One Question for Each Devils Forward in 2024-25

At the NHL Player Media Tour, New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes explained that while he was recovering from his shoulder surgery, he was watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs quite closely. The Devils star had two televisions set up. One to watch his brother, Quinn, play with the Vancouver Canucks, and the other for whichever game he preferred. Watching the playoffs — as opposed to playing in them like the previous spring — made Hughes feel “like a loser.”

“The playoffs are the best. That’s why you want to get back to ’em,” Hughes explained to Elliotte Friedman via Luke Fox of Sportsnet. “When you’re on the couch watching, you feel like a loser. You want to be in the mix.”

General manager Tom Fitzgerald put together one of the most pivotal summers in recent Devils history in an attempt to vault his team back into the playoffs.

It seems that the Devils will be a trendy pick as they’re projected by many to not only return to the playoffs, but compete for the Metropolitan Division title. If that’s going to happen, virtually everything that happened last season will need to be the opposite in 2024-25.

The Devils look excellent on paper. They should be a deeper team all around, and it should result in a return to the postseason.

However, expectations need to be met. The players in the room — despite the plethora of obstacles they faced in 2023-24 — know they need to be better.

Therefore, here is one question for each forward heading into the 2024-25 season.

Nathan Bastian

Can Bastian Reclaim his Spot in the Lineup?

The biggest obstacle that Nathan Bastian faced in 2023-24 was health. He wasn’t alone, but between both lower and upper-body injuries throughout last season, the 26-year-old forward was limited to just 56 games all year.

As a result of injuries, Bastian was a little slow-footed and less physically engaged in the play. His relevance on the ice — as opposed to the season before in which he was a physical presence — diminished.

It’s Bastian’s spot on the fourth line to lose, but if he doesn’t show signs of his former self, the Devils have enough depth that Bastian could see himself as the odd-man out via some newcomers or hungry youth.

Jesper Bratt

Can Bratt Reach Another Level?

Jesper Bratt was one of the Devils’ silver lining’s last season. He was one of a handful of players who played in all 82 games. Further, Bratt overcame the mass regression within the organization and actually went on to have a career-year.

Although he scored less goals (27) than he did when he potted 32 in 2022-23, Bratt eclipsed his previous career-high in points (73) by collecting 83 (27 goals and 56 assists).

Although the Devils’ power play largely fell off after the injury to Dougie Hamilton, Bratt was one of the main reasons why New Jersey did score amid their slump.

Projected to skate alongside a healthy Jack Hughes and Timo Meier, Bratt’s 5-on-5 production very well could increase. And, with Hamilton back as the power play quarterback, he could see his man advantage results increase as well.

Is a 90-95-point season unimaginable?

Paul Cotter

Is Cotter More than Miles Wood 2.0?

One of the main reasons why Fitzgerald acquired Paul Cotter was because he felt the Devils missed what Miles Wood used to provide.

Cotter is a quick-footed, hard-nosed player who is unafraid to be physical. That sounds a lot like Wood.

With the Vegas Golden Knight last season, he was second on the team with 233 hits. On offense, Cotter netted seven goals and 25 points in 76 games.

Yet, Fitzgerald explained he saw some untapped offensive potential in the new Devils forward. He’s projected to play on the fourth line in a checking role. However, could Cotter play his way up the lineup and earn more offensive opportunity?

Cotter’s advanced analytics don’t jump off the page, but he did have an over 50% CF% and high-danger CF%. Perhaps, there is more offense to be had?

Nolan Foote

Can Foote Steal a Roster Spot?

Nolan Foote was limited to just four games last season due to injury.

Shocker, another injury-related player.

However, he’s had a full summer to continue his recovery despite getting in a handful of games at the end of last season.

The Devils weren’t willing to commit to a one-way deal for Foote — who was a restricted free agent this summer. Thus, the former first-round pick signed a one-yer, two-way contract. His path to minutes in the NHL certainly isn’t clear.

Can Foote show out in training camp and steal a spot on the fourth line or as an extra forward? Or is he destined for Utica?

Erik Haula

Can Haula Cut Down his Penalty Minutes

At one point during last season when things got so bad, the Devils were consistenly in the penalty box.

To add insult to injury, the penalty kill was below average and gave up far too many goals.

Erik Haula isn’t an undisciplined player. However, last season he accrued the most penalty minutes he’s had in a single season druing his career (54).

The Devils figure to be on the attack far more this season than they will be defending. Regardless, as a third liner, Haula could be in the defensive zone a lot more than if he was elevated in the lineup next to Jack Hughes.

It’s in the Devils’ best interest if Haula cuts down his penalty minutes which were inflated last season.

Nico Hischier

Can Hischier Return to the Selke Race?

The Devils captain finished as the runner-up for the Selke Award — awarded to the NHL’s top defensive forward — in 2022-23.

2023-24 wasn’t as kind to Hischier who fell far down the list, finishing in 19th place for the award last season.

