Ranking the New Jersey Devils forwards from worst to first for the 2024-25 season
The New Jersey Devils forwards look enticing, especially those young scorers who will only get better once the 2024-25 season gets going.
I’ll be real: I really like the way the New Jersey Devils forward group is shaping up in 2024-25. In these rankings, most of the NHL universe will be huge fans of what the Devils won’t just have in the top-six but also those providing depth in the lower lines, because you can make a valid argument that this team will have 12 quality forwards heading into the season.
But if we took every player who could make the team as a forward this season, how would they stack up against one another? Below, you’ll find 13 players who should make the big club, plus one who is capable of playing a hybrid role.
This list likely won’t be set, as general manager Tom Fitzgerald could end up signing another forward before the season begins, or a prospect could impress in the preseason and earn a spot in the lineup. But following most of the roster transactions that occurred in the first week of July, here is how the Devils forwards currently rank.
14 - Kurtis MacDermid
Kurtis MacDermid is technically a defenseman; however he has seen time at forward in the past, so, therefore, he’ll be ranked both here and in my next piece when I tackle the blueliners. Regardless of whether he’s at home on the blue line or if he indeed sees time at forward this season on a nominal basis, expect MacDermid to see very limited ice time.
13 - Nolan Foote
Nolan Foote has played in just a handful of games throughout the last four years, but that may change this season. If so, Foote will provide a young presence on the lower lines, and there’s a chance his stock will increase when we revisit these rankings.
12 - Nathan Bastian
Overall, Bastian saw 54 games for the Devils last season, where he finished the season with 143 hits and 12 points, and 10:10 of average total ice time. His season ended prematurely following a pair of incidents against the New York Rangers, but Bastian should be ready to roll and resume fourth-line minutes this season.
11 - Paul Cotter
Bringing in Paul Cotter was one of a few moves I was glad to see Tom Fitzgerald make this summer. He’s one of a few new faces who won’t spend time with some of the top-ranked forwards on this list, but Cotter will give the Devils quality shifts every time he skates onto the ice, and he will be looking to land a few vicious body checks per game.
10 - Curtis Lazar
Another player who will log quality minutes, likely on the fourth line, and one whose points productivity may have surprised some last season when he ended the year with 25 total. Curtis Lazar is another one who will land a few body checks per contest, and there’s a 100 percent chance he will thrive in the defensive zone - just 29 goals against and a 92.1 on-ice save percentage at even strength last season.
9 - Stefan Noesen
Stefan Noesen was one acquisition (or re-acquisition) I liked a lot, and he could find himself back in Newark for a while. Noesen set career-highs in points in each of the last two seasons with 36 and 37, respectively, and last season, he was one of the better depth forwards for the Carolina Hurricanes. It will be more than compelling to see how he improves the Devils lower lines this year.
8 - Tomas Tatar
Maybe I ranked Tomas Tatar too highly following what was a pedestrian season for the 34-year-old, but I’m also factoring in his time in New Jersey previously, when he gave the Devils an adequate 35 goals and 78 points in 158 games.
7 - Erik Haula
Erik Haula’s scoring isn’t the most impressive, but it’s been respectable throughout his time in Newark. He excels in the faceoff circle and has won at least 54.2 percent of his faceoffs throughout the last two seasons.
6 - Ondrej Palat
Ondrej Palat has been the definition of solid for the Devils over the past two seasons, and it’s something that will continue in 2024-25. Last year, 49.5 percent of his starts at even strength came in the offensive zone, yet he finished the year with an encouraging 54.1 percent Corsi For, something that will more than benefit a team capable of scoring a lot for this upcoming season.
5 - Dawson Mercer
Dawson Mercer’s productivity may have dipped this past season, but I’m not going to be too hard on him following a pair of promising campaigns in 2021-22 and 2022-23 when he put up 42 and 56 points, respectively. He was still good enough to find the net 20 times in 2023-24, and I’m expecting nothing short of a heroic rebound this year.
4 - Timo Meier
Timo Meier didn’t enjoy a strong portion of the 2023-24 season, but he still ended the year with an encouraging 28 goals. If it doesn’t take him a while to find his game this season, he should be in line for another 35-40-goal season, like he had in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
3 - Nico Hischier
Injuries kept Nico Hischier out of 11 matchups last season, but they still didn’t deter him from nearly logging a point per game, with 67 in those 71 contests. He was once again effective in all three zones and one of the best in the league at winning faceoffs. If healthy in 2024-25, Hischer may enjoy his best season yet.
2 - Jesper Bratt
Jesper Bratt has more than come into his own over the past three seasons, finishing with an incredible 229 points and 85 goals in 240 games. It’s no longer a matter of ‘if’ regarding Bratt; it’s a matter of when he will eventually hit the 85-90-point mark in a single season, and that could easily come in 2024-25.
1 - Jack Hughes
As for Jack Hughes, that matter of ‘when’ pertains to when he will hit 100 points, and if he’s healthy throughout the 2024-25 season, it will occur by the time April 2025 rolls around. Hughes logged 74 points and 27 goals in 62 games last year, which adjusts to 98 points when rounded to the nearest whole number at 82 contests.
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