Final Play Ratings For New Jersey Devils Players
Jack Hughes
GP:62 G:27 A:47 PTS:74
Jack Hughes is a superstar, but this season was a step back, and not just from the 99 points he had in 2022-23. He complained way too much when things were not going his way, still can't find a faceoff five seasons in, doesn't commit to any defense, and while we, as Devils fans, may not want to admit it, he's shown to be injury-prone. He makes a lot of plays, way more good than bad, so you have to take the bad giveaways for what they are, and while that is something we can live with, the guy needs to be a little more aggressive in the defensive zone. Watching him on the powerplay was a thing of beauty a year ago, but that didn't translate this season. In the end, it was a disappointing year, and things went downhill for him despite the good point numbers.
Rating: B+
Nico Hischier
GP:71 G:27 A:40 PTS:67
Much like Bratt, Nico Hischier did what he did all season, short of a few injured weeks. It is an absolute blessing to have a guy who can do virtually whatever you want and do it well, making it no surprise that he is a fan favorite. His 56% in the faceoff circle is very impressive. Being almost a point a game is impressive, and doing this while being the team's best defensive forward makes him invaluable.
Rating: A
Timo Meier
GP:69 G:28 A:24 PTS:52
Timo Meier was the ultimate tale of two seasons. He deserved the criticism early and the praise late in the year. He should have been pulled from the lineup for months for his play, and considering we all knew he was injured, it is still insane that they didn't rest him, especially knowing what he can do healthy. That one is on the team and the medical staff. Players will always want to play, no one wants to let the team down even if it hurts to play and honestly even if they would be worse than the AHL replacement. That is just how competitive people are, and you probably are not making it anywhere in life, let alone the NHL, if you aren't a competitive player. Getting that out of the way, when Meier returned to being the Sharks version of Meier, he was a monster and was dominant, leading the league in goals for a stretch, and was the only forward on the roster to hit people if MacDermid was not playing. Next year, we will hopefully get to see what he can do when healthy since he somehow led this team in goals despite only playing well for two months, which says more about the team than him. I see him for a full season actually on the right wing, where he wanted to play the whole time.