Part of what makes watching sports so great is the ability to watch an athlete’s career progress over time. While the New Jersey Devils don’t have any Alexander Ovechkin goal chase-esque storylines in 2025-26, there are still some to keep an eye on.
Related: New Jersey Devils’ Top 10 Prospects for 2025-26
*They are ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being least likely to happen and 10 being definite. This is assuming the players are healthy for the entire season; obviously, injuries could change the likelihood.*
Upcoming Records/Milestones
Dawson Mercer Chase for Devils’ All-Time Ironman Streak (10/10) – Again, since the probability is assuming full health, Mercer’s 74th game of the season (402) would pass Travis Zajac (401) for the most consecutive games played in Devils’ history. What makes it even more remarkable is that Mercer’s streak began on his NHL Debut in 2021, so he’s yet to miss a game in his career. Talk about durable.
Nico Hischier Moving Up Franchise Goals Leaderboard (7.5/10) – The Devils’ captain needs 29 goals to reach 200. He’s averaged 31 goals in each of the last three seasons, which is cutting it super close. If healthy, he has a pretty good shot, but it’s not definite. Even if he doesn’t reach the milestone, he needs 24 to leapfrog Kirk Muller and Zach Parise into fifth all-time for Devils goal scoring. A 32+ goal season would catapult him into third all-time, passing Travis Zajac and Bobby Holik.
Jack Hughes 400 Career Points (10/10) – Hughes needs just 49 points to reach 400, as he continues to establish himself as one of the better offensive players in the game. He never scored fewer than 56 in any of his non-COVID shortened seasons, even accounting for injuries.
Luke Hughes 100 Career Points (10/10) – The youngest Hughes brother continued to establish himself as a premier offensive defenseman, ending the 2024-25 season with 22 points in 22 games. He needs just seven points to reach 100, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he fully broke out and ended the season with 150+.
Jack Hughes’ Franchise Single Season Points Record (5.5/10) – As is the case every season, health is the biggest thing keeping J. Hughes from passing his own franchise record of 99 points set in 2022-23. He certainly has the talent to do so. By breaking it, he’d also become the first Devil to reach the century mark for points in a single season.
Jesper Bratt 300 Career Assists (10/10) – Bratt made himself a rich man with his ability to dish the puck, among other skills. Considering that he shattered the single-season franchise record with 67 assists in 2024-25, something tells me, if healthy, he’ll notch *checks notes* three more assists to reach 300 this season. It might even be on Opening Night.
Dawson Mercer 100 Career Goals/Assists (6/10) – While Mercer hasn’t lived up to elite expectations once placed on him, he’s been an immensely valuable member of the Devils, averaging ~42 points per season in addition to being immensely durable and reliable in all aspects. He needs 17 goals and 16 assists to reach 100 in each respective category.
Notable Veteran Games Played Milestones:
Brenden Dillon 1,000 Career Games (Needs 26)
Dougie Hamilton 900 Career Games (Needs 65)
Ondrej Palat 900 Career Games (Needs 75)
Brett Pesce 700 Career Games (Needs 1)
Timo Meier 700 Career Games (Needs 79)
Jesper Bratt 600 Career Games (Needs 48)
Nico Hischier 600 Career Games (Needs 73)
Stefan Noesen 500 Career Games (Needs 56)
Young Player Notables:
Simon Nemec 100 Career Games (Needs 13)
Arseni Gritsyuk First NHL Game (Needs 1)
Fun Tidbit
The Devils have not been awarded a penalty shot in a home game since Apr. 5, 2018, when Taylor Hall scored on New York Rangers’ legend Henrik Lundqvist. They did get one in the 2023 playoffs, also against the Rangers, where J. Hughes scored on Igor Shesterkin. But playoffs don’t count towards the record books.
Trust me. You can come back to this. After over seven years, the 2025-26 season will be the time that inexplicably long streak ends, and the Devils will once again be awarded a penalty shot (maybe even multiple!) at home. But regardless, there will be plenty to keep an eye out for during the 2025-26 season.
