Grading Each New Jersey Devils Players’ Playoff Performances

The New Jersey Devils wrapped up their first playoff run since 2018 with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, dropping the series 4-1. The team has a lot to be proud of, especially after coming back from down 2-0 in the series to defeat the rival New York Rangers in seven games. The ensuing series against Carolina didn’t go according to plan, though. As a result, some players finished their postseason playing much better or worse than their teammates.

Of course, the Devils came into the playoffs as a mostly young team with a few veteran guys sprinkled in to add experience and a calming presence. Ondrej Palat was brought in to be one of those guys, but he couldn’t do it alone. After rebounding from a down year that made him a potential cap casualty and trade candidate, the fall from grace was less than kind to Tomas Tatar.

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Tomas Tatar – Grade: F

Tatar played in all 12 games for New Jersey, featured on lines with both Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. He also had time on the second power-play unit. Unfortunately, the most you can say about Tatar’s playoff performance is exactly that. Tatar managed just one goal – his only point in the playoffs – on a shot that gave the Devils a 2-0 lead in Game 7 against New York. An important goal, yes, but John Marino did most of the heavy lifting and Tatar was there to finish the rest.

A non-descript postseason has seen Tatar descend from a candidate for a new contract with New Jersey to a player who might be searching for a new home and his third team in four years. An individual timely goal won’t be enough to salvage this performance from Tatar.

Dougie Hamilton – Grade: D-

Dougie Hamilton enjoyed some unprecedented success in his second season in New Jersey, which saw the veteran blueliner post career-highs in goals, assists, points, power-play goals, power-play points, shots, and game-winning goals. Despite this, Hamilton’s magic touch seemed to vanish in the playoffs.

The ex-Carolina Hurricane stalwart’s searing run came to a screeching halt come playoff time, contributing just one goal in 12 games after bagging 22 during the regular season. Hamilton had only two points at even-strength in the playoffs, including his goal.

Like Tatar, Hamilton’s goal was pivotal – he scored the overtime game-winning goal in Game 3 against New York to effectively keep the Devils alive in any capacity. Also, like Tatar, the rest of Hamilton’s game left a lot to be desired, especially away from the puck, and especially for the reputation he established during the regular season. Finishing with a whopping -11 rating in 12 games won’t be good enough to preserve the luster of Hamilton’s season-saver in Game 3.

Vitek Vanecek – Grade: D-

Despite entering the postseason with shoddy playoff stats from previous seasons with the Washington Capitals, Vitek Vanecek was Lindy Ruff’s starting goaltender for the start of the 2023 playoffs. At the time, the decision was fairly obvious, especially with no legitimate alternatives on the roster. After getting blown away in each of his first two starts against the Rangers, Vanecek was hooked for Akira Schmid. The rest is history.

While Schmid stole the show on Broadway, his success wasn’t sustained against a Hurricanes team that outmatched the Devils by a significant margin in each of the first two games of that series. For some reason, Ruff decided to turn back to Vanecek. While the Devils did win Game 3, Vanecek’s performance was unremarkable, and the team allowed three shorthanded goals in the 8-4 win. Scoring eight times and allowing four goals is just not something you can do more than a few times, if that, at the NHL level.

Naturally, Ruff rolled out Vanecek once again in Game 4 thanks to his “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” coaching style, and predictably added insult to injury for Vanecek and Devils fans. After the loss, Vanecek was clearly dejected, as observed by reporters. Although the loss was largely due to his performance, it was pretty apparent that Vanecek should not have been thrown to the wolves like that, with his struggles already visible in prior games. Ruff’s handling of the situation was cruel and unfair to a player with as much charisma as Vanecek, who deserved so much better than this.

Ryan Graves – Grade: D

The high-risk, high-reward nature of the Devils’ blueline was a question mark almost all year for the Devils, and no player showed more risk and less reward than Ryan Graves. Things took a turn in the playoffs, and it started at the beginning of the series against the New York Rangers.

