It may seem impossible, but there’s one milestone that no New Jersey Devils player has ever been able to accomplish. Since entering the league in 1974 as the Kansas City Scouts, then becoming the erstwhile Colorado Rockies, and then morphing into the New Jersey Devils in 1982, no player has been able to top the 100-point mark in a single season.
The closest anyone has come to that is Jack Hughes. The Olympic hero scored 43 goals and 56 assists for 99 points in 78 games during the 2022-23 season.
Yes, Hughes just missed the milestone by a whisker. And with the way things are going, that may be as close as he’s going to get.
That’s why it’s fair to assume that the player with the best shot at breaking the century mark in points for the Devils is Jesper Bratt. The 28-year-old winger has quietly been one of the Devils’ most consistent players. He’s played four full seasons, missing just one game during the 2024-25 season. It was that season in which he notched a career-high 88 points.
In fact, since playing his first full season in 2021-22, Bratt has always scored more than 70 points. That’s a truly remarkable streak. And it’s that consistency that could propel Bratt over the 100-point mark.
While Jack Hughes has a much higher offensive upside, he’s been derailed by injuries. Last season’s bizarre hand injury cost Hughes about two months of action.
In fact, Hughes has only played more than 70 games in a season once. That was the 99-point season. Since then, he’s played 62, 62, and 61 games. And yes, he’s been above a point per game. But unless he can play, say, the full 84 games this season, it will be tough to nail 100 points in about 60 games.
Bratt could greatly benefit from Anthony Mantha’s arrival
Now, there’s an interesting development that could propel Bratt past the century mark. That’s the arrival of Anthony Mantha.
The 31-year-old was a major free-agent signing. He’s coming off a 30-goal season and could be looking for more. In fact, there’s reason to believe Matha could even hit 40 goals if he can play with a solid playmaker.
Well, that just happens to be Bratt. And if Mantha goes berserk this season, Bratt might just very well hit the century mark.
It wouldn’t even be ludicrous to think that a healthy Jack Hughes and another solid season from Mantha could push Bratt over 100 points. Heck, why not take that another step further? If Hughes, Bratt, and Mantha can all play over 70 games together, why not have Hughes and Bratt hit the century mark with Mantha topping 40 goals?
It would certainly be the sort of historic season that Devils fans have been waiting for. Naturally, another Stanley Cup would trump individual milestones. But who says Devils fans can’t have it all? Individual and collective accomplishments could be the norm during the 2026-27 NHL season for the New Jersey Devils.
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