Here lies the 2024-25 NJ Devils, a season started with hope and promise that was marred by a series of injuries and finally put out of their misery by our kryptonite, the Carolina Hurricanes.
This is a complicated season to eulogize, just like game 5 it started so so so well and looked to be the team we all hoped they could be. Once fully healthy with the return of Luke Huges and Brett Pesce in mid-November, the new look Devils were a defensive wagon with elite special teams and strong goaltending. All the pieces were there to be considered a true frontrunner, from the drop of the puck in Prague through Christmas. There were some cracks being hidden and when the calendar turned to 2025 where suddenly we were a mediocre team. A sub-par few games turned into a few more sub-par games, which turned into a month which turned into two months of ugly, lifeless play.
Then Markstrom got hurt. Then Jack got hurt. Then Siegs got hurt. Then Dougie got hurt. A parade of random, inconsequential plays took out key 4 guys over the span of a month, and suddenly the cracks that were there all season got ripped open and were on full display. The forward depth issues that had been plaguing this team the whole season were exposed. We limped into the postseason by the grace of a middling Eastern Conference and Metro Division, and put up a surprisingly frisky, yet inevitable 5 game loss to Carolina.
We went through management, coaching, and the entire roster and assigned a letter grade (A-F). Chris and Tim provided a thought or two on each player and Bobby and Tony have lives and didn't have time to actually write things up - but their opinions are on the last two podcasts that you should listen to.
Enjoy! Or don’t? I don’t know where your headspace is.
Team
Tim: Like a college freshman who discovered weed and booze mid-year. A on the first exam, D on the midterm, C+ on the final. B-
Chris: It's hard to quantify an accurate team rating when we rarely saw the team as it was intended. I will give two grades. When healthy B+. Post injuries and into the playoffs C-
Bobby: B-
Tony: C
Fitz
Tim: Year two of showing an inability to adjust in-season and make the necessary moves to improve until it's too late. The Holtz pick will continue to haunt him. I'd like some fresh eyes on this team, but he will get a pass because of injuries. C-
Chris: What Tim said C-
Keefe
Tim: Honestly, a lot to like and a first year of new systems, with a ton of new faces generally I think Keefe did a good job with the toys he was given. My only issue is his extreme defense-first systems, and patient slow hockey that sucked the life out of what made this team exciting, but it's hard to argue with the progress guys like Luke, Jack and Bratt made. B+
Chris: One thing Fitz did nail was the hiring of Sheldon Keefe.Coming into a team with a solid core and a lot of new faces and expectations can be difficult. Keefe got a pulse of the team early and rarely failed when adjusting different line combos. The emergence of Jack Hughes as a legitimate two way player and his defensive style hid a lot of warts that the Devils had.. especially in the bottom 6. A-
Bobby: B
Tony: B
Colliton
Tim: An electric, motion based power play kept this team afloat offensively all season. Adjusted well with injuries and the best part of this team all season. The 0-fer in the playoffs took this down from an A+. A
Chris: I believe most of the pieces are in place. I like the blend of speed, skill and size. The top guys did a good job of covering up the holes in the bottom of the lineup... But, MORE IS REQUIRED. B
Bobby: B
Tony: B
Forward Group
Tim: A tale of two units - the top end guys delivered consistently and the bottom end was a steaming pile of trash. Really let down by the returning veteran group who got exposed when elevated after a slew of injuries. C+
Chris: Most of the pieces are in place, with a decent blend of speed and skill and size. More is required though. B-
Bobby: C
Tony: C+
Nico
Tim: What more is there to say. Leader. Heartbeat of this team. Faceoff machine, PP1, PK1, hardest matchups and 35+ goals. Selke snub. Just listen to the guys talk about him if you want to know how much respect he commands. A+
Chris: O'Captain My Captain. If Jack Hughes is the heart of the Devils then Nico Hischier is the soul. He is one of the best face-off and two way forwards in the game. He has grown into the leader that we all hoped he would become. A
Bobby: A
Tony: A
Jack
Tim: The defensive side of his game took major strides, and yet another promising season cut shirt with a devastating shoulder injury. I'm not going to say anything else, but we NEED this kid to figure out how to stay healthy. INC
