The New Jersey Devils are opening the 2026-27 season with more forward depth than they’ve had in a long time, and that reality has Dawson Mercer in a spot he doesn’t know well.
Sunny Mehta spent the offseason beefing up the forward group in his first year as Devils GM, and the result is one of the better collections of forwards in the Eastern Conference. Anthony Mantha, Luke Evangelista, Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Amadeus Lombardi all came in, and the Devils didn’t have to give up anyone of significance to do it.
That kind of depth changes the shape of the lineup fast. With two top-six forwards arriving and Rodrigues getting the first look at third-line center, Mercer suddenly finds himself pushed down the chart. For a player who has been available every night since making his NHL debut as a rookie in 2021, that’s a notable shift.
Mercer looked like a real breakout piece in 2022-23. He posted 56 points and 27 goals on a Devils team that rolled through the season, and for a while it seemed like New Jersey had uncovered another star.
That group had everything working. Jack Hughes was healthy all year, Nico Hischier was a legitimate Selke Trophy contender, and the offense, defense, and goaltending all held up their end.
The next season brought a very different story for Mercer. In 2024-25, his production slid to 20 goals and 33 points, with just 13 assists. He was still finishing chances, but the playmaking that had helped define his earlier rise largely disappeared.
Now the Devils are treating him like a bottom-six forward. Evangelista and Mantha are getting the first opportunity on the Hughes and Hischier lines, and if Sheldon Keefe needs a replacement, Mercer may not be the first name called.
Arseny Gritsyuk would likely get the first shot at a top-six opening. After that, Rodrigues and Connor Brown could also be in the mix.
That doesn’t mean Mercer is out of the picture. If the version of him that kept climbing in 2023 shows up again, the door can open quickly.
He does have a chance to prove he belongs higher in the lineup, even from a lesser role. His current linemates, Gritsyuk and Rodrigues, could help him on both ends and give him the kind of support that might spark his offense.
If that spark never comes, the Devils may start to view Mercer differently when they think about their long-term future.
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