New Jersey Devils: Nikita Gusev And Jesper Bratt Should Stay Together Forever

The New Jersey Devils had a tough season, but the magic between Nikita Gusev and Jesper Bratt is a positive to take into next season.

The New Jersey Devils are a team that failed to meet expectations during the 2019-20 season. They made a bunch of moves that led up to the hype, but they fell way short of meeting that hype. There was, however, a few things that were exciting throughout the season. Nikita Gusev and Jesper Bratt were awesome when they finally started playing in the lineup together consistently. They were not handled fairly for a lot of the season, sometimes even getting the healthy scratch distinction, but they proved they belong together with regularity.

For the past few months before the pause, Bratt and Gusev were awesome on a line together centered by Pavel Zacha. The three of them really started to find their games for New Jersey down the stretch. With Nico Hischier on the top line and the potential of Jack Hughes, this trio could make a very impactful third two-way line in the very near future. If the way they were playing is any indication of how good they can be, the Devils are in good shape.

The Devils need these three, specifically Gusev and Bratt, to continue where they left off whenever they do resume play. If it is sometime this year that would be awesome but if not they can carry the momentum into next year. It would be good for the franchise for all three of these guys to be great compliments to what they are building with Hischier and Hughes. They were really starting to come together for the Devils right before it was put on pause.

Bratt and Gusev’s chemistry is a lot of fun to watch for a lot of reasons. As of right now, not many players on the team have better hands in tight than Jesper Bratt. Both he and Gusev are able to use their silky smooth hands to create sweet plays for each other. The good news is that they are both also very good at shooting. There are times where we’d say that they need to shoot even more because their shots are so good.

With their combined skill sets and Pavel Zacha’s potential two-way game, this could end up being a dangerous trio for a long time. Gusev is the only one of the three that is in his first year despite being the oldest of the three. It would be awesome to see all three of these guys turn into something special for New Jersey long term.