After Patrice Bergeron retired, the Selke race was blown wide-open. Hischier’s top competition for the award is certainly Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov. However, Barkov — who won the ward for 2023-24 — didn’t steal anything from Hischier. Instead, Hischier just wasn’t his 2022-23 self.

If the Devils want to return to their dominance from two seasons ago, Hischier’s Selke-like play will be necessary.

Jack Hughes

Can Jack Stay Healthy?

Health has always been a bit of a concern for Jack Hughes. The Devils star forward injured himself about halfway through the 2023-24 season which absolutely had an impact on the final result of New Jersey’s season.

Hughes tried to play through the pain, but wasn’t himself and ultimately opted for season-ending shoulder surgery.

There was little doubt that Hughes was well on his way to an MVP-like season when he accrued 45 points in the first 31 games of last season.

With a deeper lineup and supposed new “bionic shoulder,” can Hughes stay healthy for a full season? If so, we could see a new candidate in the MVP-race.

Curtis Lazar

Can Lazar Increase His Faceoff Win Percentage?

Between Nico Hischier and Erik Haula, the Devils have two very dependable players in the faceoff dot.

However, it’s hard to deny the impact that former Devils forward Michael McLeod had in the faceoff circle.

Lazar is seemingly going to replace McLeod as the full-time fourth-line center next season. The only issue with Lazar as a center is his sub-par faceoff win-percentage (FO%).

Last season, Lazar won just 48.8% of draws. In his career, he’s typically been in the negative, averaging a 47.1 FO% in his 10-year career-.

As a fourth-line center who is likely to begin the majority of his shifts in the defensive zone, the Devils are going to need Lazar to win more faceoffs than he losses in order to clear the puck from danger. That’s harder to do when the faceoff goes the other way.

Timo Meier

Can Meier Find the Consistency he had in San Jose?

Ever since the Devils acquired Timo Meier, the juice in the squeeze has been a little underwhelming.

Meier absolutely has all the tools to be an elite play driving force for the Devils who can create offense all on his own. He’s shown it in spurts in New Jersey, yet it was on full display in San Jose.

Perhaps Lindy Ruff just wasn’t the right coach for Meier. Well, Ruff is gone now. And under Travis Green, Meier saw an uptick in his production by scoring 15 goals and 24 points in the final 24 games of the season all under Green.

Now with Sheldon Keefe behind the bench, can Meier find that same consistency?

Projected to skate alongside Jack Hughes and on the first power play, is a 40-45-goal season unrealistic? Perhaps not.

Dawson Mercer

Can Mercer Skate in 82 Games, Again?

They say the best ability is dependability. And Dawson Mercer is nothing short of dependable.

Yes, he still needs a contract and training camp is next week. However, no one is expecting Mercer to miss any time at all.

Mercer has skated in 82 games in each of the first three seasons of his NHL career. That doesn’t even include all 12 playoff games he skated in during the 2023 postseason.

You have to be a little lucky to stay healthy, but Mercer’s shown durability very can in his career.

Stefan Noesen

Can Noesen Replicate his Carolina Hurricanes Production?

The Devils certainly didn’t get the Stefan Noesen the Carolina Hurricanes did over the last two seasons.

Noesen is typically a third-line forward with speed who is aggressive on the forecheck. The Devils certainly reeled him back in for those services. However, Noesen very consistently scored 13 and 14 goals respectively over the last two seasons. In the same span, he reached new career highs by scoring 26 and 37 points.

For a bottom-six forward, that’s great value.

Can Noesen do it again, this time in New Jersey?

Ondrej Palat

Can Palat Score More?

Look, you know it. We know it. And, he knows it.

Ondrej Palat needs to score more. He was extremely transparent about his goal total at the end of the 2023-24 season, explaining he knows he was signed in New Jersey two summers ago to contribute more on the scoresheet than he is.

He had the excuse in year one in New Jersey that he missed 10 weeks of play. But, in year two he didn’t miss nearly as much time and barely eclipsed his previous goal total, scoring 11 goals in 71 games.

If you ask anyone in the Devils locker room, they love playing on a line with Palat. He does a lot of other things that make life easier on his linemates. But, as one of the higher-paid forwards, Palat needs to fill the net more than he does.

Tomas Tatar

Can Tatar Re-Kindle the Magic with Nico Hischier & Jesper Bratt/Dawson Mercer?

The Devil brought Tomas Tatar back on a one-year deal after they struck out on some high-profle forwards in free agency this summer.

Tatar left the Devils after he scored 20 goals and 48 points in 2022-23 playing next to Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt — although Dawson Mercer rotated with Bratt and put up similarly impressive statistics.

Tatar wasn’t as offensively productive between the Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken last season, but the hope is that he’s just a better fit in New Jersey’s system.

Regardless, it’s not just the scoresheet which Fitzgerald hopes Tatar can re-kindle with his former linemates. The line of Tatar, Hughes, and Bratt/Mercer each dominated play analytically resulting in a heavy puck possession line.

After spending a year away, can Tatar find that chemistry again?

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