It’s been a bit of a rough patch for the New Jersey Devils through the last couple of games, and you can argue that some of those struggles have been ongoing on their home ice. That’s a team effort, but some players unable to perform up to par whether they’re at home or on the road has also been an issue.
Before I dive into the good stuff, I’ll stress that this piece is about underperforming players, not necessarily those who have been outright awful. All three names listed are valuable for the Devils, and that won’t change. But they haven’t been playing up to the standard expected of them.
Let’s start with one of the younger players on the roster, one who I thought was in for more than just a breakout year before moving on to a couple of seasoned vets.
Luke Hughes
Yep, Luke Hughes looked like he was on the verge of taking the league by storm following a 47-point campaign that saw him knock down nine goals and 38 assists. You might look at his minus-25 plus/minus and think that his first full season wasn’t as good as his points production showed, but still, he was in consideration for the Calder, and that’s saying a lot.
This season, it’s been a step back for Hughes, who has just nine points and a goal in 22 contests. This puts him on track for between 25 and 30 points this season, so all signs are pointing to a sophomore slump.
He’s logging less ice time, too, and that’s not the greatest sign. If there’s one strong takeaway, it’s that he’s been on the ice for just 10 goals allowed this season at even strength. But, he’s also been out there for just 10 goals for, so I’ve been, overall, disappointed from what I’ve seen so far.
All of that said, if there’s one ultra-positive to take away here, it’s that Hughes is looking better as of late. While his cumulative performance hasn’t been inspiring, maybe this is a case in which he’s just taken a while to get on track.
Timo Meier
‘To be fair’ is one of my least-favorite quips, but I have to use it here regarding Timo Meier. Why? Well, because ‘to be fair,’ Meier wasn’t off to the hottest start last season, yet he still turned it around later and enjoyed a solid season in Newark.
That said, I thought it would set the stage for something bigger in 2024-25, but Meier has since reverted to the so-so player he was for a good part of last season, and it’s not for the better. He’s converted just nine shots for a goal this year, good for a shooting percentage of 9.1 percent, and has 20 points in 30 games.
If we were to conduct some basic math, that puts him on track for between 54 and 58 points this season, a far cry from what I thought would be somewhat close to a point-per-game pace.
Dougie Hamilton
Dougie Hamilton was one player we all wanted to see stay healthy last year, but that wasn’t the case. And he’s been a major help in Newark upon his return this season, with 21 points and five goals in 31 contests, plus 20:37 of average total ice time.
But that’s where the positives have ended so far, as Hamilton has been turning the puck over a lot. So far, his giveaway count is up to 53, and that’s in just 31 games. And while his 21 points in 31 contests have been solid, they’re nowhere near on pace to be as spectacular as they were in 2022-23, when he last played a full season.
No, I didn’t see him quite making it back to that level, but his metrics also haven’t been the most inspiring at even strength, so it’s not just points and giveaways. I mean, yeah, being on the ice for 33 goals has been nice, but he’s also watched opponents score 33 at the same time. A Corsi For of 53.7 is positive, but it’s still lower than what we’ve mainly seen in the past.