With the New Jersey Devils finally getting key players like Jack Hughes and Timo Meier back into the lineup, now is the moment for the coaching staff, particularly Jeremy Colliton on the offensive side, to fundamentally rethink how this team attacks. The issue is no longer talent. It is identity. The Devils' offense has become stagnant, overly pass-focused, and far too respectful of opposing defenses. That must change if this team is serious about contending.
The most pressing problem is the Devils' inability to consistently win board battles and impose themselves physically on the forecheck. When this team is at its best, it overwhelms opponents by pressuring defensemen, forcing rushed decisions, and creating chaos in the offensive zone. Instead of leaning into that identity, the Devils too often attempt to pass their way through structured defenses, waiting for perfect plays that rarely come. Hockey does not reward perfection. It rewards pressure.
The Devils need to shoot more, and they need to shoot with purpose. Shot attempts do not need to be pristine to be effective. Pucks off shin pads, rebounds off goalies, and bodies collapsing into shooting lanes all create fatigue and confusion. Blocked shots are not failures if they slow defenders down, create hesitation, or force poor clears. That chaos is what opens space later in games. Passing percentage should not be the guiding metric for this team. Shot volume and puck retrieval should.
This philosophical shift requires individual corrections. Jesper Bratt is one of the most skilled players on the roster, but he has developed a habit of cradling the puck and delaying his release. That kills momentum. Bratt does not need to handle the puck like a lacrosse player. He needs to shoot like Patrik Elias once did. Catch and release, quick and accurate, before the defense can reset. The Devils do not need more creativity from Bratt. They need decisiveness.
Arseny Gritsyuk faces a different problem. He is playing with too many playmakers, which removes his greatest weapon from the equation. Gritsyuk needs to get open, find soft ice, and receive high-quality passes that he can immediately snap on goal, whether they arrive as saucer passes or tight feeds in front. His role should be simple. Get open and bomb shots. When every winger thinks pass first, the entire offense slows down.
Dawson Mercer is another case of miscasting. Mercer is a power forward and playmaker. He drives play, wins battles, and creates space for others. He is not a natural shooter. Under both Lindy Ruff and Sheldon Keefe systems, Mercer has been snake bitten offensively. At some point, a roster shakeup becomes necessary not because Mercer lacks value but because his value may be better realized elsewhere.
That is where a trade becomes the most logical option for Tom Fitzgerald. Ottawa Senators' forward Drake Batherson fits the Devils' core age group perfectly and brings something this roster does not have in abundance— a right-shot winger with a sniper mentality.
Batherson shoots through traffic. He attacks seams instead of circling the perimeter. He thrives in chaos. He forces defenses to respect shot threats rather than simply playing the pass. His presence alone would disrupt the Devils' pass-heavy tendencies and reshape how opponents defend them.
A potential framework makes sense. Mercer and additional assets for Batherson is not about giving up on Mercer. It is about roster balance. Ottawa gets a younger forward who fits their timeline, and the Devils get the shooter this core desperately needs. That move immediately changes how teams defend Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier and opens lanes that do not currently exist.
To make this work, difficult decisions must follow. Ondrej Palat is a respected veteran and a proven playoff performer, but his contract and trade protection now restrict roster flexibility. Tom Fitzgerald must persuade Palat to waive his protections for the team's betterment. Winning organizations do not avoid hard conversations. They confront them.
This is where Sun Tzu remains painfully relevant. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. The Devils know their opponents. What they seem unsure of is themselves. This roster is not built to be passive or delicate. It is built to forecheck relentlessly, shoot without hesitation, and exhaust opponents over sixty minutes.
The Devils do not need a rebuild. They need a reminder. A reminder of who they are and how they win. A move for Drake Batherson would not just add a player. It would reset the identity of this team. And that is the kind of change that turns potential into contention. Management has to act sooner rather than later to get this team back in playoff contention. The division is more wide open than an empty parking lot after the holidays and is up for grabs.