Let’s begin with some good. Graves set a career-high in goals with eight in the regular season, but his clumsy and below-average skating inhibited him from recovering from being out of position so frequently. The Rangers were able to exploit Graves’ defensive awareness for most of the first round, which allowed Chris Kreider to torch New Jersey for five power-play goals in seven games. And, for a guy who is 6’5″ and 220 lbs, Graves got knocked around pretty regularly by the Hurricanes and Rangers without ever returning the favor. One should expect a player of his caliber to throw his weight around.

At least Graves’ performances were not for a lack of effort, as the Nova Scotian defender was at least reliable for shot-blocking and breaking up rushes. With one assist in 10 games, that is as far as things go for the pending UFA, who will more than likely be finding a new home this summer.

Brendan Smith – Grade: D

As part of the plan to add more experience and sandpaper to the Devils’ lineup, the team signed Brendan Smith. In the playoffs, Smith’s role did not change at all.

Smith’s first appearance of the playoffs came against the Rangers in Game 2. Head Coach Lindy Ruff wanted to add more toughness. Well, Smith did so by taking a roughing penalty and getting misconduct in the 5-1 loss. He was immediately taken back out of the lineup and didn’t see the ice again for the rest of the first-round series.

Smith was one and done until the Carolina series, where he played in Games 3 and 4, adding one assist in Game 3 and a heap of turnovers in Game 4. The Devils utilized an 11-forward, 7-defenseman strategy in order to get Smith in the lineup with a playoff-debuting Luke Hughes. He was eventually benched once again in Game 5.

By his own admission, Brendan Smith is coming to the end of his career, and his play has generally reflected that sentiment. He’s signed for another year with the Devils, so expect to see him in the lineup at least next season.

Nathan Bastian – Grade: C-

Michael McLeod was one Devil who shocked many by taking his game to a new level, but in doing so left his buddy and frequent linemate Nate Bastian in the dust. The former Super Buddies did not have the chemistry we saw during the regular season.

Bastian was by no means ‘bad’ in the postseason, but overall, the hulking 6’4″ winger did not contribute an awful lot either. Bastian is a reliable penalty killer, which did come to play as the Devils finally shut down the Rangers lethal power play toward the end of the series.

He scored a random but ultimately meaningless highlight-reel goal against Carolina in Game 1. His skating ability really holds him back from being more effective. Bastian lumbering around the ice is not really conducive to having success against a faster and harder-working Hurricanes team, and their moving the puck at speed gave him fits on the penalty kill.

Bastian can play roles and is versatile, but his fit in New Jersey going forward is still a question mark. In the past, he was once considered an integral part of the core moving forward. Now, it’s not that sure. Bastian is a restricted free agent, so we’ll see what happens with him this offseason.

Yegor Sharangovich – Grade: C-

In general, the Devils sorely missed having players with upside at the bottom of their lineup. Yegor Sharangovich was used to playing alongside Jack Hughes until he was shoehorned into a bottom-six role for most of this season. It never seemed to fit, and he found himself on the outside looking in on the lineup more often than most of us expected. (One might be surprised to know that Sharangovich and Hughes played over 250 minutes together at 5v5 this season.)

In the playoffs, Sharangovich was decidedly a non-factor for whatever reason but still got in three games. The Belarusian sharpshooter looked dangerous when given the opportunity and gave the team some fresh legs on the penalty kill. He is one of the Devils best penalty killers at forward, so it’s a surprise he didn’t see action immediately after it became clear Chris Kreider was filing a patent to own the Devils.

Despite coming away with no points in three games, the Devils’ best lineup does not have Sharangovich on their bench. It’s a farcical waste of a talented player, quite honestly. He’s also a restricted free agent, and there’s no real indication what is going to happen this offseason.

Miles Wood – Grade: C-

The Devils probably could not have drawn up a more rotten start than the way they started their series against New York. After piling up 14 penalty minutes in those two games, Miles Wood found himself sitting in the press box for a considerable period of time until being reintroduced to the lineup in Game 7.

In six games after returning to the lineup, Wood did not commit a single penalty and chipped in two goals, which is more than what most players can say they did this postseason. Wood was also pretty useful in helping the Devils generate off of the cycle, even though nothing really came of it most of the time.

