Under Pressure: 4 Devils Who Need to be Better

The New Jersey Devils’ 4-2-0 start to the season looks nice. However, there is a bit of a black cloud hovering over New Jersey’s first six games. After last season’s debacle, the Devils are a team who need to prove they can be trusted. They’re an easy team to be excited about with so much talent. Yet, they’ve collected wins against beatable teams, and have yet to show they can defeat the proven elites in the NHL. Partly, because there are a handful of players who need to be better.

You won’t find a complaint about the goaltending here. Both Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen have been excellent in the crease through six games thus far. The Devils’ bottom-six in the forward group has carried the load in terms of providing scoring, and most of the defense has been strong, but there have certainly been blunders.

Tonight, the Devils will face former interim head coach Travis Green and the Ottawa Senators.

Here are four players who need to begin, or continue, a turnaround.

Dawson Mercer

The Devils’ latest signee has been just okay to begin the regular season. He got a late start to training camp as a result of a contract dispute, but Dawson Mercer didn’t miss all that much time and certainly got his reps in during the preseason.

Through six games, the 22-year-old has collected a goal and an assist. He’s currently reunited with Tomas Tatar and Nico Hischier, both of which have been creating a decent volume of scoring chances. Yet, Mercer seems to be a bit of a step behind.

Admittedly, Mercer’s two-way style doesn’t always put him in an offensive position, and he’s almost too versatile to a fault, but he was placed back in the top-six for a reason. However, if he’s going to play within the top-six, he’ll need to provide more offense.

The once former 27-goal, 56-point player has shown he knows how to find the scoresheet. He needs to at least replicate that sort of pace this season to justify his $4 million average annual value.

Jack Hughes

The Devils’ franchise forward is off to a bit of a slower start than most are comfortable with. Through six games, Jack Hughes has collected a goal and four assists.

A near point per-game pace for any other player would not have them on this list, but in Hughes’ case, we know he can provide a lot more.

Granted, Hughes looked a lot more dangerous against the Carolina Hurricanes two nights ago. It looks like he’s beginning to regain his explosive nature that puts him a step above the rest. An example of that came on the rush in the first period on Tuesday, when he out-skated the Carolina defense and scored on Pyotr Kochetkov.

Still, Hughes has yet to have a game where he takes over, puts the team on his back, and wills the Devils to a win. Perhaps that’s partly because the Devils have been pretty good as a collective unit. However, it’s also true that Hughes — more often than not this season — has looked average. And we know Hughes possesses anything but an average skill set.

Tuesday was a step in the right direction. Now we need to see the player who many pegged as a Hart Trophy favorite before the season began.

Ondrej Palat

This is a drum we’ve been banging on for too long now.

READ: Lineup Tweak in Washington, Keefe Explains Palat Demotion

Head coach Sheldon Keefe explained to New Jersey Hockey Now that he believed Ondrej Palat‘s demotion had less to with him and more to do with Paul Cotter‘s plus play.

He then went on to praise Palat’s play against the Washington Capitals by stating, “Palat was excellent [last] Saturday.”

Even if it is true that Palat showed well on his fourth-line demotion against the Capitals, it’s also true that players aren’t just demoted for no reason. The Devils’ $6 million man needs to be a lot better.

Certainly, it would have been encouraging had Palat showed continued growth. However, he and the Devils’ fourth line had their worst game so far this season against the Hurricanes.

Palat has been by far the Devils’ worst player in expected goal’s percentage (xGF%) and has a low 45.54 CF%.

The 33-year-old has no points through five games this season and appears nowhere close to even finding the scoresheet. For a player who admitted he needed to be better this season, especially on the scoresheet, it’s certainly a concern to see his play thus far.

Simon Nemec

We’ve already highlighted what Simon Nemec needs to do in order to be more effective.

GO DEEPER: Devils Simon Nemec Struggles Raising Concern?

Nemec has been stronger over the last few games. He’s helped push the puck up the ice away from danger and has even helped a bit in transition. He’s still struggling to defend in his own end, yet it’s been much less of an issue than it was before.

The one big question everyone is asking to start the 2024-25 season is when Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce, who comes out of the lineup?

At the very moment, there’s no reason why that should be Seamus Casey.

Many are justifiably pointing to Nemec as a scratch candidate when one of the two left-handed defensemen return.

Although, if he continues to show a bit more of positive progression by simply winning his puck battles in the defensive zone and pushing the puck toward the offense, he’ll help his case to remain in the lineup. If not, the sophomore defenseman could find himself displaced by the rookie.