There is a plethora of reasons that the New Jersey Devils have succeeded lately, primarily some drastic improvement in defense and goaltending. But to win seven of nine like they have, you probably need some elite forward talent to step up at some point. Not only have the Devils gotten that, but it’s all homegrown.
Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt have a combined age of 24.6, meaning they still might not have hit their prime yet. But from the looks of it, it’s hard to play much better than they have. The trio has combined for a whopping nine goals and 23 points (!!) over their last five games.
Jack Hughes Is Back
It’s no secret that the middle Hughes brother is looked upon to be the main offensive play driver for the Devils. But for the latter half of last season and the beginning of this one, he didn’t look right. He was getting his points but not dominating in typical Jack fashion.
His three-point effort on Nov. 7th against the Montreal Canadiens was the first time anyone could confidently say vintage Jack was back. After the contest, he told The Hockey Writers, “I think we’re gonna, you know, pop here in the next few weeks”
Well pop he did as including that night, he has ten points in five games. He leads the entire team with a 64.93 expected goals percentage in that span, and scoring chances have been 48-28 in favor of the Devils (via Natural Stat Trick).
Captain Steps up
While Jack is the main offensive firepower, there’s no question that Hischier is the heart and soul of the team. When Bratt and Hughes got off to slow starts, Hischier carried their weight and then some by scoring 10 goals in his first 13 games. He’s slowed a bit since but continues to play exceptional defense and come up big when it matters. Besides, his version of cooling off is still four points and a plus-4 rating in this five-game stretch.
Related: New Jersey Devils’ Sheldon Keefe Speaks on Jack Hughes’ Penalty Kill Usage
He does all the little things right. His faceoff percentage of 55.7% is top 20 among all NHL skaters. Paul Cotter’s clutch goal in Florida against the Panthers wouldn’t have happened if Hischier didn’t have a sixth sense to know exactly where Cotter was without looking. It’s things like this that aren’t always noticeable at first glance but make a massive difference.
Spinning top shelf beats. pic.twitter.com/DK3SgsyrwQ
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) November 13, 2024
He’s also been a big mentor to Hughes in the process. “The way (Jack) looks at Nico; he looks at him like a big brother that he idolizes,” said general manager Tom Fitzgerald on the NHL Wraparound Podcast.
Bratt Is (Still) Underrated
With so much talk revolving around Hughes and Hischier, it’s remarkable how underrated Bratt continues to be. He now has 253 points in his last 260 games to go along with a plus-11 rating, yet still flies under the radar.
When The Hockey Writers asked Hischier about Bratt, his face lit up with a smile: “He’s a super competitive guy – such a nice guy obviously too – and a big part of our group. He’s earned everything that he’s done. I think just seeing his work ethic, a lot of people can look at him and see that’s what it takes. He does the right things on and off the ice.”
After a meh start, Bratt is exploding offensively with nine points in his last five games, including a hat-trick against the Panthers. Like Hischier, he’s not the flashy type but he’s the textbook definition of a winning player.
Overall Team Success
Everything seems to be clicking for the Devils right now. But when stars play as such, it’s much easier for the positive trickle-down effect to occur. Combined, the Hischier, Hughes and Bratt trio have been on the ice for 104 more scoring chances than the opposition this season. The Devils are in a great position with so many talented forwards and as long as they remain healthy, it’s hard to see them not being a threat for a Metropolitan Division playoff spot.
