50 Greatest New Jersey Devils Players of All Time: Numbers 30-21

Greatest New Jersey Devils player of all time: 21. Bruce Driver

Bruce Driver is a very hard player to rank because it seems like he was stuck in the wrong era. He was a defenseman who could skate, which is a priority in today’s game. He looked a lot like Quinn Hughes looks in today’s game. That just wasn’t what was needed in the 1980s and 90s. They wanted defensemen who prioritized defense. Driver

He was with the Devils for 11 seasons and was even named captain for the 1991-92 season. Driver topped 50 points three different times, hitting a career-high 55 in the 1987-88 season. That would be the first time the Devils ever made it to the playoffs, and Driver’s contributions were key that season. He was fourth on that team in points, and then in the playoffs, he recorded three goals and seven assists in games.

Driver ranks eighth all-time in assists, and he was an underrated driver of offense. He was on the ice for 1,000 goals scored in a Devils uniform. Only Patrik Elias, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, and John MacLean can say that.

Of course, like too many Devils, Driver broke the hearts of Devils’ fans by signing with the Rangers after the 1995 Stanley Cup win. He signed a three-year deal worth a total of $3.9 million. While that left a bad taste in some Devils’ fans’ mouths, Driver has been a Devils legend and has been around the team ever since his retirement in 1998 as soon as his Rangers contract ended.