Wood probably gets a slightly higher grade if not for the poor start. It will be interesting to see the Devils’ plans for him going forward. He was given a one-year deal last offseason after an injury-plagued 2021-22. This season, it was frustrating to say the least. The playoffs showed a little more, but there are questions abound.

Damon Severson – Grade: C+

The Devils’ blueline was regularly exposed for untimely goals in their losses in the playoffs, but as a shock to many fans, Damon Severson generally did not play a part in this. New Jersey’s longest-tenured player was rock-solid in Round 1 but, like most everyone else, found sledding a little tougher in Round 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The only mistake Severson really made was getting caught too high in his own zone on Carolina’s lead-taking goal in Game 4. Even then, he got a piece of the puck. In Game 3, he scored a pretty nice goal with some help from Luke Hughes. Severson once again showed he had value despite playing on the third defensive line. After being the biggest minutes eater on the team for years, Severson really made a difference in his limited role.

Severson’s contributions were pretty muted, but he did well given the circumstances. The Game 5 loss is a sour end to what certainly seems to be the end of Severson’s career in New Jersey. He’s getting ready to get paid in the offseason. Since the Devils likely can’t afford it, he’s likely finding another home.

Curtis Lazar – Grade: C+

Curtis Lazar never quite got both feet on the ground in New Jersey and, given the circumstances, played well for the most part. The nomadic forward played a bit of wing and center and did OK in those roles. He spent most of his time on the fourth line, looking to bring energy to the Devils lineup.

Lazar’s first goal as a Devil – the ice-breaker in the Game 6 loss to New York – ultimately went to waste. Goals are a rarity for Lazar, who has only scored more than six goals once (Eight in 2021-22 with Boston).

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We would have liked to see Lazar play more of a role like he did in Game 5 against Carolina. He is an adept defender for a forward, is deceptively quick in short areas, and is able to take and dish out punishment along the boards. Since we still have him under contract going forward, I would like to see more from him as he gets further acclimated to New Jersey over the summer.

Kevin Bahl – Grade: C+

You could tangibly feel the growth of many young Devils during the playoffs, but maybe none more so than Kevin Bahl. The massive defenseman gave many fans hope for the future of the left side.

Over the course of this season, Bahl went ahead and grew from a fringe rotational player to a seventh defenseman to the Devils’ third pairing alongside Damon Severson. Bahl was sometimes really bad and sometimes really good. Towards the end of the season, things became more linear.

An area of concern for Bahl was that he often played below his size of 6’6″, 230 lbs. Come playoff time, Bahl ramped up his physicality tenfold and reaped the benefits. Bahl is still a bit raw as a player, and his puck skills suffer from his size and agility, ala Ryan Graves. His turnover that led to a Patrick Kane breakaway goal in Game 2 against New York is proof of that. It also explains why he managed just one assist in 11 games.

Bahl deserved more playing time based on merit alone, which is another mark on Coach Ruff’s slate. Bahl played more than 15 minutes just three times in the playoffs, which is just a gross mismanagement of another useful player.

Dawson Mercer – Grade: B-

The 2023 Devils postseason can be described mostly in moments rather than a consistent, game-to-game theme. This is exactly how things went for budding star Dawson Mercer as well.

After a really strong regular season that built on his rookie campaign from last year, Mercer got washed out of plays at 5v5 far too often in the playoffs. However, some of this was due to the role he was cast in, and then the real Dawson Mercer showed up in the final three games of the Carolina series.

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Mercer’s point total was buoyed to seven after a three-assist outburst in the 8-4 win over Carolina in Game 3, but there were some moments too. That short-handed goal against the Rangers in Game 5 was a really special goal.

Overall, you would like Mercer’s game to be a bit more consistent, but for a young player like him, things could have been worse. He’s one of the few Devils still on an entry-level contract, and thank goodness for that.

Ondrej Palat – Grade: B-

Consistency was a theme for New Jersey, and in Ondrej Palat’s first year in New Jersey, he was consistently thrown all over the lineup. As a result, Palat never really developed chemistry at any point with any players on the team.

