5 New Jersey Devils Who Could Win Awards in 2024-25

After a historic 112-point season in 2022-23, the New Jersey Devils came crashing back to earth in 2023-24. Despite the drop-off in form, an elite rookie season from Luke Hughes saw him finish third in Calder voting. That came a year after Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and former head coach Lindy Ruff finished as the runners-up for their respective awards.

Now with massive changes made this offseason, a rebound is on the horizon. If there is to be a big improvement in team success this season, then personal success should follow. Given their track record and projections, here are five Devils who could win awards in 2024-25.

Hart Trophy: Jack Hughes

To firmly cement himself amongst the elite of the elite in the NHL, a Hart Trophy-caliber season could be on the horizon for Jack Hughes. After finishing eighth in MVP voting in his 99-point 2022-23 season, an injury-riddled 2023-24  squashed any hope of taking another leap.

However, Hughes did start the season strong, winning the NHL’s First Star of the Month in October. Injuries followed soon after and he finished with just 74 points. After what must’ve been a frustrating year, Jack Hughes should enter the year hungry to win and prove that he’s one of the elite. The team around him is arguably the best it’s ever been, the coaching is improved, and he’s another year older and stronger.

NHL betting odds are – for lack of a better term – betting on Hughes to rebound in 2024-25. He currently has the fourth-best odds to claim the Hart Trophy at +1300.

His career-high 99 points is nothing to balk at, but Hughes showed early last season that his game has another gear it can get to. Should he stay healthy and reach that gear, a 110+ point season and Hart Trophy finalist should be well within his crosshairs.

Selke Trophy: Nico Hischier

After finishing second in Selke voting in 2022-23, Nico Hischier had the make-up to be anointed the next perennial Selke winner. Like most Devils in 2023-24, Hischier’s game fell short of expectations.

Despite coming off of a lackluster year, Hischier has shown that when he’s playing his highest-quality hockey, he can be a point-per-game player who is responsible for shutting down the opposing team’s top line for 82 games.

The sportsbooks agree that Hischier is in for a rebound season, as he enters the year tied for the third-best odds to win the award at +1200.

For the better part of a decade, the Selke was Patrice Bergeron’s to lose. With him out of the league, the 25-year-old Hischier has as good of an opportunity to take his place as the best defensive forward year and year out. The Devils haven’t had a Selke winner since John Madden in 2000-01, but if he can repeat his form from two years ago, they should have their next Selke winner in waiting with Nico Hishcier.

Lady Byng: Jack Hughes

Jack shows up again on this list because he was just edged out for the Lady Byng trophy in 2022-23 by Anze Kopitar and was the highest a Devils player has ever been voted for the award. Given out to the player who exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability, Hughes is as dominant of a player as he is a clean one.

His 12 penalty minutes last season was uncharacteristic considering he had a combined six penalty minutes over the previous two years. Nevertheless, the Professional Hockey Writers Association has voted Jack Hughes worthy of being in the conversation for the Lady Byng, and should he have the season most expect, there shouldn’t be a reason they won’t again.

Two-time winner Jaccob Slavin has shown to be the class of the NHL, given his on-ice impacts in addition to his minimal penalty minutes, but there hasn’t been a repeat Lady Byng winner since 2009-10, leaving the door open for Jack to nab the award.

Jack Adams: Sheldon Keefe

After a disastrous end to the Lindy Ruff era in New Jersey, the Devils brought in fresh, young, yet experienced blood in Sheldon Keefe.

The former Toronto Maple Leafs coach has yet to be nominated for the Jack Adams award but has done a nice job consistently taking a young Leafs team to the postseason each year. Despite their playoff voodoo, Keefe did manage to break a 20-year postseason series win drought.

The good news for the Devils is history has shown that young coaches typically do better on their second job. NHL betting odds believe that to be true because Keefe has the best odds to win the Jack Adams at +600.

Keefe comes to the Devils already having the best defensive core, as well as arguably the best goaltender he’s ever had in his coaching career. He has the elite forward talent like he did in Toronto to go along with a top-to-bottom good roster. Playoffs should be the minimum for Keefe in 2024-25, but there’s potential to do big things in his first season in New Jersey.

Jim Gregory Award: Tom Fitzgerald

Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald was inexplicably not nominated for the Jim Gregory award back in 2022-23 after steering the Devils rebuild into a franchise record in points. At the time many thought he should’ve won the award, but was instead not even nominated.

If the Devils re-breakout like many expect this season, don’t expect Fitzgerald to be left out again.

After taking over the job mid-season in 2019, Fitzgerald has since guided the Devils through the rest of their rebuild and has built them up into potential Stanley Cup contenders. He’s made massive splashes in recent years to add to the core like bringing in Dougie Hamilton, Timo Meier, and Brett Pesce to bolster the lineup.

Jim Nill has won back-to-back Jim Gregory Awards, and rightly so, but a successful 2024-25 season for the New Jersey Devils should make Fitzgerald a near lock for the award.

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