Jack Hughes’ absence has been one of the Devils’ defining storylines, but the numbers from when he was healthy tell a much louder story: New Jersey looked dangerous, and the production wasn’t limited to the star center himself.
Hughes was rolling after the Olympic break, piling up more points than anyone not named Connor McDavid. He also set off a wave through the rest of the roster.
Jesper Bratt, who had been stuck in what was described as his worst season since becoming a legit star player, suddenly caught fire. He scored 30 of his 71 points in the 24 games after the break, a pace that works out to 102-103 points over an 82-game season.
Connor Brown added 14 points in 25 games, with part of that stretch coming on Hughes’ wing.
That kind of jump matters because it changes what the Devils can be offensively. If Bratt can produce like that, and if Hughes keeps driving the attack, New Jersey becomes a much scarier team in the Eastern Conference.
The ripple effect reached deeper than the top line. Nico Hischier, who wasn’t putting up the kind of offense fans are used to because of the defensive matchups he was handling, finished with 25 points in his last 25 games.
Timo Meier, coming off his worst season since arriving in New Jersey, posted 15 points in 25 games, including nine goals. Some of that fits the usual March Meier surge, but the Hughes factor was clearly part of the picture.
The defense got a boost too. Dougie Hamilton put up 18 points after the break, while Luke Hughes added nine in limited time. Both were helped by power-play time alongside Jack Hughes, but the broader point still stands: when Jack was on the ice, the whole group looked more productive.
That translated to results. The Devils went 14-10-1 after the break, a pace that would have put them at 95 points over a full 82-game season. That still would not have been enough to reach the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, but it would have left them only three points behind the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
The conclusion is hard to avoid. Hughes makes the Devils a playoff team. Sunny Mehta spent the offseason trying to build a roster that wouldn’t depend entirely on him, but New Jersey still looks like a contender in the East when its best player is in the lineup.
In Other News...
Devils Rookie Camp Already Put Two Prospects On Everyone's Radar
The Devils rookie camp opened Sept. 11 with a scrimmage against the Islanders prospects, and it did what these early September showcases are supposed to do: give the organization a first real look at young players trying to force their way into bigger conversations. New Jerseys rookies pushed the pace, showed plenty of bite, and made it clear there is competition all over the lineup as the group works toward official training camp.
Anton Silaev, the recent first-round pick, stood out with a physical edge in his first American game, while Matyas Melovsky helped spark a third-period rally with back-to-back goals. The Devils still dropped the game 5-4 in overtime, but the result mattered less than the impression left behind, with several prospects showing they are already pressing for attention as the roster picture begins to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Moved Fast On Luke Evangelista For A Reason
The Devils moved quickly to get Luke Evangelista under contract before the old collective bargaining agreement expired, and the timing mattered. New Jersey had acquired the winger from the Nashville Predators for draft picks, then locked him in on a five-year deal worth $7.25 million, making sure the agreement was finished before the deadline that was set to reshape how contracts could be structured.
The deal is notable not just for its length and cost, but for how it was built, with a heavy front-load and a significant portion paid in bonuses. For a team that has been careful about managing its roster and cap outlook, getting the paperwork done in time allowed the Devils to use a setup that would not have been available under the new CBA restrictions. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Prospects In Russia Are Creating A Real Future Debate
The Devils prospect pipeline has been getting a fresh look in two places at once, with Russian defenders Daniil Orlov and Nikita Shcherbakov off to strong starts and goaltender Daniil Rusakovich also opening his season well in the KHL and MHL. Those early performances matter because New Jersey has been trying to sort through a deeper group of young talent, and the recent prospects camp only added to the sense that there are more names pushing into the conversation than usual.
At camp, Matyas Melovsky, Silaev, Mikael Diotte and Amadeus Lombardi each gave the organization something to think about, even if the bigger picture remains unsettled. The Devils have plenty of reasons to be encouraged, but the real question now is how these separate track records overseas and in camp will translate when the team starts drawing firmer lines around future roster spots. [Read more 🡒]