Hughes and Bratt line have to get going
Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt haven’t taken over a game yet this season like we have seen often in the past. That being said they still have a combined 22 points in 12 games. An already impressive statline that is expected to trend up.
Sheldon Keefe has rolled out a few combinations on the left side, most recently Ondrej Palat. Hughes and Bratt have seemed better as of late but it seems more to do with them rather than the presence of Palat. As enticing as it would seem to pair Timo Meier with the two stars, it doesn’t seem to make enough sense right now with the chemistry he and Nico Hischier have rekindled.
We’ve seen Tomas Tatar find his way around the lineup through the years. Would putting Tatar with Hughes and Bratt work? Maybe. Erik Haula has also found chemistry with Hughes in previous seasons.
And that is what it really comes down to. When you put players with stars they’re going to play better and have more opportunities. This has more to do with Hughes and Bratt themselves because they’re good enough to be a force alone. They have both been point per game players and led the Devils in points in a season the past two years.
It’s not a question of if they will start to take over games but when. If we see them do it over these next three games, New Jersey will have a successful road trip.