The New Jersey Devils, after losing their playoff series to the Carolina Hurricanes, are awaiting the beginning of what projects to be an extremely intriguing offseason. In review of their up-and-down regular season, and valiant effort in the playoffs, we continue with grading how each player did in 2024-25.

In the second part of our four part final grades series, we take a look at the remaining forward group. For part I, please click here.

Curtis Lazar

It was clear that injuries played a huge role in the play of Curtis Lazar in 2024-25. Limited to 48 games largely due to a nagging knee injury, Lazar only posted five points and had by far the worst on-ice impacts of his career.

Lazar’s overall on-ice metrics, according to Evolving Hockey’s goals above replacement (GAR) data, ranked in the league’s third percentile. He was below replacement level offensively, defensively, and on the penalty kill. The traditional metrics were subpar as well, as his expected goals-for percentage (xGF%) ranked third-worst on the team among skaters to play at least 20 games.

Grade: F

Kurtis MacDermid

Despite the recent noise, general manger Tom Fitzgerald has done a strong job at the helm of the New Jersey Devils. One of his oddest moves as general manger, though, was giving out a three-year extension to Kurtis MacDermid.

MacDermid played in 23 games this season, did not record a single point, and averaged the second-lowest time on ice per game of his career (5:47). The 31-year-old enforcer posted a woeful 35.32 xGF% in his limited ice time. That figure ranked last on the Devils and sixth-worst among 768 skaters to play at least 100 minutes of five-on-five ice time this season.

Grade: F

Timo Meier

It was an extremely interesting year for the Devils’ $8.8-million-per-season man. Timo Meier ended the year scoring 26 goals and tallying 53 points in 80 games. Believe it or not, that is the fourth-highest output of his career.

Meier’s on-ice impacts were strong. Not typically profiled as a two-way player, Meier ranked in the league’s 72nd percentile when it came to defensive on-ice metrics. Not to mention, the offensive impacts were still good, comfortably above replacement level both at even strength and on the power play.

Further analysis into Meier’s metrics paint a picture of a lot of bad luck, especially given the plethora of opportunities he had and created. Meier’s 20.66 individual expected goals at five-on-five ranked third among 920 skaters to appear in a game this season. He profiled as one of the best five-on-five goal scorers in the league.

Meier was also a tank in the playoffs. His 69.22 xGF% ranks third among all skaters to play at least three games in the playoffs this postseason. His four points also led the Devils.

Grade: B+

Dawson Mercer

The 23-year-old Dawson Mercer improved slightly on what was a career-low point output in 2023-24. He posted 36 points in 82 games this season, after setting a career-high with 56 points in the 2022-23 season.

Despite the scoring being down once again, Mercer turned in his best defensive season of his career. Since his entrance into the league, Mercer has always been described as a high motor, two-way player. The high motor part may be true, but his defensive game was always lacking despite the incorrect label. This past season, Mercer’s defensive on-ice metrics ranked in the 65th percentile. His offensive metrics, despite lackluster scoring, also ranked slightly above replacement level at five-on-five, and strongly on the power play.

Despite the seemingly flip in perception by the fan base, Mercer is still a valuable middle-six presence. The hope is the shooting percentage gets closer to the rates it was in 2022-23 and 2023-24 (16.8% and 14.9%, respectively). With that, and continued strong defensive play, Mercer is exactly what the team needs going forward out of their depth.

Grade: B-

Stefan Noesen

Early in the season, Stefan Noesen appeared to be one of the best free agent signings of the offseason. Through the first two months of the season, Noesen had 13 goals in 27 games. After that, he only scored nine the rest of the way (51 games).

Despite the scoring drought to end the season, Noesen’s overall production on the year was still extremely strong for a depth player making $2.75 million. The Texas native set a career-high in goals and points, while maintaining above replacement level metrics at even strength, offensively and defensively, on the power play, and while on the penalty kill.

Grade: B

Daniel Sprong

Daniel Sprong was one the depth moves general manger Tom Fitzgerald made at the trade deadline. Sprong ended up playing 11 games for the Devils, posting two assists. He was extremely snake bitten as his 0-for-24 shooting success rate indicates.

The traditional metrics with the team were fine, as he had a positive shot attempt differential at five-on-five and the Devils specifically did a great job at suppressing their opposition in terms of chances when he was on the ice. If a few of those shots found the back of the net, the perception of his tenure to end the season in New Jersey would be much higher.

Grade: C-

Ondrej Palat

As a lot of people thought when the deal was first signed, Ondrej Palat‘s contract continues to age extremely poorly. The 34-year-old posted 28 points; the lowest of his career in a season where he has played at least 55 games.

The on-ice metrics were also porous, as overall, they graded out in the league’s ninth percentile. Specifically, it was ugly defensively, as Palat’s defensive expected GAR (xGAR) rating ranked 14th-worst among 925 skaters to appear in a game this season.

In addition to the poor metrics overall, Palat had a direct negative impact on his linemates, specifically during the plethora of time he spent alongside Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. For reference, with Palat, Bratt owned an xGF% of 50.92. Without, that figure jumped to 53.75. Additionally, with Palat, Hughes owned an xGF% of 51.17. Without, that figure sky-rocketed to 65.90.

Grade: D-

Tomas Tatar

Expectations for when the team announced they signed 34-year-old Tomas Tatar right before the season began were construed due to how strong he was with the Devils during his first tenure with the team. In a reduced role this time around, the veteran did just fine, posting above replacement level metrics offensively and defensively at even strength. Specifically, defensively, his metrics ranked in the league’s 77th percentile.

The issue, like most of the others in the bottom six, was the scoring dried up. Tatar only had 17 points in 74 games, the lowest output of his career, outside his first two partial seasons in the league. However, for what his role ended up being, Tatar was adequate.

Grade: C