The Devils Preseason Has Been an Offensive Onslaught. Does It Translate?

“PRESEASON DOESN’T MATTER”

The word on the street in NHL town is that the preseason is irrelevant, and nothing can be taken away from it. I myself agree with that in most cases. It seems to me that the New Jersey Devils weren’t just playing warmup games this preseason. The Devils went 5-0 in their first five games, leaving the sixth game for the depth players at UBS Arena against the Islanders Friday night. No players in the Devil’s top 6 other than Mercer or Holtz are taking the ice for this game. Preseason doesn’t matter in the standings, true. Where the preseason does matter is battling for spots on the roster and showcasing how players have improved over the summer. The Devils split squads were fun to watch in every game they played. Jesper Bratt led the NHL in goals and points in the preseason, Jack Hughes a close second. These are not things that should be overlooked. Let’s talk about why this New Jersey Devils preseason had and still has meaning at the time this article was published.

With the kind of offensive power on this team, it’s hard for me to say watching the lines connecting with each other so masterfully means nothing. Some Devils fans don’t care that a Devils duo leads the preseason in goals and points. We never see that in the Devils world. It is something to see when our beloved Devils start the domination early. Saying, “It’s only preseason,” only means “These games don’t count as points.” The players are still the same and have the same arms and legs. The games may not have meaning, but the play of each player is extremely important in the preseason. In the case of Jesper Bratt, an original to this team, he is consistently left out of the discussion of how powerful the Devils are. Devils fans (you know who you are) even went as far as to talk about trading Bratt in favor of Timo Meier this offseason. Luckily, the Devils now have both players for eight more years, but the preseason showed that Bratt is exactly who the argument claimed he was. Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Dawson Mercer, Alexander Holtz, Timo Meier, and Tyler Toffoli all had a positive preseason, which should have fans excited for what’s to come. NHL.com put the Devils 5th in their rankings this morning (Oct 6th, 2023); ahead of them were Vegas, Carolina, Toronto, and Tampa Bay, I believe. The Devils still have something to prove after only one very successful season, so they won’t be given carte blanche right away. However, I believe the Devils will finish lower than 5th this season. The Devils have a good chance of breaking the newly set wins and points record this year, but there is also a chance they come back down to Earth but could be more dangerous in the playoffs.

“It’s pretty crazy when you think about it. We’ve been thru so much since we came in; some tough yrs that we have to grind thru. Now being a part of this team, still being together, means a lot for both of us.” – Jesper Bratt on serving with Nico Hischier as the longest tenured Devils

@MikeMorrealeNHL on X

ALEXANDER HOLTZ AND DAWSON MERCER’S PRESEASON BATTLE

The 2020 NHL Entry Draft was a big one for New Jersey. The Devils had three First-Round picks in a pretty good draft. It was the draft most known for the Rangers being handed the First-Overall pick on a silver platter. From the articles that have been going around this summer and preseason, it doesn’t seem like the Rangers fans or the NHL are sold on that pick. Sorry, Mr. Bettman, you tried and failed again. Regarding New Jersey, they took Alexander Holtz at the 7th pick, leaving the 18th and 20th picks still to go in the round. Looking back from picks 14-31, the Devils got a steal with Dawson Mercer at 18th overall. Shakir Mukhamadullin went 20th; he has since left the organization. So, with Holtz as the big pick in 2020, it was surprising to fans and the organization alike that Dawson Mercer was the guy. Since his draft, Dawson Mercer has played two full NHL seasons. In Mercer’s rookie campaign, he scored 17 goals. The next season, he was playing top-line minutes and put up 27 goals. All the while, Holtz has been playing at the All-Star level for the Utica Comets, but when he gets called up, it seems he loses his drive. Luckily, this preseason, he has more speed and an even better shot. Both Mercer and Holtz scored amazing goals this preseason, very close to the goal line. Holtz was told at the end of last season that he needed to work harder than ever this summer, that this camp was his last chance in New Jersey. Holtz has even held Mercer’s position on the top line with Timo Meier and Captain Nico Hischier, leaving the even more offensive line of Toffoli, Hughes, and Bratt as the second line. This mix of players messes with the opposing team’s lineups, as we saw all last season. Will we see Dawson Mercer demoted to the 3rd line to play with Haula and Palat? Even if he doesn’t and Holtz takes that spot, The Devils top 9 is still the deepest in the NHL.

2023 PRESEASON SIGNS

Some may claim one or two other teams have a more powerful top 9, but when you also add Mike Mcleod from the fourth line with his faceoff prowess, this Devils team is going to be high-scoring. Mcleod has not slowed down this preseason with his faceoff work. The only issues the Devils may have going forward are defense and goaltending. However, these are small problems. Luke Hughes looks ready to go, boasting 2 points in 2 regular season games. As a joke, fans have said that Luke Hughes is a Point Per Game player. Simon Nemec had a great preseason, and it would be hard for Lindy Ruff not to give him a chance. The Devils had two veteran losses this summer, with Damon Severson and Ryan Graves moving on to sign long-term contracts elsewhere. Those were two big guys on the backend, but luckily, Kevin Bahl seems to have added extra speed to his game. Thank Taylor Hall for Kevin Bahl. From what we’ve seen so far, Bahl is another player who will become a staple on this team for a long time to come. The Devils rarely have players listed at the top of any categories. It is my personal opinion that having Bratt and Hughes at the top of scoring in the preseason is a sign of what’s to come. It’s going to be a wild ride Devils fans, so strap yourselves in! The New Jersey Devils just finished their preseason undefeated. They played the Rangers, Islanders, and Flyers twice each and one game up in Montreal. I just arrived home from the Devil’s final preseason game against the Islanders at UBS Arena, where the Devils decided to not dress 90% of their full squad as they did the previous game. Even with mostly Utica players and less, the Devils shut the Islanders out 3-0. Akira Schmid took on an Islanders full squad minus one or two guys and walked away with a shutout. This preseason has shown us what certain players, especially Akira Schmid and Alexander Holtz, can do. Check out @DevilsJointYT on X for Devils Livestreams from Arenas and Intermission shows during the games. You can also find over 600 Devils clips on the ]YouTube channel @TheDevilsJoint. Join the Devils Joint Community on X and Subscribe on YouTube for live chats during every game this season.