NHL Network recently released a list of the top 20 wingers heading into this upcoming season; the list consists of stars such as Nikita Kucherov, Jason Robertson, and Mitch Marner. One player was missing from the list, and he goes by the name of Jesper Bratt, the most disrespected star in the NHL.
Jesper Bratt was the 162nd overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, selected by the New Jersey Devils. Expectations weren't high for the 5'10 Swedish winger, but he turned out to be one of the key pieces of a Devils core that seeks to make a run for the Stanley Cup someday. Through 634 career games, Jesper Bratt has 172 goals and 346 assists, averaging around 0.82 points per game. Yet Bratt remains one of the most disrespected stars in the league.
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One of Jesper Bratt's best qualities is his elite skating, which leads to his quality playmaking. Seeing him maneuver in the neutral zone while creating separation from defenders is like no other. The amount of space he creates for his linemates leads to so many goal-scoring chances; the numbers back it up when you look at his assists.
Jesper Bratt deserves much more respect than he's given by the national media
Bratt is coming off a 71-point season that includes 49 assists; some may view that as a down year for him. During the 2024-25 season, Jesper Bratt broke the Devils' team record for most assists in a season, totaling 67 assists, passing Scott Stevens' 60-assist mark in the 1993-94 season.
It is quite easy to call Jesper Bratt a top-20 winger in the NHL coming into the season. NHL Network thought otherwise, snubbing Bratt from its recent top 20 Wingers list, which included players such as Lucas Raymond, Cutter Gauthier, and Brady Tkachuk. As we approach a new season, it feels like there is a Devils player that is criminally underrated by rankings; last year was Jack Hughes, and this year is Jesper Bratt.
If this list is simply based on numbers, which it likely is, Bratt ranked 5th in assists and 10th in points amongst other left-wingers in the league.
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