New Jersey Devils End of the Season Report Cards: Forwards
The New Jersey Devils missed the playoffs and finished the season with a 38-39-5 record. Let's check in and grade the Devils forwards after a disappointing season.
Eighty-two up, 82 down for the New Jersey Devils as their 2023-24 season has come to a close. The encore performance to a historic 2022-23 fell flat on its face as the team missed the playoffs yet again, and finished with 81 points.
With the season finished and school almost out, it's time we hand out some report cards. We graded the Devils forwards at the midway point of the season, but now it's time to give them a grade over a full 82 games.
Jack Hughes (GP 64 - 27G - 47A - 74P)
It was a season of what almost was for Jack Hughes. He started the season on a torrid scoring pace, netting the NHL's First Star of the Month for October. However, injuries quickly derailed his season and prevented him from likely hitting the 100-point mark. After returning from his second stint on the IR after injuring his shoulder against the Chicago Blackhawks, Hughes never looked the same. His point production was still there, but his game was way off. He was shy of contact, was noticeably worse at stick handling, and often deferred to his teammates in the offensive zone. It became abundantly clear he was dealing with an injury, often sitting out practices, and this was confirmed when he was shut down for the season to get shoulder surgery. Health will be the biggest point of emphasis for Hughes in 2024-25, but despite the injuries, his pure talent still managed to have him second on the team in points.
Grade: B+
Nico Hischier (GP 71 - 27G - 40A - 67P)
Nico Hischier, like most Devils this year, missed a chunk of games with injury. Hischier, unlike most Devils, still found a way to produce offense at a high rate. His 200-foot game wasn't nearly as good as it was in his Selke runner-up 2022-23 season, but he was still effective and relied upon in the defensive zone. One of the biggest takeaways from a disappointing year will be how he responds as the captain of the team next season. He tried his best to will them back into the postseason, declaring their play "embarrassing" right before the All-Star break, and went on to score 39 points in the last 35 games. Devils fans should be proud to have Hischier as the leader of this young group.
Grade: B+
Jesper Bratt (GP 82 - 27G - 56A - 83P)
Jesper Bratt was just one of five Devils players to play all 82 games, and oh boy, did he make the most of it. After back-to-back 73-point seasons, Bratt's game went to the next level this season, leading the team in points with 83. He was truly the only consistent player over the course of the year. Even if the points weren't coming, Bratt was still producing high-danger chances and driving play, oftentimes by himself. Bratt is a known hard worker and gym rat which showed this year by his improvement in play and his durability. He finished with the third-highest TOI for forwards, just behind Hischier and Hughes. Most importantly, Bratt proved he wasn't just a contract-year superstar and showed why he was worth the $63 million he got last offseason.
Grade: A+
Timo Meier (GP 69 - 28G - 24A - 52P)
"Timo Time" looked like it was referring to a countdown until Meier's contract ran out in eight years, but once he got healthy, he showed us why he is a huge part of the core. Meier's season was very stop-and-start due to injuries, similar to Jack's, and it took him a long time to get going. However, once he got healthy and hit his stride at the end of February, he was one of the hottest scorers in the league. He scored 28 points in the last 24 games of the season, which includes 17 goals. In the last third of the season, Meier showed off his power-forward playstyle, which will be so important for the Devils next season and in the playoffs. If the Devils can get that Timo Meier for all 82 games plus playoffs next season, there may not be a player more difficult to stop.
Grade: B
Dawson Mercer (GP 82 - 20G - 13A - 36P)
It was a very disappointing 2023-24 for Dawson Mercer after his breakout season in 2022-23. He has always been a streaky player, but Mercer struggled mightily to find hot streaks this season. He looked lost at times defensively and made a lot of unforced errors that we hadn't seen out of him up to this point. However, hitting the 20-goal mark again was a big accomplishment, but even greater was him putting together another 82-game season. He's been a model of durability, playing all 246 games to start his career. It will be interesting to see what his contract will look like this summer and how he bounces back with a new coach next season.
Grade: C
Erik Haula (GP 76 - 16G - 19A - 35P)
Erik Haula is one of the more peculiar Devils to evaluate from this season. He didn't have the greatest on-ice impacts and finished at -5.3 Goals Above Expected, yet he finished with more goals in fewer games this year. While it's not the best stat to determine success, he did finish with one of the best +/- on the team with a -1. Also, Haula once again found himself strapped to Jack's hip for most of the season, and Jack's lack of dominance could play a factor in why Haula went quiet for stretches. The hope is next season, he can finally settle into the 3C role he was brought in and subsequently extended for. It was by no means a bad season for Haula; it was just not a good one either.
