Devils X-Factors Providing Needed Boost

The New Jersey Devils have the perception of being a top-heavy team. It’s understandable since Jack Hughes is a star, Nico Hischier is a valuable player, and Dougie Hamilton can still play like a top-pair defenseman (plus Luke has the Hughes name attached to him as well). Through three games, that perception is far from the reality. 

The depth led them, notably in their recent 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. It’s allowed the Devils to find their footing after an opening night loss and look like the team many expected them to be this season. The depth helping the Devils win games is a pleasant surprise and one they can use all season. 

Mercer & Meier Providing The Scoring From The Wing

Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer scored all three goals in the win over the Blue Jackets, and they’ve combined for four in the first three games. It’s given the offense a much-needed bump early on and made the top six a tough one to stop. Hughes has a target on his back, and having wingers step up takes the pressure off of him. 

Meier is expected to be the difference maker. He was acquired a few seasons back and paid for the big moments. The power play goal he scored, where he fired the puck into the back of the net, is supposed to be a common occurrence. His size and shooting allow him to stand out on the Devils, and it’s made him a key part of the forward unit, whether he’s on the Hughes line, Hischier line, or the power play. 

Mercer, meanwhile, is seen as the wild card. The 24-year-old was once viewed in the organization as a building block and is now a middle-six winger. His play is a reminder of what he can do, which is score. In 2022-23, he found the back of the net 27 times, and this season, he looks poised to pass that mark as he’s finding the back of the net in multiple ways. 

The Devils Depth Delivering 

Arseny Gritsyuk was inserted into the forward unit largely because of the Evgenii Dadonov injury. With that move, the Devils replaced scoring with playing as the 24-year-old winger has distributed three assists, including one on the rush to set up the Mercer goal in the latest game. Gritsyuk, along with Cody Glass and Connor Brown, has given the Devils production in the middle six, and it’s going a long way. 

The Devils are seeing the depth step up but more importantly, are seeing players fill in for injuries, and the team hasn’t had a drop off. In previous seasons, the Devils have fallen apart with a big injury, whether it’s Hughes or defensemen Dougie Hamilton. That can still happen if a core player goes down but for now, the depth skaters have been replaced by the reinforcements. 

Even on the defense, the Devils have Simon Nemec stepping up and filling a void on the third pairing. While Nemec isn’t having the same impact as the forwards and is tagged with the reputation of being a second overall pick who hasn’t worked out, he’s still giving the Devils what they need, which is stability on the defense. 

The Devils Need This All Season

In the big picture, the Devils must look like a playoff team. Not just a team that’s good in the regular season and can be bailed out by a few stars. That’s happened in the past. They must prove they can beat the best teams in the NHL, the teams that have three forward lines that can score. 

That didn’t happen against the Carolina Hurricanes, and they lost 6-3. That was a measuring stick game that outweighs the recent two wins in significance (the Devils will likely face the Hurricanes in the playoffs, and they must have a team that can beat them). The last two games, however, came against teams that will be in the playoff picture, and the entire team stepped up. 

The way the Devils can show they are built for the playoffs and not just the regular season is with their depth stepping up and stealing a few games. So far, the group has proven it can do that. It’s only three games into the season, and playoff hockey is a long way from now. It’s hard to read much into anything, yet the way the Devils are playing stands out.

The next two games for the Devils are against the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers. Talk about games of significance. The two teams in the Final the past two seasons, with the Panthers being the back-to-back champs (and looking to bounce back from an upset 5-2 loss). The Devils will have tough games ahead, and they’ll need the depth to deliver to prove they are more than just an exciting regular season team.