Devils Bullets: Mercer, Pesce & More
Brett Pesce remains out week-to-week, Dawson Mercer signs for 3 years, and more in this edition of New Jersey Devils Bullets
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We're getting closer to New Jersey Devils hockey. The team took to the ice for their first practice yesterday, and they'll play their first preseason game this Sunday against the New York Islanders.
General manager Tom Fitzgerald and coach Sheldon Keefe spoke to the media yesterday ahead of this weekend's game. They had some interesting things to say, so let's recap that and more heading to the weekend.
Nemec Cleared to Play, Pesce Week-to-Week
Devils fans were holding their breath for some news on Šimon Nemec, especially since Luke Hughes is out 6-8 weeks after dislocating his shoulder training this offseason. His injury does not require surgery, so that in itself is some good news.
Fortunately, the news on Nemec couldn't have been better. He was on the ice for the team's first practice yesterday, playing alongside Jonas Siegenthaler. Though their numbers last season were not great, they did spend 390 minutes together. And with Nemec entering his second year, there should be some growth.
Nemec being cleared to play right away couldn't have come at a better time since Brett Pesce is out week-to-week. He's still recovering from offseason surgery after suffering a broken fibula with the Carolina Hurricanes at the end of last season.
Pesce told the media on July 1, when the Devils signed him, that he was three weeks removed from surgery and hoping he'd be ready for camp. That didn't turn out to be the case, but it doesn't sound like there was a setback, so that's good.
Fitzgerald told reporters yesterday that Pesce has made great progress with the Devils' training staff. And there are still two weeks until the Devils travel to Prague to take on the Buffalo Sabres in the Global Series.
Maybe Pesce will be back by then. But if not, that's why having Nemec good to go is all the more important. The Devils can get by without Luke Hughes for a few weeks, but not having Nemec, Pesce and Hughes to start the season could've been disastrous.
At least for now, the Devils should be fine running a right side of Dougie Hamilton, Nemec, Johnathan Kovacevic, or maybe even Seamus Casey. Santeri Hatakka should be able to fill Luke Hughes' role, so the Devils have the depth to cover. But Pesce and Hughes returning sooner rather than later would obviously be ideal.
Mercer Signs for 3 Years
In case you missed the news this morning, Darren Dreger reported that the Devils and Dawson Mercer had agreed to a three-year extension at an average annual value (AAV) of $4 million. The deal should become official later today.
Re-signing Mercer was the last bit of business the Devils had to take care of this offseason, and though it took longer than anyone hoped, getting him signed before the start of preseason games should benefit everyone involved.
One) The Devils have a new coach in Sheldon Keefe, so Mercer can't afford to miss much time adapting to a new system and coach. Two) And this is probably the more important part, the 2024-25 season is a big one for Mercer.
It's no secret that 2023-24 did not go how anyone hoped. Sure, Mercer still scored 20 goals, but there was a decline in pretty much all facets of his game. He totaled only 33 points, his even-strength impacts were in the red, and his microstats fell off a ledge.
Mercer's shot and passing metrics weren't any good, and he created almost zero offense off the rush. He also struggled in transition, so there's plenty to improve on moving forward:
That's part of why the Devils signed Mercer to a bridge deal (cap reasons are the other). He still has plenty to prove, and though there was a case to sign him long-term this offseason, you can't fault the Devils for wanting a bridge deal.
As for the contract itself, the Devils did pretty well. It's hard to imagine Mercer isn't worth a $4 million AAV for the next few years. Even if he just tops out as a 20-goal and 40-45-point scorer, that's a $4 million player.
But it's also not hard to envision him rebounding and exceeding that price, especially if the plan is to play him alongside Tomáš Tatar and Nico Hischier, which might be the case. That'd be a win for all parties involved.
First Look at Keefe's Line Combos
With the first on-ice sessions yesterday came our first look at what combos Keefe is thinking for game action. I'm planning on writing a post for paid subscribers on what combos I want to see Keefe use this preseason, but he's already locked down a couple.
Though the Timo Meier and Jack Hughes combo hasn't worked much since the Devils acquired Meier at the 2023 trade deadline, I still like that Keefe is giving them a look (along with Jesper Bratt). It's a new coach with a new system, so let's see if it can work now. If not, then pull the plug on it.
Keefe also had Hischier paired up with Tatar and Kevin Labanc. I like giving Labanc a shot with what could be a top-six line to start the regular season. Labanc may be here on a PTO, but Keefe is already putting him in a position to succeed. That's a green flag, for sure.
Keefe did say many of the combos he put together yesterday "were a pretty good representation of how they'd look" if they were playing today. So perhaps we get our first look at them against the Islanders on Sunday.
What They Said
"I think probably just pace and getting up and down the ice, but it's day 1. It was a good start. And I'm sure we'll dive into things deeper as the as the camp goes on."
Tomas Tatar on re-signing with the Devils:
"I'm so happy to be back"
Nico Hischier on 1st practice:
“It was good. It was intense. The skating drill at the beginning, setting the standard. A lot of detail, a lot of information.”
Quick Hits
Erik Haula was not on the ice yesterday due to illness, but he is expected to be back today, so there doesn’t seem to be much concern.
Prospect Josh Filmon remains out week-to-week with an upper-body injury, but that injury doesn't seem to be long-term.
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