The New Jersey Devils are now just over the quarter mark of the season with 22 games played and are sitting with a mediocre record of 9-9-4. This has them in the sixth spot in the division going into Monday’s game against the Ottawa Senators and five points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins. They need to start playing a little better as a group because as it stands now they will continue to drop in the standings when this team should be more than capable of playing for a playoff spot.
When it comes to the players’ grades they are based on expectation as well as how they have done. All the stats are as of Monday morning and do not include the game against the Ottawa Senators.
Nico Hischier
Player Grade: B
Gp-22 G-3 A-11 Pts-14
Nico is having an interesting year and is putting up the normal amount of points for him but has made more poor defensive plays this season than any other. It has been a little frustrating at times but his underlying numbers are shockingly good with 54% Corsi and Fenwick ratings against tougher lines. The question moving forward is if this is him as a finished hockey player or not at the age of 24 because the Devils do need a little more from him.
Pavel Zacha
Player Grade: B
Gp-22 G-8 A-5 Pts-13
Pavel Zacha is a polarizing figure and fans have always been torn on him, this season is no different. He is putting up good enough points for a middle-six player but isn’t doing much defensively or playing physically. His shot is improving though and he does have chemistry with Nico.
Tomas Tatar
Player Grade: C+
Gp-22 G-5 A-7 Pts-12
Tomas Tatar was the big free-agent signing at forward this offseason. He got off to a slow start and has struggled to score goals with a goaltender in the net. He is currently holding at the top of some advanced stats though and things should be turning around for him. The Devils need more production out of him plain and simple.
Jesper Bratt
Player Grade: A
Gp-22 G-6 A-13 Pts-19
Jesper Bratt has been an absolute stud on the Devils’ best line this season. He is putting up points. His entire line pushes the pace constantly. Bratt’s puck control and vision are top tier and his passing has been phenomenal. While it is a new line, Dawson Mercer and Andreas Johnsson have shown amazing chemistry with Bratt. With a full year under their belt, it will be interesting to see if they can get even better.