New Jersey Devils End Of Season Player Grades Part 1
Jack Hughes
GP:56 G:11 A:20 PTS:31
The growth in Jack Hughes’ game has been astounding. He might not have burst out of the gate like some generational superstars, but he is well on his way to being a top player in the league. In fewer games, he got more goals and assists by a rather big margin compared to his rookie season. He moved from the egregious -26 to almost dead even on a bottom team in his +/-. On top of this, he led the team in Corsi and Fenwick, controlling the play a pretty ridiculous amount of time on a line with two rookies for a good part of the season. He also hit such a high number of posts and while there is no luck/60 stat, he could very easily have had another 5 goals and hit 40 points. His shot percentage was only 7.7 and visually he improved a lot in this area so next season expect Hughes’ numbers to skyrocket.
Final season grade: A
Yegor Sharangovich
GP:54 G:16 A:14 PTS:30
After his hot start in the KHL, Yegor Sharangovich came over and impressed right away showing chemistry with Zajac and Kuokkanen before Jack Hughes was made their new center. His shot lived up to the hype. His shooting percentage sits at a high number for the NHL at 14%, there is absolutely nothing that makes one think it will drop in a big way. His release is crisp and his shot is so hard that his spot is secure for next season. This line should be together for a long time. With a full season next to an improving Jack Hughes, get ready for Yegor to push 25 goals sooner rather than later.
Final season grade: A
Janne Kuokkanen
GP:50 G:8 A:17 PTS:25
The unexpectedly good member of this line did exactly what he needed to do to not just stay in the lineup but to be the complementary piece on a big line. Kuokkanen’s puck retrieval skills add so much to the Devils’ future and just having the determination to do whatever is needed to make the play really stands out. Despite not being the most obvious one on the line on a shift-by-shift basis he was on a very strong pace points-wise that would have had him at 41 points on a regular-season exceeding all expectations and he should maintain his spot on this line next season.
Final season grade: A