New Jersey Devils Final Regular Season Grades
The season is finally over and the New Jersey Devils have finally made the Stanley Cup Playoffs after so many painful seasons. It was an exciting and entertaining year, so let us look at how the players did on an individual level. We’ll also see how close or far off our predictions were.
Jack Hughes
Final Rating: A+
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 30 Assists: 60 Points: 90
Final 2023 Stats: Goals:43 Assists:56 Points:99
Jack Hughes was incredible. At times, he was virtually unstoppable on his way to the best offensive season in Devils history. He can take over a game at a moment’s notice and moving forward he will be the first Devil to hit 100 points and 50 goals within the next few seasons if not next year. He is a true franchise-changing player and might be the most exciting Devils forward to watch of all time already.
Jesper Bratt
Final Rating: A
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 25 Assists: 50 Points: 70
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 32 Assists: 41 Points: 73
Much like Hughes did before, Jesper Bratt worked on his shot and used it more, netting his first 30 goal season of his career. He is one of the better players on the team, a good play driver, and now teams need to be aware that he is not just a fantastic playmaker making him even more dangerous.
Nico Hischier
Final Rating: A+
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 20 Assists: 40 Points: 60
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 31 Assists: 49 Points: 80
We all love Nico Hischier. Last season, the points prediction on him was dead on but this year he took a surprising step offensively. His defensive game not just stayed solid but improved, making him the second-best forward on this team now. He now can drive a line on his own, which is something he struggled to do at times when Bratt was moved away. This creates line-matching nightmares for opponents. If he keeps this up for a few years, he will start to get some much-deserved love for the Selke Trophy.
Ondrej Palat
Final Rating: C
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 18 Assists: 30 Points: 48
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 8 Assists: 15 Points: 23
Ondrej Palat had a bad start and an injury-ridden season playing only 49 games, but later in the year he found his groove and got it together. If he did play the full season, his numbers would average out to 13 goals and 25 assists for 38 points. That’s less than Devils fans would and should like or expect. He plays the hard, gritty game this team needs and really fits well anywhere in the top 9. The flip side of this is that the contract looks bad right away and on a deal that one would expect to look bad in a few years it does not bode well, but he has the playoff experience so perhaps it will pay for itself against the Rangers this week.
Dawson Mercer
Final Rating: A
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 22 Assists: 27 Points: 49
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 27 Assists: 29 Points: 56
There was no sophomore slump for Dawson Mercer as he kept improving and kept his Ironman streak going. Mercer is already a draft steal and a legit top-six player who, while sometimes lacking the consistency of a veteran, shows that he can dominate and times already. He looks like a star in the making and could be in line for a true breakout season next year.
Tomas Tatar
Final Rating: A
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 15 Assists: 20 Points: 35
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 20 Assists: 28 Points: 48
Tomas Tatar was a big surprise this year. He looked like a different man from last season. He was more active all over the ice, showed a better shot and most importantly was a factor in a lot of games. His defensive game was on another level. We admit, +/- isn’t the best stat, but his +41 is very impressive. He showed he could do a lot of heavy lifting with the Captain. Tatar still has it and will be a highly touted free agent soon.
Timo Meier
Final Rating: B
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 40 Assists: 26 Points: 66
Devils stats: Goals: 9 Assists: 5 Points: 14 (21 games)
The Devils big late acquisition had a bit of an up-and-down stretch, but Timo Meier found his scoring touch after a few games. He gives the Devils an offensive depth that is frightening. He also adds a physical presence that this team lacks. On paper, he was still the perfect pick up.
Erik Haula
Final Rating: B+
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 12 Assists: 20 Points: 32
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 14 Assists: 27 Points: 41
Erik Haula had an awful start and was the whipping boy for fans for quite a while. He had an amazing end of the season. He couldn’t hit an empty net for the longest time while playing with Jack Hughes nonetheless. It was infuriating at times, but with six goals in the last seven games, he ended with some good numbers. If he can keep it up in the playoffs for even a little bit it will bode very well for the Devils.
