In 2021-22, the New Jersey Devils finished 19th in the NHL in goals with 2.99 goals scored per game. It was the highest rate the Devils scored at since the 2000-2001 campaign when New Jersey scored 3.60 goals per game en route to a second straight Eastern Conference Championship.
However, that did not stop New Jersey from looking to strengthen an already promising forward group in the offseason. Despite potential targets like Matthew Tkachuk, Alex DeBrincat, and Johnny Gaudreau going elsewhere, the Devils still saw overhaul across the forward lines. Several roster spots appear up for grabs, so let’s take a look at how the Devils forwards might line up in 2022-2023.
For the first half of this preview, we will be taking a look at the potential New Jersey top-six. Keep an eye out for the rest of the forwards preview later this week. Also, check out our defensive core and goaltending previews if you have not already.
Jack Hughes
Position: Center
Contract: Eight-years, $8,000,000
Means of Acquisition: 2019 First-Round Draft Pick (First overall)
Analysis:
Last season was the Jack Hughes breakout season many had been waiting for. The former first-overall pick tallied 56 points in 49 games. That 1.14 points per game pace was 25th in the NHL and would have equated to 93 points in a full season. The only thing that slowed Hughes’ dynamic season was injuries, with the 21-year-old playing in fewer than 60% of New Jersey’s contests.
Looking ahead, if Hughes can stay on the ice, he has a very real shot to be the first Devil to crack the 90-point mark since Taylor Hall’s Hart Trophy-winning 2017-2018 season. Hughes is a bonafide, top-line, playmaking center that is dangerous in all facets of the game, especially on the rush. Oh, and he’s still just coming into his own as a player.
Ondrej Palat
Position: Left Wing
Contract: Five-years, $6,000,000
Means of Acquisition: Free agent, signed July 14, 2022.
Analysis:
After the disappointment of missing out on the Johnny Gaudreau sweepstakes, Tom Fitzgerald pivoted to sign Ondrej Palat. Palat joins New Jersey after ten years in Tampa Bay, including two Stanley Cups. While the five year term for the 31-year-old may not age well, Palat certainly makes the Devils better in the short term.
Earlier in his career, Palat was a 60-point scorer playing alongside a young Nikita Kucherov. However, as his game has developed, he has become a more two-way player that can do a bit of everything that adds up to winning hockey. Last season with Tampa Bay, Palat tallied 49 points in 77 games. He was even better in the playoffs, scoring 21 points in 23 postseason contests.
Throughout camp, he has predominantly played alongside Jack Hughes and Alexander Holtz. It seems likely that the trio will comprise the Devils top line on opening night.
Alexander Holtz
Position: Right Wing
Contract: Three-years, $894,167 (ELC)
Means of Acquisition: 2020 First-Round Draft Pick (Seventh overall)
Analysis: At the NHL level, Alexander Holtz struggled in his brief rookie season last year. In just nine games, Holtz, playing mostly down the lineup, picked up just two assists. He is yet to register his first NHL goal. However, it was quite the opposite in the AHL. The Swedish winger was fantastic in Utica, scoring 26 goals and 51 points in 52 games.
This season, Holtz appears to have a shot to not only crack the New Jersey roster, but to play top-line minutes. He has impressed throughout camp playing with Hughes and Palat, but has also played relatively well away from the pair.
Holtz finished with one goal and two assists in five preseason games while creating a number of dangerous chances. However, if he wants to stick in the top-six, Holtz needs to start finishing them off, proving that he can be the goal scorer the Devils hope he can be.
Nico Hischier
Position: Center
Contract: Five-years, $7,250,000
Means of Acquisition: 2017 First-Round Draft Pick (First Overall)
Analysis:
One of the biggest negatives of the preseason for the Devils has been Nico Hischier’s injury. The New Jersey captain played just one period in the Devils’ opener in Montreal. At first, it was deemed precautionary due to cramping, but has since been revealed to be a hamstring strain with a return date unclear.
However, when Hischier does return, he will have a crucial role on the team. Last season, Hischier put together his most complete season, playing strong, two-way hockey while scoring a career-high 21 goals and 60 points in 70 games. From Hischier’s player card, you can see the positive impact he has had on the ice, both offensively and defensively over the past three season.
It was encouraging to see Hischier start living up to the solid defensive center label he has acquired despite some shaky seasons in the past that dragged down his running three-year numbers.
Hischier has also been among the league’s best at completing zone entries, a skill that a rush-heavy team like the Devils need to be successful at creating chances. For the Devils to compete for a playoff spot, a healthy Hischier and Hughes 1-2 punch down the middle will be key.
Jesper Bratt
Position: Right Wing
Contract: One-year, $5,450,000
Means of Acquisition: 2016 Sixth-Round Draft Pick (162nd overall)
Analysis:
Jesper Bratt may have had the biggest breakout season in the NHL last season. The Swedish winger paced the Devils with 26 goals and 47 assists for 73 points in 76 games. Each was a career high for Bratt.
In the offseason, rumors swirled about Bratt potentially being available for trade, but Tom Fitzgerald inked the restricted free agent to a one-year deal hours before an arbitration hearing.
Bratt may not be a Selke candidate, but he is absolutely among the league’s best in creating chances. Heading into unrestricted free agency next offseason, the Devils and Bratt both hope he can prove last year was not a one-off.
Yegor Sharangovich
Position: Left Wing
Contract: One-year, $2,000,000
Means of Acquisition: 2018 Fifth-Round Draft Pick (141st overall)
Analysis:
In two seasons in the NHL, Yegor Sharangovich has netted 40 goals. The 24-year-old scored 24 last season after scoring at a 24 goal pace as a rookie. The winger has proven himself to be a reliable source of goals, even after a slow start in 2021-2022.
Sharangovich will get plenty of chances in the middle-six this season (potentially even higher), so there is no reason to expect much of, if any, decline in his goal scoring. With his 14.2% career shooting percentage, playing alongside an elite playmaker like Jesper Bratt could push Sharangovich to the 30-goal plateau for the first time.