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50 Greatest New Jersey Devils Players Of All Time

By Nick Villano

Former New Jersey Devils players (L-R) Martin Brodeur, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko and Scott Stevens during Patrik Elias #26 jersey retirement ceremony prior to a game against the New York Islanders at the Prudential Center on February 24, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)"n
Former New Jersey Devils players (L-R) Martin Brodeur, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko and Scott Stevens during Patrik Elias #26 jersey retirement ceremony prior to a game against the New York Islanders at the Prudential Center on February 24, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)"n /
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New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils – Bobby Holik (Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/ALLSPORT) /

Greatest New Jersey Devils player of all time: 9. Bobby Holik

Bobby Holik is exactly what people think of when they talk about a New Jersey Devils-type player. He was a hard-nosed player who could knock a guy out as easily as he could score goals. He came to the Devils in the trade that sent Sean Burke to the Hartford Whalers. Thanks to Holik’s contributions to a host of championship Devils teams, it is now known as one of the most lopsided trades ever.

Holik would play the next decade in New Jersey, coinciding with Devils hockey becoming a dominant style across the league. His first season was in 1992-93 when the Devils were moving further away from the putrid 80s records and becoming a constant contender. He made the playoffs with the Devils in every season of his tenure outside of that bizarre 1997 season.

This was another player who could fit in what Lou Lamoriello and the coaching staff needed from him. He could be the destructive center on the Crash Line that disrupted the other team’s momentum with one hit. He could move up in the lineup and become a scorer when necessary. He was reliable, almost always healthy, and a total package as a middle-six center. He even led the entire NHL with three game-winning goals in the 2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Holik played on two Devils champions before signing with the New York Rangers in 2002. He doesn’t get as much hate as Gomez or other Devils who flipped to the team’s biggest rival, but maybe that’s because the Rangers gave Holik $9 million per season, and we can’t blame him for taking that. He did come back to the Devils in 2008 to provide leadership to an up-and-coming team before calling it a career in 2009.

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