Jesper Bratt – Nico Hischier – Kyle Palmieri
Kyle Palmieri and Nico Hischier seem like the most obvious first liners on the Devils right now. Hischier has been the first-line center basically since he came into the league. An injury to Travis Zajac put Hischier into that role from day one of his rookie season. He helped elevate Taylor Hall to his MVP status. His offensive output hasn’t been the superstar level many fans were hoping, but his all-around game is the best on the team.
Palmieri has been in trade rumors all offseason as he heads into the final year of his contract. If the Devils don’t get a deal done, it could lead to Palmieri getting traded before the season starts. However, if that doesn’t happen, Palmieri has the clearest path to take the first-line right-wing position. There really isn’t any option close to him right now.
The left-wing position is the change here. Jesper Bratt was a man on a mission towards the end of last season, scoring 16 points in the final 20 games of the season. On the Devils, those are first-line numbers. Bratt played on the first line his rookie season, but he’s failed to live up to his talent level ever since.
This could be the year Bratt finally puts it all together for a full season. He’s had an entire offseason to grow his game and add muscle to his frame. Palmieri is the best scoring option on the team, so it’s obvious he should be on the first line. The rest needs to fall into place.
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