2. Jesper Bratt
On pace for 69 assists
Jesper Bratt has been relatively quiet this season. He hasn’t been lighting the lamp at a crazy pace, although five goals is respectable given everything else he provides this team. His plays are usually made to set up other players, like this insane pass to set up Jack Hughes against the Panthers on Tuesday night. The backhand put Bratt on the map again, and now he has people talking about how he’s underrated.
HOLY MOLY, WHAT A PASS 👀
— NHL (@NHL) November 13, 2024
The vision from Jesper Bratt on this pass to set up Jack Hughes is INSANE!
📺: @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/S5tPrXCygm pic.twitter.com/bpaWm4pfGq
Did you, as a Devils fan, know that Bratt led the team in points with 21? Did you know he’s tied for 11th in the league in points, tied with Mark Stone, Mark Scheifele, and Mikko Rantanen? He’s ahead of names like Leon Draisaitl, Mitch Marner, and Jack Hughes. Bratt has had an incredible start to the season.
However, it might not be clear just how good his start has been. Bratt is on pace for 69 assists. That would not only break the Devils franchise record for assists in a season, it would blow it out of the water. Surprisingly, Scott Stevens holds the Devils franchise record for assists with 60, which he accomplished back in 1993-94 before he fully embraced the role of enforcer.
This one seems much closer to possible than Hischier hitting 40 goals. Bratt has long been the Devils most consistent producer. Even this season, Bratt has just four out of 19 games where he has no points. Two of those games were shutouts, so nobody had points. Bratt is having a career season, and it couldn’t come at a better time.