Yegor Sharangovich
Final Rating: C+
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 30 Assists: 20 Points: 50
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 13 Assists: 17 Points: 30
Yegor Sharangovich was a bit of a disappointment this season, but a lot of this has to do more with deployment than him. He was taken off Hughes’s line surprisingly early despite playing strong on both ends of the rink. He got stuck on the fourth line for a long stretch when they were doing nothing and only suited up for 75 games. Despite not scoring as much, Sharangovich is a good defensive player. When injuries occur in future seasons, he will be a fantastic player to move up. When it comes to the playoffs, he could be a part of a nightmare matchup for another team on an effective third line.
Micheal McLeod
Final Rating: C
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 8 Assists: 14 Points: 21
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 4 Assists: 22 Points: 26
Michael McLeod had an incredible start but fell off a cliff from a production standpoint. For a fourth-line player, fans would like to see a couple more goals out of him the problem is mostly in the consistency of play. He disappeared for long stretches and was only bringing faceoffs to the table, which he was incredible at, though. Mcleod needs to come out firing on all cylinders in the playoffs and could end up taking some massive draws for this team during crucial moments which can’t be understated but he just needs to throw a few more hits and drive the net more to be a heck of a player.
Miles Wood
Final Rating: D
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 20 Assists: 10 Points: 30
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 13 Assists: 14 Points: 27
Miles Wood, much like McLeod, got off to a start that had him on pace for half a point a game season but fell off a cliff till the very end of the year. The difference between the two is that Wood plays poor defense and doesn’t take faceoffs making him a liability in around 50 games this season. He has always had the raw talent to be more, but his inconsistency is baffling at this point and the fact that he doesn’t even do something as simple as hitting everything that moves is frustrating.
Nathan Bastian
Final Rating: B
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 15 Assists: 10 Points: 25
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 6 Assists: 9 Points: 15
It was a tale of two small seasons for Nathan Bastian, who got hurt when his line was on fire early. He ended up only playing in 43 games. If he did play the whole season, he was trending toward a solid season with 12 goals and almost 30 points. The man was a beast on the penalty kill and is the most physical guy on the team most nights. Adding in some points would be great. It is hard to get a grasp on what Nathan is still unfortunately but he should be given the chance to return to form in the playoffs and next season as a depth role guy.
Jesper Boqvist
Final Rating: C
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 12 Assists: 15 Points: 27
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 10 Assists: 11 Points: 21
Jesper Boqvist is now the man who just can’t nail down a spot no matter what and it is hard to tell what the team even thinks he is at this point. He was passed over so many times before showing he could probably be an NHLer, but then he was knocked down the lineup again by Zetterlund and got benched even when outplaying guys like Wood. Boqvist could be let go next season or be the third-line center, and nothing would surprise me since he can put stints together where he looks good and others where you have to look to see if he even played.
Dougie Hamilton
Final Rating: A+
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 12 Assists: 40 Points: 52
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 22 Assists: 52 Points: 74
Dougie Hamilton had an incredible season on both sides of the rink and did something almost no defender can do: score 20 goals. He did all this without cheating defensively and showed his high hockey IQ throughout his career like a true #1 franchise defenseman that the team hasn’t seen since we were a cup contender last.
Jonas Siegenthaler
Final Rating: A
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 2 Assists: 12 Points: 14
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 4 Assists: 17 Points: 21
Jonas Siegenthaler continued to be a massive factor in this team’s success shutting down other teams on the top pairing for most of the season and being a factor no matter where he was in the lineup. Seeing him score four times was a bit of a shock, but his shot looked pretty good. It is always nice to see guys who do the dirty work for wins get some points.
