Dawson Mercer: 11 Points
Grade: B
Dawson Mercer has been up and down this season, but for the most part, he has proven he can be an important piece to this Devils core. He has had trouble staying consistent, which has been his MO since he joined the league, but there is this superstar that’s in there somewhere. He only has 11 points in 21 games, but his Ironman streak continues. He’s also playing incredibly well on the penalty kill. There’s a lot here for Mercer; we’d just like to see more consistency on offense.
Erik Haula: 9 Points
Grade: B
Erik Haula has been what the Devils need from him. The team’s third line has been incredible at times, but Paul Cotter and Stefan Noesen/Dawson Mercer seem to get all the credit, but Haula is here, too! After an underwhelming second season in New Jersey, Haula seems to be back to his old ways. He’s scoring clutch goals and playing the right way. He’s winning faceoffs and grabbing possession for the team.
Timo Meier: 14 Points
Grade: B-
Timo Meier has been just fine this season. He’s not doing anything worse than anyone would expect, but he just isn’t going above the very basic expectations that have been set for him. He has been known as a slow starter, and this is nothing like what his start looked like last season, but he’s been a B- player this season. That’s not a bad grade, but it’s one where improvement is expected. Meier will be fine if this is what he is all season, but Devils fans, and likely Devils management, think he has another level he can hit. Don’t be surprised if he’s knocking on the door of 40 goals by season’s end.
Tomas Tatar: 5 Points
Grade: B-
We had to grade Tomas Tatar on a massive curve, as he’s been given an unwinnable situation that the Devils can’t really fix without making a move to bring in outside help. Tatar was demoted to the fourth line because the team needed to put Ondrej Palat in the top six to get the most out of the $6 million man. Tatar didn’t deserve the demotion with his play, but he also didn’t blow anyone out of the water, either. Now, he’s stuck with Justin Dowling and Kurtis MacDermid. No offense to them. That’s it, there’s no offense on that bottom line, and it’s impacting Tatar’s numbers. We expect Sheldon Keefe to find something more for Tatar in the future.