Grade: C+
Ondrej Palat (GP 71 - 11G - 20A - 31P)
The Palat signing looks much worse when the Devils don't make the playoffs. Yet, despite limited production, Palat managed to finish in the top five in Expected Goals Above Replacement this season. Palat, though, plain and simple has not been good for the Devils. He yet again missed games because of injury, and even when he was in the lineup, he would vanish for shits, periods, and games on end. Whether or not he's a great presence in the locker room is unknown by fans, but his contributions on the ice are not of someone who should be eating up $6 million a season. His value was always going to come in the postseason, but when you don't make it to the big dance, it's difficult to rationalize having him on the team.
Grade: C-
Alexander Holtz (GP 82 - 16G - 12A - 28P)
A surprise entry into the Devils All-82 club this season, Holtz was at the center of a ton of friction in the Devils community this season. Lindy Ruff's reluctance to play him and Tom Fitzgerald's belittling comments about the former seventh-overall pick were incredibly frustrating and head-scratching for a player in desperate need of game time. On the ice, Holtz clearly had his struggles. His 200-foot game isn't where it needs to be to cement himself as a part of the core, but he showed a ton of flashes with his shot, sneaky good playmaking, and much-improved skating. He was rarely given the ice time needed to work on his game which is what made this situation most frustrating. What happens to him this offseason will be fascinating considering it seems the organization may be done with him, however, maybe there's hope for him when a new coach gets in the building.
Grade: C
Curtis Lazar (GP 71 - 7G - 18A - 25P)
Curtis Lazar becoming a fan favorite was not something most of us had on our Bingo cards entering the year. However, the deadline acquisition from last season played with a tenacity and willingness to do the little things that it takes to win. To show for it he ended with a career-high 25 points, as well as a team-leading +10. Lazar should settle in nicely into the 4C role next season after having to play higher up in the lineup this year. And at just $1 million, he is a bargain.
Grade: B+
Nathan Bastian (GP 54 - 5G - 7A - 12P)
Bastian has cemented himself as purely a fourth-liner and good-vibes guy. His production was about on track for what it usually is, and he might've even had a chance to put up career highs had it not been for a Matt Rempe hit to the head. With his "super buddy" no longer on the team and a possible shake-up to the fourth line, it remains to be seen if Bastian will be a part of the Devils moving forward or if they cut bait with him this offseason.
Grade: C-
Chris Tierney (GP 52 - 4G - 8A - 12P)
Chris Tierney did well enough to start the season as the Devils extra forward and through sheer volume of injuries found himself in the lineup more often than not. Unfortunately, Tierney brought very little to the team other than a handful of goals and a cool nickname (Cobra). He'll end up as a one-and-done with the Devils and will go into the pantheon of players that make you say to yourself "Oh yeah, I forgot he was on the Devils".
Grade: D+
Tomas Nosek (GP 36 - 2G - 4A - 6P)
Speaking of "Oh yeah, I forgot he was on the Devils," Tomas Nosek found his way into the Devils lineup 36 times this season. An early season foot injury derailed what could have been a useful faceoff taker/penalty killer, and once he came back into the lineup, it was easy to see his skating was shot. He managed to win 52% of his faceoffs, which was a plus, but outside of that, he provided next to nothing. There's a chance Nosek may have played his last NHL games and heads over to Europe.
Grade: D
Max Willman (GP 18 - 3G - 1A - 4P)
Max Willman did well to earn a contract after signing a PTO in the summer. He was nothing more than a fourth-line energy player, but did find his way into a few goals. His goals against the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs ended up being game-winning goals, so there's something for him to hang his hat on. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to bring him back to the AHL squad, but assuming injury chaos doesn't ensue again, he shouldn't touch the NHL lineup.
Grade: C-
Kurtis MacDermid (GP 16 - 0G - 1A - 1P)
Kurtis MacDermid came over in a midseason trade in response to literally no one doing anything in response to Rempe's hit on Bastian. However, MacDermid's Devil legacy was cemented when he fought Rempe in the infamous 10-man brawl at Madison Square Garden. Other than that he brought nothing to the ice except lots and lots of penalty minutes. He seems to be loved in the locker room and Fitzgerald has said he wants to bring him back, so it'll remain to be seen what the next chapter in the MacDermid vs Rempe saga will bring us.
Grade: D-
Tyler Toffoli (GP 61 - 26G - 18A - 44P) TRADED
Toffoli was the main Devils addition from last offseason but found himself shipped to Winnipeg when it was evident the Devils were out of the playoff race. During his time here, he found the back of the net consistently. However, his slow skating and poor mobility didn't fit with the style the Devils are designed to play. Also, Fitzgerald had mentioned that he and Toffoli were both way off when it came to terms and money on a contract extension. It was a great trade at the time and yielded decent results, but it was better to move him rather than dig yourself into a deeper financial hole by extending him.
Grade: B
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