The inconvenient truth for local hockey fans is that the best team in the area starts its season on Thursday night, and no, we are not talking about the Rangers.

While the Blueshirts are starting the Peter Laviolette era in Buffalo and the Islanders are waiting until Saturday(!) to begin their season, the Devils will start the season against the Red Wings at the Prudential Center, looking to improve on a 112-point 2022-23 campaign that accounted for the franchise’s best ever regular season.

We are used to ignoring the Devils, who have become ninth on a list of area pro teams that often gets shortened to eight. That is not without reason — before last season, they had made the playoffs just once since the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, finished above .500 just three times and failed to win a postseason series. But it can’t continue.

The Rangers have a pair of top-two picks they are hoping will break out this season in Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. The Devils have a pair of No. 1 picks who could win the Hart (MVP) and Selke Trophies (best defensive forward) this year in Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier.