The New Jersey Devils have a really nice player in Jesper Bratt so what is his ceiling?
The New Jersey Devils took Jesper Bratt in the 6th round, 162nd overall, in the 2016 NHL Draft. Normally, when you go in the sixth round you have a slight chance of making it to the NHL one day but not likely. Well, not only did Bratt make it, he made it very young and unexpectedly. He has been very productive for a young kid that was a late pick. It has been a great start to his young career but how high can he take it?
Bratt has 37 goals in 63 assists for 100 points in 185 career games for New Jersey. The only non-1st-round player from his draft class with more points is Chicago Blackhawks forward, Alex DeBrincat, who has 87 goals and 86 assists for 173 points in 234 games. Bratt has been very productive and has found chemistry with everyone he has played with.
Early on, it was Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier. Things haven’t really worked out with him and Jack Hughes yet, but at the end of the season, the line with him on the right of Nikita Gusev and Pavel Zacha worked wonders. It is fair to wonder if this line will be reunited for the 2020-21 season and how productive they are will determine if they stay together if it is tried. Zacha is relied on for a lot of the defensive play on that line while Gusev and Bratt make magic happen when they have the puck.
Bratt’s career-high in points came when he had 35 points in 70 games his rookie year. Well, he had 32 in 60 games this season which is well on pace to break that total but the pause caused him to fall short. With that, it is easy to see him doing even better than that with another year of experience in 2020-21. He might also have a steady line all year long too which would go a long way.
The ceiling for Bratt certainly isn’t 100 points or anything like that, but seeing 25-30 goals and 55-60 points would be really nice. He is the perfect winger for a lot of guys and could absolutely be a middle-six winger on a Stanley Cup contending team. It is fun to watch Bratt play as well because he is highly skilled when the puck is on his stick so he can make exciting plays. The Devils are lucky to have Bratt and hopefully, they are able to take advantage of such a great find.