3 New Jersey Devils Who Can Spark a Round 2 Surge

2. Dawson Mercer

Dawson Mercer is playing in his first Stanley Cup playoffs. The 21-year-old played in all 82 games in the 2022-2023 season. He came just shy of becoming a 30-goal scorer, notching 27 goals and 29 assists.

There was no sophomore slump for Mercer, who went from 42 points in his rookie season to 56 points in his second season and celebrated his first career hat trick on April 4th. The young forward has a bright future in the NHL. In the present, he needs to generate some offense in Round 2 of the playoffs.

Although he started off Round 1 relatively quietly, Mercer made some noise in Game 5 by scoring shorthanded for his first career playoff goal. This put the Devils up 3-0 in an eventual 4-0 shutout of the Rangers. Mercer also posted an assist in the game. Mercer scored on a power play in Game 6, although the Devils lost 5-2.

Mercer was quiet in the Devils’ rough series start against the Canes, but there’s no need to panic. He was quiet through the first three games of the Rangers series, too, before breaking out. The Devils need some of Mercer’s sophomore season magic to reappear to help their pursuit of taking down the Canes in Round 2 of the playoffs.