Devils Had Too Many Passengers in 2024-25

Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt & Nico Hischier produced, but just about every other New Jersey Devils forward was a passenger.

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The New Jersey Devils' 2024-25 season ended in disappointing fashion, but it wasn't exactly a surprise. Injuries played a significant role in the Carolina Hurricanes eliminating the Devils in five games, but it wasn't the only reason.

Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier did their parts to give the Devils a chance against the Hurricanes, but the bottom line is they had too many passengers. The Devils didn't get a single point from a bottom-six player until Game 5, but by then, it was too late.

That wasn't just the story of the Devils' playoff run. It was the story of their entire 2024-25 campaign.

Devils' Middle Six Failed to Produce

It wasn't hard to see coming before the season started, but I'm not sure I anticipated the Devils' depth scoring being as bad as it was.

The Devils' core players had great seasons. Hischier set a career-high in goals (35), while Bratt broke the franchise single-season record for assists and finished with a career-high 88 points.

Jack Hughes may have missed the final third of the season, but he was on pace for 93 points before injuring his shoulder in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights in early March.

Timo Meier may have disappointed, but he finished with 26 goals and 53 points. He was one of the Devils' best players against the Hurricanes, so I'd hardly call him a passenger.

Unfortunately, pretty much everyone else on the Devils' roster — at least up front — did not meet their end of the bargain.

Ondřej Palát had some decent moments. He finished with 15 goals and 28 points, but it's easy to see he's not the player he used to be. His impacts were well in the red, and his shot and chance generation continued their steady decline from previous seasons.

Dawson Mercer struggled last season, finishing with 20 goals and 33 points, but his 2024-25 was essentially a repeat of last year. He finished with 19 goals and 36 points and continued his steady decline from 2022-23, when he posted 27 goals and 56 points.