What makes someone a first liner?
I mentioned how a lot of teams don't have the first liners that fans think of: 70-80 point players putting up 30-40 goals a year or being one of the game's best playmakers. Instead, scoring is down and players on average aren't really putting up all that many points.
If you're of the mindset that a team's first liners should be their top three point producers (which really isn't that far off from reality -- it's rare that a heart+soul energy guy is on the first line unless it's Jordin Tootoo) and that there are 90 first line level talents in the league (definitional) then it only took 49 points last year to be a first liner (of the top-90 point scorers).
For fun,
top-30 centers range from 55-85 points, .73-1.07 ppg
top-30 left wings range from 42-89 points .60-1.09 ppg,
top-30 right wings range from 43-106 points (after Kane, this becomes 78), .57-1.29 ppg (or .95)
top-30 goal scorers at center range from 21-38 goals
top-30 goal scorers at left wing range from 18-50 goals
top-30 goal scorers at right wing range from 20-46 goals
C from 30-60: 42-55 points, 16-21 goals, .58-.73 ppg
LW from 30-60: 22-42 points, 10-18 goals, .38-.60 ppg
RW from 30-60: 26-42 points, 11-20 goals, .39-.57 ppg
after that, I think a lot of third line players can get their jobs based on other factors besides scoring. If a player is positionally sound, a hard skater, a gritty player, a checker, etc., then he can be on the third line without being a top-nine scorer for the team. The top-six, on the other hand, is not usually comprised of energy guys or low-scorers.
Then I ran a comparison against the Devils:
Based on points, Henrique is a 2C, Zajac is a 2C, Stempniak is a 1RW, Palmieri is a 1RW, Cammalleri is a 2LW (four points from a 1LW).
Based on goals, Henrique is a 1C, Stempniak is a 2RW (one goal away from a 1RW), Palmieri is a 1RW, Cammalleri is a 2LW.
Based on points/game (min 10 games played): Henrique is a 2C, Zajac is a 2C, Stempniak is a 1RW, Palmieri is a 1RW, Cammalleri is a 1LW, Elias is a 2LW, Boucher is a 2LW, Blandisi is a 2LW
This isn't soundproof work but here's the summary:
Mike Cammalleri - 1st line LW (technically 2 stats say he's a 2LW but those aren't fair because they don't account for the fact that he missed 40 games. PPG does and that shows he's an elite 1LW)
Kyle Palmieri - 1st line RW (all three stats agree here)
Adam Henrique - 1st/2nd line C (in goals, he is a 1C but in PPG and points he is a 2C)
Travis Zajac - 2nd line C (in all three categories)
Lee Stempniak - 1st line RW (he was one goal away from being considered a 1RW but in points and PPG he passed the test)
So based on those rudimentary stats, the Devils currently have their 1LW, 1RW, and 2 2Cs. If you let Henrique play up a line, then that means you need two second liners. Based on the rate stat (ppg) Boucher and Blandisi and Elias are also 2nd line talents, but they did not have this production over a full season to reach all three thresholds. If you have faith that one of those three can play like their scoring rate dictates, then that's a 2LW. All that's missing is a 2RW.
I know that top-six play wasn't really the problem this year, but it's interesting to see how the Devils stack up in the various categories. Also, when people say 2nd line RW, that's really what they're talking about, not a 50+ point player, but instead a 26-42 point player. And when they want a first line winger, it's not a 50-60 point player or a 25-30 goal scorer, but instead it's just a player scoring 42-43+ points a year or 18-20+ goals.