Four years into his NHL career with the New Jersey Devils, it's still unclear who Dawson Mercer is and what kind of player he can ultimately be.
Drafted 18th overall by the Devils in 2020, Mercer was regarded as a versatile two-way forward with some of the best hands and scoring ability in his draft class. The problem is, we've only seen that scoring come to life once.
In 2022-23, Mercer erupted for 27 goals, 29 assists, and 56 points while playing in all 82 games for the second of what is now four times in his career. The now-23-year-old was looking like a surefire 60-point player and future 30-goal-scorer in the making, only to have flatlined two years in a row.
The Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador, native has since put up 30 assists combined over the last two seasons, even despite maintaining respectable goal totals of 20 and 19 tallies on 14.9% and 13.5% shooting percentages, respectively.
A once-reliable two-way forward has been relegated down to a support player overly dependent on his more experienced and skilled teammates in the eyes of many, and his numbers have reflected that.
The Devils, too, have acted on this.
The offseason additions of wingers Evgenii Dadonov and Connor Brown have ensured that Mercer doesn't have a clear path to top-six winger minutes, if he isn't blocked outright.
We all know that the Devils have yet to address the center position beyond retaining Cody Glass and adding a career AHLer in Thomas Bordeleau.
Dawson Mercer should be the Devils' answer at 3C
Mercer has played center for the Devils in the past, including in the playoffs after Jack Hughes went down. His focus, as well as Sheldon Keefe and the Devils' focus, should be on becoming the best center he can be at this point in his career.
The 23-year-old hasn't played center full-time since his rookie season in 2021-22, when he scored 17 goals, 25 assists, and 42 points in 82 games while primarily centering a line of Andreas Johnsson and Jesper Bratt.
There's more to playing center than winning faceoffs, too; Mercer had a 35.4% win percentage in 2021-22 and owns a career faceoff percentage of 39.3%.
And, for what it's worth, Hughes's career-high faceoff percentage is 37.6%, and he's sitting at 36.1% on his career. I'd say he's been a good enough center for the Devils.
For Mercer, Keefe, and the Devils, it's going to be more about maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses.
Mercer's lack of assists suggest he struggles to get involved in meaningful ways offensively, or is just outright not creating chances for his teammates.
To evidence the former, amongst Devils forwards with 600 or more minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, Mercer was on the ice for the third-fewest goals for per 60 minutes (2.1), per Natural Stat Trick.
Only Tomas Tatar (1.93) and Paul Cotter (1.67) saw fewer Devils goals produced per 60 minutes.
On the other hand, Mercer was also on the ice for the third-fewest goals against per 60 minutes (1.89), tied with Johnathan Kovacevic and just trailing Timo Meier (1.65) and Jonas Siegenthaler (1.56).
This is all to say that Mercer played quite a low-event brand of hockey for the Devils, somewhat to his own detriment offensively.
But, the former No. 18 pick, with the right linemates, can find his spark again. We saw it in his first year in the NHL with Bratt and Johnsson.
Skating is one of Mercer's weaknesses, so he'll need a play-driver on one of his flanks. Dadonov, Bratt, or even Arseniy Gritsyuk could make sense there.
Defensively, Mercer is already an established penalty-killer and overall adept defensive player. He's also played enough with Hughes and Hischier over the years to know what it takes to be a successful center.
His skillset isn't the same, no, but good players find ways to be good and earn their bounces.
For as long as the Devils don't add another center, the position is Mercer's to lose. He, like many of his teammates, needs to get bigger, faster, and stronger.
The 6-foot forward has now played 328 regular season games at the NHL level. Now is the time Mercer evolves, embraces a center role, and graduates from good young player to established core piece like everyone expected he would.