The New Jersey Devils certainly would have signed up for a 2-1-0 road trip to start the season. But it’s not just the four points that stands out — it’s how they got those points. Their rush game, which hasn’t been the same since their franchise record season in 2022-23, looks much better. They’ve also gotten some standout individual performances from forwards who have the ability to take the team’s offense to the next level.
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Now, before anything, it’s important to note that a three-game sample should be viewed exactly as such. Even a month-plus sample could be misleading; the 2024-25 Devils were a top 10 scoring team from October through December, just to perform at a near-league worst pace afterwards.
With that being said, however, there is good reason to believe these three players can raise their game. Here they are:
Dawson Mercer
Aside from an approximately one-month span in 2022-23, Dawson Mercer has been a similar player his entire career: he’s extremely durable, will produce ~0.5 points per game (P/GP) and is effective on the penalty kill.
Players with similar traits are valuable in the middle-six for any contending team, but unfortunately, that month-long hot streak where he scored 1.67 P/GP — bringing him to 27 goals and 56 points that season — will leave some fans always wanting more.
Mercer notched 17 goals and 36 points last season. If he could raise that more towards the 50-ish range, that would add an extra punch to an offense which already seems more promising (when healthy) than last season. The early signs are great: he has three points (2G, 1A) in three games. He’s also drawn a penalty and is tied for fifth on the team in high danger chances created (via Natural Stat Trick). Because of how early he entered the league, it’s important to note that he’s still only 23 years old. Another step forward is certainly a possibility.
Timo Meier
You don’t need numbers to know that Timo Meier has the capability of singlehandedly carrying an offense on his back. Unfortunately, outside of the month of March, he hasn’t done so consistently enough. Some of that is out of his control, as he’s been largely relegated to PP2 duties.
But a lot of it has been a lack of finishing as well. From October through February last season, he scored 7.21 goals below expected while shooting under nine percent. He was second on the team in scoring chances created — in fact, he generated 15 more high danger chances than Jack Hughes, yet had 12 fewer goals.
From March onwards, Meier was locked in. He finally found his scoring touch, notching +3.23 goals above expected (11 total goals in 21 games). That tied Nico Hischier for the team lead.
In the early going here, he’s looked just as locked in as he was late last season. Like Mercer, he has two goals and an assist in the three games. He’s third in scoring chances, drew a penalty and has just one single giveaway in almost 53 minutes of ice time.
Despite the offensive woes at times, Meier transformed his game last season to become one of the better defensive forwards in the league. He’s always physical and never shies away from scrums. If he can continue to finish like he did in March, all the other facets of his game combine to make him a truly complete player.
Cody Glass
Given their cap situation, Cody Glass is likely tasked with the responsibility of being the Devils’ third-line center for the next two seasons (assuming health). He’s always been one of the better defensive forwards in the league, but the question has been whether he can generate enough offense.
He scored a picture-perfect goal in transition against Carolina on Opening Night, which is hopefully a glimpse of what’s to come. He’s generated more expected goals than eight forwards on the team. It’s important to remember that he’s a former sixth overall pick who is still just 26 years old.
In his two seasons before turning pro, Glass notched an astonishing 171 points (52G, 119A) in 102 games for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL). While he hasn’t been able to tap into that level of elite scoring in the NHL, he’s shown flashes. He had 35 points in 72 games for the Nashville Predators in 2022-23. He also had seven points in 14 games with the Devils after they acquired him last season.
In between those two solid stretches has been some underwhelming offensive results, like when he scored 15 points in 51 games for the Penguins before heading to the Devils. But he certainly has the talent to be a ~0.5 points-per-game player; if that’s the version the Devils are getting, that will help lengthen the lineup a ton.
Moving Forward
The Devils’ status as contenders has been questioned heavily. On one hand, they have a plethora of talent in the locker room and clearly improved their biggest issue in depth scoring. On the other hand, staying healthy and remaining consistent has troubled them. Will 2025-26 be the year the Devils could finally put it all together and go on a run!?
