The New Jersey Devils season is finally over, and after giving it some time time to quell the disappointment, it is time to review the season and how the players all did. On top of that we will also see how how this team can improve moving into next season when the goal should be playoffs or bust. That being said, the biggest concern of all before we even get to individuals is system, toughness, and goaltending.
This team needs to play defense as a unit way better and get some guys who actually hit and can fire this team up. The Devils got run out of the building a ton this season and wilt under any physical pressure, so what they really need to be doing during the playoffs is watching that pretty much every player is hitting everyone they can, and the whistles go away. They lost way too much of that fire in the offseason, and it might be harder to get back than we think.
Jesper Bratt
GP:82 G:27 A:56 PTS:83
Jesper Bratt did what he does again this year and is one of the few guys who were not disappointed. He had a career-high in points and drove the play as only he and Jack can do on this roster, which is insanely necessary on this roster, and he still didn't give up on being a strong 200-foot player. He also did this with some player having questionable years around him, no real top 6 center for a stretch, and his shooting percentage was actually down to 10.9% versus his last two seasons of 15.1 and 13.2, meaning he could have probably hit 30 goals and should next season. He was this team's offensive MVP this season, in my opinion, and having him for a long time at 8 million is a steal.