Palat’s big contract, coupled with his age, made him an easy target for the rage of Devils fans. Palat never scored the big goals as many expected, but at least he contributed out there. His three goals came on: an empty net, a deflection, and a power-play in a rout. While at least he showed some scoring effort, and his insane play in Game 7 of the Rangers series put the Devils in front for good, one would expect more.

But Palat’s hard work on the penalty kill – which he rarely plays – sparked the Devils Game 7 win over New York. Say what you will, but you cannot teach effort or heart.

Jesper Bratt – Grade: B-

This is a classic example of how greed can turn a player from a fan favorite into one of the most heavily scrutinized in just one year.

Jesper Bratt, like Mercer, was largely invisible for most of the playoffs. Bratt’s only goal of the playoffs came on an empty net, which is more than disappointing after the Swede scored a career-best 32 this season. Add that to some hefty contractual demands, and you find yourself in very hot water with Devils’ fans.

Bratt had moments, some good, some bad. He assisted on both goals in the Game 3 win over New York and then added another assist in the Game 4 win two days later. The Carolina series was a different story, and Bratt came away with just two assists in the eight-goal outburst and nothing more. His lack of effort along the boards and in the defensive zone was palpable. But most smaller star players do not play defense like that, and we have to accept that too. Bratt didn’t have a great postseason, but it was not as bad as it seemed.

Obviously, Bratt’s contract situation will be the talk of the town going into the offseason.

Timo Meier – Grade: B-

Trades are always funny in the sense that there is usually no guarantee a player will adapt right away and contribute the same way they did. That is what happened with Curtis Lazar and, unfortunately, Timo Meier as well.

Timo Meier was certainly unlucky to not have scored on more shots or produced more assists, but he did not do enough to make his own fate either. His back-breaking empty net miss in the Game 5 loss to Carolina will live in infamy as an all-time epic fail. While he had many plays that helped the team, it’s hard to take away anything but this miss.

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To Meier’s credit, he was constantly being bounced around the lineup, and Jacob Trouba’s headshot in Game 7 did not do much to help his case. He bounced back and played in Game 1 of the Canes series just two days later.

An overall unremarkable-but-not-awful postseason will lead Meier to sign the most important contract of his life at some point this summer. It’s another huge storyline to watch over the next few months.

Erik Haula – Grade: B

Another member of the playoff experience contingent, Erik Haula was another Devil who endured a very up-and-down postseason run. For Haula, the highs were high, but the lows were low.

Haula scored all six of his points against the Rangers in Round 1, as he and Ondrej Palat did their best to keep the Devils afloat until the rest of the team got their game in order. Against Carolina though, Haula had no points, a rating of -7, and 11 penalty minutes. He got shelled as hard as anyone else on the ice for New Jersey.

Haula was downright terrible against Carolina but one of our saviors against New York. An F- series against an A+ series lands Haula here because, at this point with this team, the successes mean a lot more than the failures.

At 32, Haula probably has one decent contract left. It would be nice if he signed it with New Jersey, as he brought a lot to the table throughout the year.

At the age of 19, Luke Hughes has played more playoff games (3) than regular season games (2). Across those five games, he has a goal and three assists. Who would have seen that one coming?

Luke Hughes was not faultless and did not come without mistakes, but that is no problem when you have this much talent at 19. After all, the kid was probably typing up homework assignments on Microsoft Word at 11 p.m. about five weeks ago. He was in the Frozen Four almost exactly one month ago. Now, he’s making actual plays in a do-or-die Stanley Cup Playoff game.

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Hughes had his ups and downs in Games 3 and 4 but was arguably New Jersey’s best player in Game 5. With more growth and seasoning, Hughes will be electric on New Jersey’s blue line alongside brother Jack for the next two decades.

Jonas Siegenthaler’s defense partner Dougie Hamilton is at the opposite end of this list, and at this juncture, it is probably time to split them up for good.

It is still mind-boggling that Lindy Ruff made Siegenthaler a healthy scratch in Game 2 against New York, but alas. Siegenthaler was consistent as usual on the back end, but the few weaknesses in his game caught up to him in the postseason.

The Swiss sentinel tends to dwell on the puck a bit too long, and also has a penchant, apparently, for taking untimely penalties. This is without blaming him for taking the penalty that ended the Devils’ season; Tomas Tatar had no business giving Siegenthaler the puck from that position.

