Hockey is back! The New Jersey Devils began their regular season before the rest of the league, jumping out to a quick 2-0-0 start with a sweep of the Buffalo Sabres in Prague. With their home opener set for Thursday night against Toronto, it’s not too late to look at some potentially bold predictions.

Jack Hughes Reaches 100 Points 

This is finally the year where the Devils see their superstar center hit the century point mark. Jack Hughes has become the focal point of the Devils offensive attack and is dynamic with the puck on his stick. Aside from centering the top line, he is going to play power play minutes and if the team is ever down a goal, he is going to be one of the skaters out there. Needless to say, production will come and with the countless opportunities. 

Health has never been on his side. He has yet to play a full season since entering the league during the 2019-20 season. The most games he has played in a single season was 78 during the 2022-23 season. Hughes missed time during the 2023-24 season, playing 62 games. However, Hughes was over a point-per-game player with 74 points. Now that he is fully healthy, him reaching the mark should certainly he in reach. 

Hughes has come very close to the 100 point mark already in his young career. During the Devils’ historic 2022-23 season, Hughes made history himself. He became the Devils all-time single season points leader with 99 points. He passed Devils legend Patrik Elias, which was a record that stood for a very long time. Had he played those extra four games, he likely would’ve hit the mark. 

If he is at full strength, Hughes should be a lock for 100 points. He will have good linemates, pairing with Timo Meier. Together, the two could cause havoc and make life hard for opposing teams. Also, Hughes has the fifth-best odds to capture the Hart Trophy and reaching the mark could help strengthen his case.

Dawson Mercer Has Big Bounce-Back Season

There’s a lot to love about Dawson Mercer. He was taken in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft and he went on to give the coaching staff every reason to be part of the big league roster. Mercer is a tremendous young player. He works hard, hustles, and has the necessary skill to be an effective forward. 

Mercer has played every single game the last three seasons. He put together a strong rookie season, finishing with 17 goals and 33 points. It was encouraging to see and the sky was the limit for him. During the 2022-23 season, Mercer popped off for a career year. He scored a career high 27 goals and finished the year with 56 points. The sophomore slump can be a very real thing, but for Mercer it didn’t occur. However, he slumped in his third year and saw a dip in his production. 

Mercer finished the year with 20 goals for the second season in a row, but saw his point totals fall to just 33. It was a tough year for Mercer in that regard and the young forward is still searching for a long-term deal as he was only signed to a bridge deal this offseason. 

There is optimism that he will have a bounce-back season. Look no further than his breakout second season. At only 22 years old, there’s still a ton of time for growth and development. The tools are certainly all there.

Mercer has strong offensive ability and upside. His impacts on the game are well noted during his first three seasons and he has strong finishing ability. With a healthy lineup and consistent linemates, he can get going and bounce back in the best way possible. Mercer is a key component to this Devils lineup and him bouncing back could go a long ways to a successful season for the team.

Timo Meier Pots 40 Goals 

The Devils are going to see their prized winger score a lot of goals for them during the 2024-25 season. The 2023-24 season was a tough year for Meier, as he was one of the Devils to sustain numerous injuries and miss time out of the lineup. Meier often looked off his game and you could tell he was laboring. That proved to be true and made sense why his performance was the way it was. However, Meier finished the year strong, once he finally did get healthy, and looked like the Meier they went out and acquired from the San Jose Sharks. 

Meier finished 2023-24 season on a high note. He went on to score the 13th-most goals in the league from February to April, which was a massive improvement. Furthermore, Meier finished the season having 26 points in the finals 23 games. Meier was healthy and he was delivering and that’s all you can ask for. 

Meier has reached the 30 goal mark three times and reached the 40 mark once. The 2024-25 season will see Meier hit the mark for the second time. 

Devils Reach the Eastern Conference Finals

This may be the boldest prediction of them all, but it should not be counted out. The Devils reaching the Eastern Conference Finals is a good possibility. It sounds crazy to have a team that missed the playoffs and finished seventh in the division in that spot, but the reality is that the Devils are in a good spot. 

Health was not on their side and neither was the goaltending. Under head coach Lindy Ruff, they played strong during five-on-five play, but the goaltending was poor. Goaltending got better after the trade deadline, but it was too little too late. Fast forward to the offseason and optimism is high. 

The Devils are a better team than they were a season ago. There is depth everywhere and impactful depth. Brett Pesce is a legit top-four defenseman and Brenden Dillon is a physical shutdown anchor for the third pair. Upfront the team added needed depth with Stefan Noesen, Paul Cotter, and Tomas Tatar. Most importantly, they have a legitimate number one goalie in Jacob Markstrom. It isn’t just the fact that they got better, but the fact the entire conference is wide open for the taking. 

The New York Rangers will be a tough customer and will always give a team a hard time as long as Igor Shesterkin is in net. However, the Carolina Hurricanes could take a step back, as they’ve lost significant pieces on the roster that’s made them a serious contender for the last several years. The Islanders performed better under head coach Patrick Roy, but the Devils are a step ahead of them. These are the teams likely to stand in their way to the Conference Finals given the playoff format, but the Devils getting there is a likely scenario. 

With the young core leading this team, a deeper roster, and a real goalie, this team is destined to make a playoff run.