The New Jersey Devils have announced their First and Second "Quarter Century Teams". Every team in the league is announcing theirs throughout January and we finally were able to hear it for the Devils. Every team has three forwards, two defensemen, and a goalie.
On the first team for the Devils, they named forwards Zach Parise, Jack Hughes, Patrik Elias, defensemen Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens, and goalie Martin Brodeur. There were no shocks there.
The second team was a bit more subjective but they named six very good Devils players. Scott Gomez, Jamie Langenbrunner, and Travis Zajac were the forwards. Andy Greene and Brian Rafalski were the defensemen. Cory Schneider was the goaltender.
Everyone on this list came to the rink to play hockey hard and they all did a wonderful job representing New Jersey Devils hockey.
What would a "Third Team" look like if they were to have one? There are a lot of good players to consider. Based on stats and their impact on winning hockey games, this is what it would look like if they made one:
Taylor Hall - Nico Hischier - Jesper Bratt
D- Ken Daneyko - Dougie Hamilton
G - Mackenzie Blackwood
Nico Hischier is one of the best forwards in the NHL right now. The number one pick in the 2017 NHL Draft has been an incredible two-way centerman since the day he stepped foot in the NHL. It took him a while to be a true difference maker offensively but he has reached new heights over the last three years. Defensively, there are only two or three forwards in the same conversation as him.
Taylor Hall is the only Hart Trophy winner in the history of the franchise. For all of the great players who made the first and second team, none of them can say that. While he was with the Devils, he was at the height of his powers and was an elite player on a nightly basis.
Jesper Bratt went from being a sixth round draft pick to a star NHL player. If there is a "half century" team done in 2050, Bratt will be on it for sure along with Hischier. His offensive upside has gone to another level.
Ken Daneyko didn't play very long into the 2000s but there was enough track left on his career to consider him. In the 2000s, he won the Stanley Cup twice, won the Masterton Trophy, and retired a legend in Devils history. To this day, he does their color commentating and is a fan favorite.
Dougie Hamilton is another active player that deserves recognition. He chose the New Jersey Devils when he hit free agency and has remained one of the best offensive defensemen that the team has ever had. His creativity has helped them develop as a unit and there is more where that came from.
Mackenzie Blackwood just narrowly beat out Keith Kinkaid for this spot. When Martin Brodeur and Cory Schneider start a majority of the games from 2000-2020, there aren't many to pick from. Blackwood had a bad reputation but his health had a lot to do with him not becoming a franchise guy. When he played, he was good.
This is a solid group of players that deserve this "honorable mention". All of these guys had a case to be named by the voters but just missed. These lists being hard is a good thing because it means the Devils had/have a lot of talent.
Guys like Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, Dawson Mercer, Timo Meier, and Seamus Casey would love to be on lists like this in the future. It is on them to play well going forward and make it happen.