Chris: A dynamic super star that the Devils desperately need on the ice. When healthy he skates like no one else on the team. He has gotten better in the faceoff dot and showed that he is willing and more than able to play both ways. Jack Hughes needs to stay healthy and show the world that he is one of the best players in the league. A- (when on the ice)
Bobby: A-
Tony: A-
Bratt
Tim: Yet another step forward for Bratt who continues to defy his draft position, and shows incremental improvement every season. New franchise record for assists in a season he can hang his hat on. Would've liked more production in the playoffs, but through 5 games he showed he can play at that level. A
Chris: Jelly to Jack's peanut butter. Bratt has shown the willingness to do all that is required to become a better player each and every year. He was top in the NHL in assists this year and is always one of the best pure skaters on the ice. The sky's the limit for Jesper Bratt. B
Bobby: A
Tony: A
Timo
Tim: The low hanging joke here is to change his calendars so they all say March. The reality is, moving up to the PP1 unit salvaged a brutal season where he was one of the worst finishers in the league. Need more all season from the $8.8MM man. C+
Chris: I am so torn on Meier. I like his game once winter ends but he has yet to show that playoff fire during the regular year. I love playoff Timo but for the contract he needs to be that guy starting in November. C+
Bobby: C
Tony: B+
Dawson
Tim: Generally disappointing season for Dawson - we need more scoring and more production and please hit the weight room this time for real man. He does continue his ironman streak, and his versatility is definitely an asset. He may have played his last game as a Devil and there is some sort of metaphor in here about him spending his final moments in the box. C
Chris: I think it's safe to say that Mercer's career year, 2 seasons ago was the outlier. He is a 3rd line guy that can kill penalties. He plays with heart and has no problem getting into the "dirty" areas to create offense. The problem is that when he gets there he usually gets bullied off his spot. Mercer has the intangibles to be a Brylin type of player. Someone get that dude a membership to LA Fitness. C+
Bobby: C+
Tony: B
Palat
Tim: Playoff Palat showed up, but for most of the season was a ghost and an ultimate passenger with Jack and Bratt, who were producing at career paces despite him. Did he play his last game? His playoff got him out of an F. D
Chris: A big contract for a guy whose best days are clearly behind him. I have 2 grades for Palat. (Playoff Palat - B+) Regular season- D+
Bobby: D
Tony: D
Haula
Tim: I hate to point to one guy as the lynchpin for things falling apart, but I have continued to emphasize that the 3C position is one of the most important on a hockey team. He failed spectacularly, eventually moving to the wing. Fell off in the dot, went months without scoring. Awful season. D
Chris: I hear he is good in the dressing room - D+
Bobby: D
Tony: D
Noesen
Tim: The worst forward we had during the playoffs, and responsible for killing nearly every power play we got against Carolina. Great netfront guy though during the regular season, and his success and failure mirrored the Devils success and failure. Produced NOTHING after Christmas. Need him slotted in a 3rd/4th line role next year and the PP netfornt guy. B-
Chris: The prodigal son has returned and he started the season on fire.His production took a huge hit when Hischier went out with injury and he never seemed to regain his confidence and touch. I like his character and the edge he brings to the bottom six. C+
Bobby: B-
Tony: B+
Tatar
Tim: Brought in to rekindle the 22-23 vibes and mostly that didn't work and he found himself as a 4th liner. Thank you for your service, enjoy Europe. D+
Chris: I wish him well in his future endeavors - F
Bobby: D
Tony: D
Cotter
Tim: a blazing start, but generally inconsistent offensive season, he was the menace we were promised, setting a new team record for hits in a season. I like this guy, even though he has the hockey season of a potato, his highlight reel is outrageous. Gives us a chance in Shootouts. He will be a good bottom 6 guy for a while here. 15-20 goals and a ball of hate? Yes please. B+
Chris: Freaking guy is a hitting machine and is there a 4th liner in the league with better hands? I just want to see more consistency. Between him and Noesen the Devils have a solid bottom 6 foundation to add to. C
Bobby: B
Tony: C
Bastian
Tim: This fucking guy. D-
Chris: Ah, Nate Bastian.. He will always be remembered by fans for... wait, I got something here, he... um. yeah I got nothing. F
Bobby: D
Tony: D
Dowling
