4 Devils Breakout Candidates for 2024-25

The New Jersey Devils have a few breakout candidates who could play major roles in the team's success this coming season.

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Most of the New Jersey Devils' core players have broken out and established themselves as star NHLers. But even then, a few young players coming up through the ranks still have breakout potential.

Sheldon Keefe is taking over behind the bench and helped some of the Toronto Maple Leafs' star players become the high-end talent they are today. Let's look at some Devils breakout candidates that could ascend under Keefe's watch this coming season.

Luke Hughes

Luke Hughes had a pretty strong rookie season, one that saw him finish third in Calder voting. There were some ups and downs, as there are for any 20-year-old in the NHL, but the overall product was quite good.

Hughes finished his rookie season with 47 points in 82 games and had an impressive end to his campaign, finishing with 15 points in his final 20 contests. His underlying metrics improved dramatically, partly because interim coach Travis Green eased his minutes and put him in a better position to succeed than Lindy Ruff.

We'll see how things unfold during camp and the preseason, but Keefe could start Hughes in the similar offensive, sheltered role that Green used him in over the Devils' final 20 games of 2023-24.

If so, there's an opportunity for him to thrive and help the Devils drive offense from the back end. That was his strength a season ago, and if he's playing in an offensive role, the production could look close to his final 20 games — a 62-point pace over 82 games.

Hughes will also likely get second power-play unit minutes at a minimum, which should help his offensive totals. But it wouldn't surprise me if his defensive game takes a step forward, too. He already showed signs of being a solid defender last season; his work against the rush and on puck retrievals was quite good. Progress isn't always a straight line, but 2024-25 has breakout potential written all over it for Hughes.

Šimon Nemec

I'm not sure what a Šimon Nemec breakout looks like or if he's quite there yet, but there's no doubt it could happen this coming season. There are a couple of factors working in his favor, but a healthy Dougie Hamilton would go a long way. That'd keep Nemec in a bottom-four role, which will benefit him.

Right now, Nemec has a long way to go defensively. His rush defense was nowhere near Hughes last season, as was his work on puck retrievals. He also doesn't turn 21 until April, so he's nowhere near the player he will be at his peak. But having Hamilton and Brett Pesce playing in 70+ games will keep Nemec in the ideal role for where he is right now.