5 Lineup Changes To Help New Jersey Devils Scoring

Play Dawson Mercer With Nico Hischier

Dawson Mercer is one of the few stories that are positive about the Devils this season. He came into training camp straight from the OHL, and he was clearly one of the best players on the ice. Every game he earned himself more and more playing time, whether it was a training camp scrimmage or a preseason game. He eventually proved it in NHL games that count, scoring five points in his first seven games. He also had nine points in the month of November. He’s doing this as a 20 year old on a team of incredibly young players.

Those stats have seriously gone in the tank as of late. In December, Mercer only had four points total. In January, he had five assists and zero goals. His numbers have dropped pretty much as soon as Lindy Ruff took Jesper Bratt off his line. It’s more important to keep Jack Hughes scoring than Dawson Mercer, so that’s not an option right now. The Devils don’t have another winger that is going to get this team going, but that might be the solution right there.

Mercer played on the wing for two games earlier in the season, and it went pretty terribly. However, it’s a 20 year old trying to learn an entirely new position. The Devils should try to put him back there and see what happens. His motor would be perfect next to Nico Hischier, who is desperate to get anyone on the wing who can score. Pavel Zacha is ice cold, and he’s dragging down Hischier as a result. Mercer would give Hischier an option to score or to distribute more. At this point, it would be best to put them together and see what happens.