New Jersey Devils: World Is Starting To Appreciate Jesper Bratt
It seems like forever ago when Jesper Bratt started the first five games of the season without a point and New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff had to bench him for a period for his ineffectiveness. There are some pretty clear stats that a lot of his lack of stats came down to bad luck, but anyone with eyes could see that Bratt himself was frustrated.
Then, Ruff paired him with Andreas Johnsson and Dawson Mercer. Something immediately clicked, and Bratt was off to the races. He immediately had a goal and an assist on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Since going scoreless in the first five games in the season, Bratt has just four games where he went scoreless since then.
Bratt has been on a tear, and that has never been more clear than when he just absolutely sniped a goal past Carter Hart to open the scoring for the Devils against the struggling Philadelphia Flyers.
Jesper Bratt picked that corner perfectly. pic.twitter.com/9ExG3czT2y
— NHL (@NHL) December 9, 2021
Bratt was given a little bit of time and a little bit of space, and he turned it into the first goal of the game for the Devils. Right now, Bratt is leading the Devils with 22 points this season. He’s on a 75-point pace, which is a number that has been hit by a Devils player once in the past decade. Taylor Hall won the MVP for the Devils in 2018, but Bratt is right now on pace to beat all of the Devils players since the team went to the Stanley Cup Final.
It’s not surprising that we’re seeing a Bratt breakout this season. It seems like he comes super close the last two seasons, but something puts a stop to it. Sometimes it’s a slow start due to a contract dispute, or it might be an injury that comes at the worst time. This season, everything is clicking. He doesn’t need to be with Dawson Mercer or Andreas Johnsson to be the best line on the team. It seems like any line he’s on is the best line on the team. One would expect Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes to have that impact, but it’s Bratt who’s making the biggest impact among the forwards this season.
The Devils have to think about a contract extension for Bratt. He’s a restricted free agent at the end of this season. He has been inconsistent in the past, but this season seems to be the year he put it all together. Now, the hockey world is starting to appreciate Bratt.
Jesper Bratt is on a tear!@NJDevils | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/5RUiapXk32
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) December 9, 2021
Jesper Bratt is All That 😱 @NJDevils pic.twitter.com/W9ikKB7xEq
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 9, 2021
The New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 yesterday. Jesper Bratt was the best player in our eyes. He's really fun to watch winger. He scored one goal and added one assists against Philadelphia. Excellent performance! Deserved win for the Devils. pic.twitter.com/uPFtlEgpJq
— Andy & Rono (@ARHockeyStats) December 9, 2021
With more recognition comes more expense for the Devils, but that isn’t a problem right now. Even when the Devils are slumping, Bratt is not. That is a development everyone can get behind.