Tim: An admirable fill-in that was called upon to do more than he ever should be. Usurped Lazar as the 4C. Grading on a curve here, B
Chris: The good little soldier. This dude did everything that was asked of him. He played his ass off for Keefe even when most nights he was out of his depth. A for effort but a solid C+
Bobby: B
Tony: B
Lazar
Tim: Another veteran that was supposed to be our solid 4C but an apparent knee problem derailed anything from Curtis and he got his job stolen by Dowling. Gonna suck to lose the ultimate vibes guy, but on-ice is more important and that was awful. Not sure who takes over bullying Luke now. F
Chris: He has a nice smile and seems like a sweetheart. F
Bobby: D
Tony: D
MacDermid
Tim: Didn't see the ice the last quarter of the season. Most of what he was supposed to do was done by Dillon and Kovacevic. We don't need him. F
Chris: The poster boy for Fitz over correcting last summer. Maybe he should get into coaching. INC
Bobby: C
Tony: C
Glass
Tim: Possibly the 4C moving forward, he integrated well and showed some early offensive promise. B-
Chris: I think the Devils should lock him up. He solves our 3 or 4 C hole. Another year in the system and I think we have a servicable bottom six center to build around. B
Bobby: B
Tony: B
Sprong
Tim: Confusing usage, might be an interesting re-sign and give us some offensive juice in the bottom 6. Don't think Keefe liked him much, but he said he loved Keefe. Weird add and season in general. INC
Chris: He is that big headed bald guy we picked up at the deadline right? D
Bobby: B
Tony: B
Defense Group
Tim: The strength of our team all year, arguably the best unit in the league through December. Kept it together and insulated Marky/Allen all season. Well built, and deep. Not much to hate about this group. Could use some more scoring, they ranked bottom 5 in goals as a defensive unit, and without Casey that drops to bottom 3. B+
Chris: When the boys were healthy they were one of the best D-Corps in the league. A (when healthy)
Bobby: A-
Tony: B+
Dougie
Tim: Clearly still affected by his torn tittie, his shooting was off all season, and it's now season 3 of 4 he spent a long time on the shelf. Coming back early didn't help as he looked a step behind in the playoffs and couldn't handle the Carolina PK. Seems to be the #1 guy people want gone, but I'm not so sure that will happen (see scoring issues above). C-
Chris: 4 seasons. A possible 328 regular season games and Dougie has played 228. More than a full season lost to injury. With the emergence of Luke Hughes it is obvious to me that Hamilton gets paid too much and too often injured to remain in NJ. Hey Fitz, trade him while he still has value. C-
Bobby: C
Tony: C+
Pesce
Tim: Absoluter fucking warrior. Introduced himself during an electric early season 5 min PK against Nashville and was an incredible safety valve for Luke, who thrived under his tutelage. A-
Chris: Love this dude. Tough as nails, eats pucks for a living and plays with more heart and passion than anyone else on the blue line. To quote Oliver Twist "more please" A
Bobby: A
Tony: B+
Siegs
Tim: Even after missing a quarter of the season, and a heroic return during the playoffs, He was the defensive lynchpin of our D group. Showed a new found mean streak, but we NEED him to stay healthy. A-
Chris: The injury that disrupted the blue line the most. When healthy Seigs showed that he is one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL. A
Bobby: A+
Tony: A
Luke
Tim: Incredible progress from Luke, especially defensively. Perfect partner for Pesce. Now the Jim Hughes' comment about him being the best Hughes brother seems legit. Once he took over the PP1 unit the thrived, and really seems to make Dougie a moveable piece. Excited for his future. A-
Chris: Kids gonna be a superstar. His sophomore year did not disappoint. He took a huge step forward this year and was the injury that disappointed me the most. The defense is going to run through this guy for many years ahead and I for one can not wait to see how great he can be. A
Bobby: A
Tony: B+
Dillon
Tim: Good veteran, strong physical presence and an unfortunate injury. Got exposed a bit as his role got elevated when Siegs went down and don't ask me who I'd prefer between him and Dumoulin. C
Chris: We often wondered last year who was going to emerge as the leader of the Devils blue line. In walks Brenden Dillon. He is the veteran that this team needed. His play can get a little wonky from time to time but the physicality and leadership he brings is something every cup contender needs. B-
Bobby: C+
Tony: B
Kovacevic