Ryan Graves
Final Rating: B+
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 6 Assists: 23 Points: 29
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 8 Assists: 18 Points: 26
Ryan Graves had a great year and is a legit top-four defender who can play a two-way game that teams must worry about. When he pinches, it is at a smart time. With his bomb of a shot, he can beat a goalie clean from a far distance. He also made some of the best defensive plays of the year being willing to put his body on the line to win but every once in a while can be at fault for a grade-A misplay. Overall, he was a big part of this team’s success.
John Marino
Final Rating: A
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 2 Assists: 9 Points: 11
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 4 Assists: 14 Points: 18
Everything said about Siegenthaler can pretty much be repeated for John Marino, who plays the same defensive game. He settles the game down defensively, giving this team a chance to win on a nightly basis. It should be a massive relief to fans knowing he is here for a long time and can shut down opposing stars.
Damon Severson
Final Rating: C
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 10 Assists: 32 Points: 42
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 7 Assists: 26 Points: 33
Damon Severson has never had trouble getting points, and without the big powerplay time, 33 points is impressive. On the defensive side, his game has been declining since Andy Greene was traded and retired years ago. Despite moving from a top-pairing guy to a third pairing, he just isn’t doing enough. With big names coming to this roster’s back end soon, Severson should move on unless he for whatever reason wanted a lowball one-year deal at this point.
Kevin Bahl
Final Rating: A
Preseason Prediction: Goals: 1 Assists: 5 Points: 6
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 2 Assists: 6 Points: 8
Kevin Bahl is the player who surprised the most on the backend this season. While he played about half the season, he so smoothly transition into the NHL already. He is only 22 years old, and with a mighty 66 games of experience one would think he should make a lot of mistakes. Luckily, he really didn’t this year, and he could and should see regular ice time against the Rangers in the playoffs. He was given a fair bit of time with Dougie Hamilton near the end of the season, so this shows the staff trusts him.
Brendan Smith
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 0 Assists: 5 Points: 5
With no preseason prediction, Brendan Smith doesn’t get a “final rating.” Smith was a solid pickup who provided some physicality in a depth role. With 60 games played, he was in more often than he was out. The expectation of a #6/7 guy is avoid getting caved in every night. He was adequate at that.
Luke Hughes
Final 2023 Stats: Goals: 1 Assists: 1 Points: 2
Luke Hughes got into two games and looked solid for his age, even scoring one of the nicest overtime goals of the year. While you can’t get much from such a small stint, it is worth saying that he has insane confidence with the puck and did not look overwhelmed in the big leagues at all. On top of that, he was decent on the defensive side for a young offensive guy. It will be interesting to see if he gets time in the playoffs or not.
Vitek Vanecek
Final Rating: A
Preseason Prediction: 47 Wins: 28 GAA: 2.55 Sv%: .912
Final 2023 Stats: 52 Wins: 33 GAA: 2.45 Sv%: .911
The Devils starter was exactly what fans have been hoping for for a long time and is the biggest reason the team is not in the draft lottery again. We all knew with just average goaltending this team could have at least competed for a playoff spot last season, and this season with slightly above average they shot to the top end of the league. Vanecek makes big saves when this team needs them, and they should have confidence with him as their playoff starter.
Mackenzie Blackwood
Final Rating: F
Preseason Prediction: Wins: 12 GAA: 3.05 Sv%: .903
Final 2023 Stats: Wins:10 GAA: 3.20 Sv%: .893
Mackenzie Blackwood fell off a cliff, and we all know it. At the start of the year, the thought was he was a barely serviceable backup. He still managed to miss being even that again and is clearly not an NHL goalie. Lindy Ruff made a baffling choice to start Blackwood in the final game. It is far past time to let him walk off into the sunset and try to find success elsewhere.
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Akira Schmid
Final Rating: A+
Final 2023 Stats: Wins: 9 GAA: 2.13 Sv%: .922
While Akira Schmid didn’t get a preseason rating, he deserves his A+. Schmid showed he is NHL-ready and should be the team’s backup next year and given 30+ games. He was solid all season, and he is so calm in net. He looks like a veteran in net and could give the Devils an underrated pairing moving forward.