New Jersey Devils
3 New Jersey Devils Internal Replacements for Dawson Mercer
If the Devils face the reality that Dawson Mercer misses games, who could step up in his place?

Let’s not jump to conclusions and assume Dawson Mercer is going to miss too much time. However, now that we’ve gotten to the point where it’s the first day of on-ice activities and Mercer won’t be involved, it begs the question. How much longer can this standoff go on? Depending on the timeline, the New Jersey Devils will need to consider some internal replacements.
READ: Dawson Mercer Won’t Report to New Jersey Devils Training Camp, What It Means
Devils new head coach, Sheldon Keefe, will already be tasked with replacing an impact forward in Mercer.
Now, yes, it’s true Mercer only potted 20 goals and 33 points last season. However, in the season previous, the 22-year-old forward was a near 30-goal scorer and fell just short of 60 points. As the Devils anticipate a return to their 2022-23 form, the hope was that so will Mercer.
Especially because general manager Tom Fitzgerald chose Mercer by name as someone who he anticipated to have a big season.
However, that can’t happen if he’s not on the ice, and as of now, he won’t be. Yet, the two sides remain focused on ironing out a contract.
Then again, in the off chance they don’t figure something out before games begin, the Devils will need to fill the void. Mercer’s anticipated spot in the lineup is in the top-six. So, who could be the one to do it?
Tomas Tatar
When the Devils struck out on some top forwards in free agency, they circled back to Tomas Tatar and reeled Tuna back in on a one-year contract.
Tatar didn’t have the best 2023-24, starting with the Colorado Avalanche, yet finishing with the Seattle Kraken after he didn’t quite fit in with Nathan Mackinnon and Co.
We can somewhat predict what most of the Devils’ top-six is going to look like. Like it or not, there’s a reality where Ondrej Palat plays with Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. That leaves a spot open next to Jack Hughes and Timo Meier — which is supposed to be filled by Mercer.
In this instance, perhaps Palat slides down with Hughes and Tatar reunites with Hischier. He’s been great with the Devils captain before and the hope is he can be again.
“The Tomas Tatar [signing], he was a player that we’re very familiar with, we know he’s played really well with top six guys on our team,” Fitzgerald explained to New Jersey Hockey Now this summer.
Erik Haula
It feels like the safe play by Keefe if he goes this route, but Erik Haula is an obvious candidate. It’s likely that the spot the Devils need to fill will be alongside Jack Hughes. Assuming Timo Meier plays on Hughes’ line, he can move to his natural right wing position and Haula can slide up to Jack’s left, where he has played before.
Hughes is on record stating he’s a Haula guy. He likes playing alongside the 33-year-old due to his responsible two-way nature that opens up a lot of ice for Hughes.
Maybe it’s just because Hughes can carry a line, but across 330:28 of time on ice together last season, the duo totaled a respectable 54.32 CF%, 53.95 xGF%, and positive 175-161 scoring chance differential.
Haula scored just 16 goals and 35 points in a down year. However, he scored 40-plus points in the back-to-back seasons before last.
From an offensive standpoint, perhaps he’s not the most ideal band-aid. However, if Jack likes him there, there’s little reason to believe he won’t get a shot.
Kevin Labanc
On Sunday we learned that the Devils were signing forward Kevin Labanc to a professional tryout contract (PTO). He’s one of four PTO’s who will attend training camp over the next few weeks seeking a contract for the 2024-25 season, and Labanc appears the most likely to win one.
GO DEEPER: What the New Jersey Devils Can Expect From Kevin Labanc (+)
Labanc struggled incredibly last season, completely losing his previous form by contributing just two goals and nine points in 46 games.
In fact, the 28-year-old forward often served as a healthy scratch.
Yet, the fact remains that the San Jose Sharks were an absolute dumpster fire last season. So whereas a rising tide floats all boats, a descending tide sinks them. It feels a lot like the Sharks’ descent over the last few seasons had at least a little bit to do with Labanc’s regression.
Here’s another fact, however.
In 2022-23, just before Timo Meier was traded to the Devils, Labanc skated next to the Swiss forward in 48 games for a combined 390:31. The duo accrued an elite 57.86 CF%, 57.66 xGF%, and a ridiculous 256-176 positive scoring chance differential. In other words, they were very good together and it wasn’t that long ago.
Now, just imagine how good they could be with Jack Hughes rounding out the trio. Let’s see if Labanc can secure a contract.
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