Earlier this week, we looked at how the New Jersey Devils’ top-six could shape up in 2022-2023. Now, it is time to dive into how the Devils will round out their roster ahead of tomorrow’s season opener.
As a reminder, check out our previews for both the defense and goaltending if you have not already.
Tomas Tatar
Position: Left Wing
Contract: One-year, $4,500,000
Means of Acquisition: Signed as a free agent (August 5, 2021).
Analysis:
Tomas Tatar’s first season in New Jersey was far from his best. Tatar was one of the best play-drivers in the league during his time in Montreal, but he fell well-below that level of performance last year. In fact, his metrics graded out as a negative impact on the ice as seen in his above player card.
Even Tatar’s counting stats took a hit last season. The 31-year-old scored just 15 goals, the first full season he finished below the 20-goal mark since 2013-2014. However, Tatar had an encouraging preseason, scoring in all four games he played.
Tatar should get plenty of chances in the New Jersey middle-six this season and is an obvious bounce-back candidate through positive regression. Throughout his career, Tatar has been a reliable source of goals, and the Devils will be hoping he can return to that form.
Erik Haula
Position: Center
Contract: One-year, $2,375,000
Means of Acquisition: Acquired via trade (July 13, 2022).
Analysis:
Earlier this summer, the Devils moved on from Pavel Zacha, sending him to Boston for Erik Haula. Haula represents a more prototypical bottom-six center, who has middle-of-the-road play-driving numbers as seen in his player card. Haula’s 2021-2022 numbers offer a noticeable defensive upgrade over Zacha, although a three-year sample shows Haula to be a more offensively-minded player.
Last season, in Boston, was Haula’s best since 2017-2018, when he set career highs as an original Vegas Golden Knight. Haula netted 18 goals and tallied 44 points, both the second-highest marks of his career. Those numbers may also be due for regression, but with the Finn likely centering Tomas Tatar and Dawson Mercer when Nico Hischier returns, Haula may have a solid offensive season in his first year in New Jersey.
Dawson Mercer
Position: Right Wing
Contract: Two-years, $894,167 (ELC)
Means of Acquisition: 2020 First-Round Draft Pick (18th overall)
Analysis:
Dawson Mercer burst onto the scene with a 17-goal, 42-point rookie season. However, his underlying metrics were not quite as kind, as his player card suggests. Mercer struggled defensively as a rookie despite being above-average offensively. Some of that could be attributed to a “rookie wall” or just adjustments to the speed of the NHL game. Regardless, Mercer still has a noticeable upside. If he can clean up his defensive game, Mercer could be a big part of the Devils’ middle/potentially even top-six.
After playing both wing and center last season, Mercer figures to play predominately on the wing in 2022-2023 with the addition of Erik Haula to likely serve as the third-line center when Nico Hischier returns to the lineup.
Fabian Zetterlund
Position: Right Wing
Contract: One-year, $750,000
Means of Acquisition: 2017 Third-Round Draft Pick (63rd overall)
Analysis:
Devils’ fans only got a brief glimpse of Fabian Zetterlund at the NHL level in 2021-2022, but it was very intriguing. The Swedish winger scored three goals and had eight points in just 14 games. On top of that, Zetterlund had some very strong even-strength possession metrics with New Jersey, as seen with the above regularized adjusted plus-minus chart.
Zetterlund also had a great year in the AHL with 24 goals and 52 points in 58 games. There is more than enough skill in Zetterlund’s 220-pound frame, and that size and offensive upside is very intriguing. He made the opening night roster and has a solid chance to stick on the Devils’ bottom-six.
Miles Wood
Position: Left Wing
Contract: One-year, $3,200,000
Means of Acquisition: 2013 Fourth-Round Draft Pick (100th overall)
Analysis:
After a very promising 2020-2021 campaign, Miles Wood played just three games last season. Wood had a poor 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, but rebounded with 17 goals in 55 games in 2020-2021. However, because of his injury-plagued 2021-2022, Wood remains a question mark for the Devils this season.
His size and speed are intriguing on the bottom-six, and Wood has shown flashes of goal scoring in his career. However, Wood has not shown a strong defensive game, but a fast-paced line engineered to create chaos in the offensive zone alongside Zetterlund could certainly have its positive moments.
Jesper Boqvist
Position: Center
Contract: One-year, $874,125
Means of Acquisition: 2017 Second-Round Draft Pick (36th overall)
Analysis:
Jesper Boqvist had the most impactful season of his young NHL career in 2021-2022. The former second-round pick set career-highs with 56 games played, ten goals, and 13 assists. In fact, last year was the first time Boqvist reached double-digits in points.
However, Boqvist’s underlying metrics were still rather pedestrian at best, as seen in his player card. Boqvist cracked the opening night roster and has a chance to play in the bottom-six, but without much physicality or strong defensive metrics, he may be a healthy scratch more often than not when the Devils have all their centers healthy.
If injuries pile up, Boqvist’s playmaker style would seemingly fit higher up the lineup, but time will tell if that opportunity arises.
Michael McLeod
Position: Center
Contract: One-year, $975,000
Means of Acquisition: 2016 First-Round Draft Pick (12th overall)
Analysis:
In recent years, Michael McLeod has occupied the role of fourth-line center for the Devils, and that appears to be the plan this season. McLeod is not going to chip in much offensively with a career-high of 20 points set last season. He will, however, limit scoring chances, as his player card over the past three seasons shows.
Nathan Bastian
Position: Right Wing
Contract: One-year, $825,000
Means of Acquisition: Claimed off waivers (November 25, 2021).
Analysis:
Nathan Bastian is a prototypical fourth liner – a player without much offensive upside that uses his size to his advantage. However, Bastian has seemed to click in New Jersey and performed above expectations. The 24-year-old netted 11 goals in 60 games with the Devils last season (including three on the powerplay), in large part because of his willingness to go to the front of the net.
Bastian also has put up impressive underlying metrics. Last season, he graded out as a solid offensive player and one of the league’s best defensively, as his player card shows. If Bastian is a regular on the Devils’ fourth line, expect to see a player that does a solid job limiting chances that can kill penalties as well.
Andreas Johnsson
Position: Left Wing
Contract: One-year, $3,400,000
Means of Acquisition: Acquired via trade (October 10, 2020).
Analysis:
Following a brutal first season in New Jersey, Andreas Johnsson was closer to his Toronto form last season. The Swedish winger chipped in 13 goals and 35 points, both the second-highest totals of his career.
Johnsson shot just 7.7% in 2020-2021, well-below his career average. As a result, his three-year underlying metrics look positive despite a rocky first year in New Jersey. However, Johnsson’s metrics show a player that is rather one-dimensional, offering some solid offense, but little-to-no defense.
Johnsson was the odd man out of the Devils’ top-nine during camp and was waived last week, but cleared waivers. Yes, he made the opening roster, but the writing is on the wall that if New Jersey needs to open a roster spot, Johnsson could be the first Devil to go. The Devils likely feel that Johnsson has been passed over for a playmaker role and that he lacks the defense and physicality to land on the fourth line.
Others That Could Play a Role
Of course, in hockey, injuries happen, and several players from Utica could play a role in the 2022-2023 New Jersey Devils season. Here are some additional names to keep an eye on:
- Tyce Thompson, RW
- Nolan Foote, LW
- Mason Geertsen, LW