At least Siegenthaler also scored a nice goal in Game 4 against New York. He should probably be paired with a more mobile, inventive passer to maximize his skillset going forward.

We cannot grade Siegs postseason without mentioning he had the penalty that finished the Devils the season. He chucked the puck over the glass in overtime in Game 5, but he was put in a terrible position by Tomas Tatar.

Nico Hischier – Grade: B

Whatever it was, Nico Hischier just did not seem to be able to find the answers this postseason. That’s OK.

The Devils’ captain still managed to tie Mercer and Palat for second in points scored, and while coming away with just one goal is not great, Hischier played important roles all over the ice. Lindy Ruff’s whole shtick with keeping him with Bratt could not have panned out more poorly for the both of them. If you forgot Tomas Tatar was playing, one cannot blame you.

It would not be fair to lay all the blame on Hischier’s linemates, as he does have to create for himself too, but at least he was busy doing other things too. Hischier is a Selke Trophy candidate that proved hockey is more than goals and assists.

John Marino – Grade: B

The only Johnny Hockey we recognize in New Jersey, John Marino, was up to his usual shenanigans of eating up high-difficulty minutes alongside Ryan Graves. He generally did well doing so in spite of his partner.

Marino is not known for his offense, but he had two two-assist games in the two biggest games of the Devils’ season: Game 7 against New York and Game 3 against Carolina. Ultimately, it did not pan out for the Devils as fans would have hoped, but Marino’s 30-minute cameo in Game 5 against Carolina with blood gushing from his nose was admirable, to say the least. If they found a way to win, it would be an image that would live on in Devils lore.

Unfortunately, the Devils didn’t win, so Marino’s performance ultimately is in vein. Still, fans look forward to seeing this guy paired with Luke Hughes forever. They mix of skill, both offensively and defensively, will be a treat to watch for us all.

Jack Hughes – Grade: A

Jack Hughes never quite dominated the way he did in the regular season, and that was fine. All Hughes did was put up 11 points in 12 games despite playing through an upper-body injury, losing a tooth, and being saddled with Palat and Haula as linemates for most of the time. Not bad for a guy with no playoff experience, huh?

Going forward, it would be wise not to have Hughes go into as many corners and board battles as he did, but maybe he cannot help himself. Hughes is a competitive guy who wants to win and loves to win. Who can blame him?

It would behoove the Devils to maybe add some sandpaper to his line, but with the capability of scoring too. Michael Bunting will be a free agent this summer. It will be very interesting to see if that’s someone the Devils target with their limited resources.

Akira Schmid – Grade: A

When Vitek Vanecek faltered, things looked pretty grim for the Devils until this Akira Schmid guy stepped in. He saved the Devils season for as long as he could. When most of us were begging to avoid a sweep at the hands of our Hudson River Rivals, Schmid came in and secured a series win.

Akira Schmid captivated his audience on Broadway, stealing the show with two straight wins at Madison Square Garden and two shutouts at home at Prudential Center. Schmid had a tough time replicating that success against the Hurricanes, but hockey is a team game. The Devils did not show up in Games 1 or 2. Schmid performed admirably in Game 5 with his back against the wall, but ultimately it was not to be.

The Devils won as a team and lost as a team, but Schmid kept their season going for a few more weeks. After this stellar performance, it’s interesting to see what happens next.

Wait, what? That Michael McLeod?

We have never seen Michael McLeod play like this at the NHL level. Back in the day with the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL, McLeod was a very good playoff performer. He carried his team to the OHL Finals in 2017, scoring 27 points in 20 games. Maybe this is a legitimate thing.

For whatever reason, McLeod attacked in the offensive zone, carried the puck, and looked for passes like never before seen. His performance was better than anyone could have ever asked for, and his two short-handed goals were a big reason as to why the Devils made it as far as they did. After being relegated to the fourth line forever, McLeod deserves his flowers for an incredible showing.

It will certainly be interesting to see what his next contract might look like this summer. He is one of the many Devils looking at a restricted free agent situation.