1. The top players need to be the top players
The New Jersey Devils, like everyone else, need their best players to be their best players. If they aren’t amazing, they aren’t going to win anything.
Jack Hughes led this team in scoring with 99 points. He needs to go out there and dominate that same way during the playoffs. He scored 43 goals, adding a scoring threat to his already supreme playmaking ability.
Nico Hischier was the second-leading scorer with 80 points. Reaching that 80-point plateau meant New Jersey had two 80-point players for the first time in over a decade. In addition to the great offense, Hischier can provide great play in all three zones.
Jesper Bratt, Dougie Hamilton, Dawson Mercer, and Timo Meier all lead the depth scoring on this team. They are the best players on the team outside of the top two centers and need to show up in the playoffs.
If the top players play as well as they did in 2022-23, the Devils can beat anybody en route to winning the Stanley Cup.