The first ten games of the New Jersey Devils season are complete and the team holds a record of 6-3-1. After the first five games, the first installment of the in-season awards named Jack Hughes as the team’s most valuable player, Michael McLeod as the underrated player, and Dawson Mercer as the player that needs improvement. Five games later, the team has been plagued with unfortunate injuries to key players. Nico Hischier was injured in the game against the Buffalo Sabres after taking a hit to the head from Connor Clifton. Clifton was suspended for two games and Hischier did not travel on the four-game road trip. Therefore, the captain will miss a minimum of five games.
The bad luck continued as Jack Hughes was injured 11 minutes into the game against the St. Louis Blues. Hughes fell and slid into the boards, returned to play one shift, then remained out for the rest of the game. Elliotte Friedman shared early news on Hughes, “No official update on Jack Hughes, but word is that, thankfully, a worst-case scenario has been avoided. Will miss some time, but not as bad as it could have been.” As of Nov. 5, no timeline has been given for his return. However, the in-season awards would see a new MVP in the last five games.
Devils Competition: Oct. 25-Nov. 3
The Devils earned a 3-2-0 record against the competition. A 6-4 loss to the Washington Capitals, a 5-4 win against the Buffalo Sabres, a 4-3 win against the Minnesota Wild, a 5-3 win against the Wild, and a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
At home, their record was 2-1-0, and on the road, it was 1-1-0. Despite the unfortunate news with Hischier and Hughes, the Devils have a deep and talented roster that should be able to string together wins without their top two centers. Moreover, Hischier should hopefully return soon after the Devils finish their road trip.
The season is long and often includes rollercoaster trends. The Devils will now go through a tough stretch without some top players. However, it will be a major test of their depth and allow the team to find more chemistry instead of relying on certain players every night.
Most Valuable Player: Jesper Bratt
In the past five games, Jesper Bratt has proven that he is worth every single dollar he got on his new contract. He has scored four goals and five assists for nine points. Furthermore, he has been a consistent piece on the power play AND penalty kill. The latter is a new element in Bratt’s game he has excelled tremendously at. With his speed and skill on the penalty kill, he brings a scoring threat to the unit and has an innate ability to control the puck in every zone.
The Swedish forward led the forward group with 19:06 of ice time through five games. In the absence of two key players, Bratt has not taken his foot off of the gas. He has also scored the most game-winning goals with two. No player has been more impactful in the last five games than Bratt. Therefore, he earned the MVP status for this chunk of games. Hopefully, he will be able to continue his impressive play with the continued absence of Hischier and Hughes.
Other contenders: Timo Meier and Tyler Toffoli
Most Underrated Player: Luke Hughes
Luke Hughes has had a quietly impressive past five games that is not getting enough attention. He currently has the same amount of points as his brother in the last five contests. He has registered six assists through five games, with four being power-play points. Furthermore, the rookie defender has the third most ice time with 21:22, only trailing Dougie Hamilton and John Marino.
Related: Devils 2023-24 In-Season Awards: First 5 Games
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Despite not being able to score a goal in the last five games, Hughes has registered the fourth most shots on the team and led the team in power-play points. While in the offensive zone, he has showcased his impressive skating and creativity by getting shots through and setting up goals.
At only 20 years old and 12 games played, Hughes has made an immediate impact on the lineup. In the absence of his brother, he will have to amp up his offensive creativity even more and showcase his skills. Based on his recent play, there is no doubt that he will step up to the plate.
Other contenders: Erik Haula and Alexander Holtz
Needs Improvement: Ondrej Palat
Unfortunately, Dawson Mercer was the player that needed improvement from the first set of five games and has not been able to turn his play around yet. However, a new player who needs improvement in the past five games is Ondrej Palat. The 32-year-old veteran has one assist and has had a plethora of chances to make more of an impact throughout the games. For a player who is on a hefty contract and has 650-plus games played, he should be able to make more of an impact, especially with the injuries that the team is facing.
Depth is a vital part of a team’s success in the NHL. For Palat to turn his play around, he must step up and lead the team when motivation and momentum could be low. His experience in the league should shine through on a very young hockey team. In the 10 games that he has played, he has only registered three assists. New Jersey will turn to him to elevate his game and provide the depth that the organization has been building.
The Devils’ next set of five games will determine how strong and versatile their roster is. Playing without the league’s leading scorer and your captain will allow other players to fill roles. However, it is yet to be seen if the depth pieces will be able to bring wins and success to the team.
