The New Jersey Devils had a great first half of their first season under Sheldon Keefe. After being one of the biggest disappointments in the NHL last season, they are back near the top of the NHL standings. Devils fans might not feel that positively about the team that's in the midst of a four-game losing streak which includes losses to the lowly Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks.
As negative as it might feel, this season has been an incredible positive so far. However, it has felt like there are certain players doing the bulk of the lifting. So, let's give out some grades. For this exercise, we will look at players who have played at least 25 of the 42 games this season, which removed Nathan Bastian and Curtis Lazar who missed significant time with injuries. It also removes Kurtis MacDermid, who has only been a bit player in the lineup this year.
Jesper Bratt
Goals: 14 Assists: 34 Points: 48
Grade: A+
We can't ask more from Jesper Bratt's season. He has been everything the Devils need and more. He's playing on every unit, helping the Devils dominant power play and penalty kill, and he's scored points on both. He leads the Devils in points with 48, on pace for a career high 93 points. He's missed out on the 100-point pace he was on earlier in the season, but with everything else he's doing on the ice, Bratt is once again a superstar for a team who lets other players get the headlines.