The New Jersey Devils are ready to turn things around in 2024-25 following the disappointment of 2023-24. Freshly loaded with a new goalie, a strengthened defense, increased forward depth and a new coach, the Devils look like a much better team. Their young, talented core has gained more experience.
Heading into an exciting season, the hope is that players who struggled last season will be much better next season and players who had strong seasons will grow even more. But which players will really kick it into that next gear? Who can set new career-highs? Here are three Devils players who could put up career-high numbers in 2024-25.
Jack Hughes
Now that Jack Hughes had his shoulder fixed, 2024-25 is set up to be a healthier and stronger season for him than 2023-24. He came so close to cracking 100 points in a regular season in 2022-23 when he set a new franchise-high of 99 points. Hughes had his first 40-goal season that year with 43 goals.
In 62 games in 2023-24, Hughes had 74 points. This means he was on pace for 98 points in a full slate of 82 games. In a full season, he could have been right around his previous season totals, and that was while playing injured for much of the season. Imagine how much better he would have been if he was healthy.
The Devils’ offensive is scary. Playing with such a high-powered offense gives Hughes plenty of opportunities to tack on assists. If the Devils can run a potent power play, he’ll also be able to rack up the power play points. A healthy 23-year-old Hughes can have an explosive season and reach the 100-point threshold. Not only can he reach a new career-high, but he can break his own franchise record.