Entering the 2026-27 campaign, many were hoping to see first-year breakout winger Arseny Gritsyuk penciled in on the New Jersey Devils' top line. It took a few games for this to manifest, but it finally did.
The results have been magnificent.
So far, the trio has played for a grand total of 109:33 together at 5v5, one of 14 lines league-wide to surpass the 100-minute threshold. In those minutes, the Devils have controlled 66.7% of the expected goals (7.2-3.6), 72.7% of the actual goals (8-3), 60.6% of the shot attempts (129-84), and 57.3% of the shots on goal (59-44). Those are monstrous totals, with their expected goal share (xGF%) ranking second among the lines with 100+ minutes, solely trailing the Minnesota Wild top line of Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Matt Boldy.
They've only been building their chemistry further, too. In their latest affair, a 5-2 rout of the Vegas Golden Knights, the line controlled a strong 68.8% of the xG and accounted for four of the Devils' five goals -- two each by Gritsyuk and Hughes, with each one of them absolutely posterizing the opposition on respective incredible individual efforts. J. Hughes undressed Mark Stone, noted defensive stalwart forward, while Gritsyuk made Shea Theodore, noted #1 defenseman, look like an AHLer. They're only getting more comfortable and settling even more into their respective roles, with Bratt acting as a key playdriver and facilitator of play between both of his linemates' shooting habits.
They finally found the right partner for Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt
For Hughes and Bratt, Gritsyuk is unequivocally and unquestionably the most talented linemate and the best fit they've had in their careers. From Ondrej Palat flubbing on every grade-A opportunity to Anthony Mantha (briefly) being unable to keep pace, the Devils have seemingly tried it all. They were never really able to crack the formula, though, ultimately trading away the one player who even remotely fit the bill (Tyler Toffoli) before spending years chasing a taste of that success again.
They have it now, though -- should this trio stick together as it should, it will only bring out the best in each player. Expecting Jack to become a 100-plus-point performer with point-per-game Bratt and 30-plus-goal-scorer Gritsyuk certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility.
The best part? All three players are under contract for at least three more seasons, so there is plenty of chemistry to build yet.
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