New Jersey Devils: Three Players Who Are Rising Above And Must Continue Doing So

Nikita Gusev has been one of the very best players on this team over the last few months. He is a really good offensive winger. Ever since he found his home on a line with Travis Zajac and Blake Coleman, he has become one of the go-to guys on the team. He drives offense as good as any player in the league at even strength. He doesn’t always get time on the top power-play unit which is something that would be nice to see as time goes on.

This is his first year coming over to North America to play in the National Hockey League. He was a superstar MVP winning player in the KHL before making the transition to the NHL. It was clear that he would need some time to adjust to the two-way game needed to play in the NHL. He took some time to not be a complete mess in his own zone but that has happened and the offense has followed. He can do things with the puck that not many can.

Gusev is only going to get better as he gets used to the NHL. The Devils would be wise to extend him this summer so he can be a part of this team for a few extra years. His skills are unmatched so the team is better with him on it. If he can come in and be just as good if not better in the second half, this team will see results. It took a while for him to click at first but now fans are starting to see the player they traded for back in the summer.

These three players have all been really good for the Devils in 2019-20. If they can keep it up in the second half of the season, the Devils will be able to be a respectable team. They need to improve in a lot of areas to help these guys, but at least there are a few bright spots in the organization at the highest level.