The New Jersey Devils have gotten off to a strong start and that’s despite a very tough schedule. After a disappointing loss to the Carolina Hurricanes opening night, they’ve rallied off four wins a row and against stiff competition. There are a lot of bright spots in this lineup and plenty to be happy about. The sample sizes are small with only five games played, but Dawson Mercer has gotten off to the type of start you wanted to see coming into the season.
Mercer Being Exactly What The Team Needs
Mercer is an easy player to root for. He works hard, competes hard, and is the ironman of this Devils team. Consistently, he’s been a 30-plus point producer, but you want to see if he can take his game to the next level. After not cracking the 40 point mark for the second season in a row, the time is now for Mercer to take off and be a constant in the Devils’ top six. So far, so good for Mercer.
Mercer is a point per game player for the Devils. Currently, he is tied with four other players for the team lead in goals with three. That’s been a major bright spot for this team, as they’ve had numerous contributors scoring on all three lines. Furthermore, Mercer is tied for third on the Devils in points. It’s the type of production you want to see because he’s shown what he’s capable of from that standpoint.
Mercer’s On-Ice Impacts
It goes beyond the production though. Mercer is making his impact on the ice and helping factor into the teams’ success offensively. One thing that makes Mercer effective is his ability to help control the high-danger areas of the ice. When on the ice, the Devils are out-attempting the opposition 14-9 in those high-danger areas and out-scoring the opposition 2-0. A lot of that has to do with the relentless effort and puck pursuit for Mercer.
The most notable example is Mercer’s assist on Nico Hischier‘s tally against Edmonton. It speaks volumes to his effort. Extending his body out to poke the loose puck to Hischier to the insurance goal. It easily is one of the best plays to start the Devils season.
Again, it’s a very small sample size but Mercer factoring into this teams’ production gives the club enormous depth and effectiveness. He’s been a mainstay in the top six and the perfect complimentary piece to the Devils piece alongside Timo Meier and Nico Hischier.
Mercer Helping the Big Line
The trio of Mercer, Hischier, and Timo Meier has been stellar to start the season. It’s also the perfect ingredients to make a delicious meal and the line is serving up the best quality stuff. Meier is the bruising power forward who is also a bonafide sniper, Hischier is the elite puck protector and driving force to the line, and Mercer is the Swiss Army Knife of the line. Together they’ve been the Devils most effective line.
The trio has the second best xGF% (67.3), trailing the top line by just 2%. However, they’ve managed to generate 3.3 expected goals for, the most of any Devils line and are also generating 4.08 expected goals for per 60 minutes. The trio has combined for 16 points to begin the season and as a line they’ve scored the most goals (four).
They’ve done a tremendous job of suppressing the opposition and limiting their quality chances, while also being opportunistic and cashing in on their opportunities. The chemistry is there to start the year and it’s been fun to watch.
Keep the Momentum Going
Mercer and the Devils are on a roll. They’ve gotten off to winning ways and have also seen a complete effort from the entire roster. They’ve weathered injuries and also beating tough competition. Mercer has been a major bright spot and his hot start should be something to continue to watch for.