The New Jersey Devils are on the sidelines after flaming out in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Their first-round opponent just joined them on the golf course. The Carolina Hurricanes lost to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals in five games. Some players stepped up despite the failure in the end.
Others did not step up. When looking at the Devils, there are a few players who really tried to will them to a series win. Brian Dumoulin was a monster, playing 29 minutes per game in the postseason. With so many Devils injuries, Dumoulin was everything the Devils needed. Simon Nemec might have saved his career in the postseason. His overtime goal gave the Devils their only win. Nico Hischier scored four goals.
When looking at those who didn't show up, the usual suspects are on the list. Playoff Palat did not show up, as Ondrej Palat had just two assists in the series. Cody Glass had no points as he's trying to establish himself on this team. Erik Haula did not do much with his last-ditch effort to salvage a lost season for him personally.
Meanwhile, The Athletic listed their picks for the 2025 NHL playoffs all-bust team. Sean McIndoe had a few interesting names. Auston Matthews, Connor Hellebuyck, and Drew Doughty were some of the top names. Dougie Hamilton made the list for the Devils, but McIndoe acknowledges that he just came back from injury and shouldn't have been expected to do much more.
The surprise name on the list is Jesper Bratt. Bratt is used to being discussed in the "playoff disappointment" category. Prior to this season, Bratt had zero playoff goals that weren't empty netters in his postseason career. He broke that streak this season, scoring in Game 2 against the Canes. It was the Devils' only goal that game on Freddie Andersen.
Bratt did fall off when it mattered. He scored zero points in Games 4 and 5. Things were getting hard for New Jersey, and they needed everyone to step up. One must acknowledge that Bratt didn't do that. Was it a situation where he just didn't have the opportunity, or did he not take advantage of those opportunities?
Bratt should step up more, especially in times when Jack Hughes is out. He earned his place on the "bust team." In future seasons, Bratt needs to do more in the playoffs.