are also gone that leaves Hischier and Haula to take the difficult draws this season.
It wouldn’t hurt to have another center who can take faceoffs that is defensively responsible which could take a bit off of Haula and Hischier, it would create match up issues with the opposition as well, as having Hughes, Hischier, Haula, Gourde, Lazar or even Mercer down the middle could give opposing teams many different looks.