Tim: One of the biggest surprises this season, stole Nemec's job early and became the best shut down D pair in the league with Siegs. Stepped up into battle, showed some meanness and uses his size well (cough Dougie cough cough). Sounds like a bad knee injury will affect the start of next season. I know some people didn't like him, but this is a good addition. B+
Chris: What's not to like about Kovy? He was a throw away 7th defensemen that turned it into a multi year contract. He was steady all year. Every cup team needs a solid stay at home defensemen and Kovy is it. He progressed a lot throughout the year showing his ability to get better. Another guy on the blue line that finally found a home and I think his ceiling can be high. B
Bobby: C+
Tony: B
Casey
TIM: What a story. Electric offensively, stepped into our hearts in Prague and quickly became a fan favorite. Needs to figure something out on the defensive side in Utica, and might have a spot while Kovacivic progresses. This kid has some juice, but needs to be developed properly, and I'm not so sure this org is capable of doing that well enough. A-
Chris: Kids got game. He can shoot, he can pass and his defensive game is serviceable. I see some Rafalski in him but more of a Sammy Vatanen type of player. He needs to cook some more but I look forward to watching him develop. With his limited play this year I gave him an INC
Bobby: INC
Tony: INC
Nemec
Tim: Whirlwind of a season that started with an injury, lost his job, got some quotes wildly taken out of context. The 5 of us that kept the faith were rewarded when he got his confidence back and scored the biggest goal of the season. I hope he sticks around, and might need to with Koacevic's injury, but I can see a world where he fetches what we need up front. C
Chris: It was an up and down year for the 2nd year player. He was sent down to Utica and was vocal about his disappointment. He got the call up and looked like a deer in headlights. Then it clicked and the guy was fantastic in the playoffs. I don't know if he will be on the Devils after the summer but whoever lands him is getting someone that has the potential to be a #1 defenseman. C+
Bobby: INC
Tony: INC
Dumoulin
Tim: What a pleasant surprise, and a horse during the playoffs when everyone died. Almost like having a veteran who's been there is important. Wouldn't mind seeing a re-sign as a veteran 7th. B+
Chris: The trade day acquisition we all scoffed at that ended up being the most impactful. A veteran guy that worked his dick off in the postseason. Logging more minutes than any other Devil I would like to see a world where he kept on the team as 7th D. B+
Bobby: B+
Tony: B
Cholowski
Tim: puzzling add, not a good player. F
Chris: Who? F
Bobby: D
Tony: D
Goalies
Tim: the ultimate strength and backbone this whole season. Finally we didn't have to bitch about it. A
Chris:I cringe to think how the Devils season goes without these studs between the pipes. A+
Bobby: A
Tony: A
Markstrom
Tim: He came as advertised. Gave up some softies, but based on cost to us, his presence and playoff.. Stud. The most important thing about a goalie is the guys want to play for him, and to a man that was clear. Happy to have him, and need him to maintain this level of play. Freak injury derailed a great season, and he wasn't great afterwards, but was in the playoffs. For every "bad goal" against, I can show you a series of mistakes that led to it by the skaters, so shut the fuck up. B+
Chris: He showed us why Fitz was adamant about acquiring him. Not only is the guy a great goalie, he is a fiery competitor. Not many net minders are vocal leaders. Marky is. Devil fans should be excited for year two in Keefes system. A
Bobby: A
Tony: A+
Allen
Tim: Quite possibly the most important player on this team this season, called upon to take the burden from Marky during a rough stretch and really kept us in games. He earned himself another contract, but that will be somewhere else. A
Chris: When he came from Montreal in the 22/23 season his impact was felt immediately. This year he kicked it up a notch. When Markstrom went out with injury things could have easily fallen apart if not for Allen holding down the fort. I know he is probably moving on this summer so allow me to be the first to say "Thank You Jake Allen" A
Bobby: A
Tony: A
Daws
Tim: Really showed progress and I am confident he can take the 1B reins next season. Part of the fill-in tandem with Allen, and was fantastic. A
Chris: I look forward to watching him backup Marky next season. His time is now. B
Bobby: B
Tony: B
We will get into looking forward to 25-26 this summer and what we think will need to be done, and as always you can send us notes at UnclePuckers@gmail.com, hit us up on Twitter/X, BlueSky, or instagram.
LGD forever