After two down years, there was a lot of talk that Dawson Mercer wasn’t going to reach the level of production from his sophomore season again. This season, he’s bouncing back and finally changing the narrative. It’s early, but Mercer is well on track to reach a career-high in points.
Mercer has eight goals and six assists in the New Jersey Devils’ first 13 games this season, putting him just over a point per game pace. Three of these goals have come on the power play. Right now, he’s shooting at 33.3%. Mercer has been productive no matter what line he's on, showing he can produce even without being on a line with the top-tier forwards.
He will eventually come back to earth…there will be ebbs and flows as the season goes on. But his hot start indicates that the Mercer everyone hoped was in there really is. He just needed time.
Dawson Mercer continues to shine for the Devils early in the season
The Devils lost three of four games on their west coast road trip, but there was a positive to come from it: Mercer continued his hot start to the season. He tallied six points in four games. In the first three games of the trip, he had a three-game goal streak, with five goals.
During the road trip, Mercer scored a goal against the Colorado Avalanche, two against the San Jose Sharks, and two against the Los Angeles Kings. Both goals in Saturday night’s game in LA were shorthanded, with Mercer becoming the first Devil to accomplish this feat since 1993. He ended the trip with an assist in the loss against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night.
The difference between Mercer last season and this season goes beyond goals and assists. He’s contributing in different parts of the ice. He’s chasing down the puck and winning puck battles. After two years of struggling, he's finally putting together a smoother two-way game.
Mercer looks different than last year. He is playing with a higher level of confidence, like he flipped a switch over the summer. He looks like a more confident, more developed version of his 2022-23 self.
If Mercer’s season continues the way it’s been going, he’ll truly be able to show that it just took time for him to develop. After all, he’s only 24 years old. Anyone who counted him out should take notice. Dawson Mercer’s star is on the rise.