Counting Down the 10 Most Impactful Devils for 2024-25 – No. 9 – Dawson Mercer – The Hockey Writers – New Jersey Devils

Welcome to the The Hockey Writers’ Countdown of the ten most impactful players of the 2024-25 season. This is not a countdown of the ten best but rather a list of players slated to have the biggest impact. These ten players offer unique contributions, are difficult to replace, and are essential to the New Jersey Devils’ quest to return to the postseason. The list continues with number nine, Dawson Mercer.

The Devils used the 18th pick in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft to acquire Dawson Mercer. He was their second first-round pick in that draft after receiving the pick from the Arizona Coyotes in a trade for Taylor Hall. He burst onto the NHL scene a year later, making the Devils out of training camp as a 19-year-old. In the three years since, he has played every game for the Devils and has an active consecutive games streak of 246 games, currently tied for ninth most among active streaks in the NHL.

Related: Counting Down the 10 Most Impactful Devils for 2024-25 – No. 10 – Curtis Lazar

Mercer, like most young players, has been streaky. After two years, when he seemed to be emerging into a two-way star for New Jersey, he took a step back in his third season. In his first season, he scored 17 goals and 42 points, in his second, he tallied 27 goals and 56 points then regressed in season three with 20 goals and 33 points. Growth is rarely linear, but the stark dropoff of Mercer’s game is concerning; the Devils firmly believe in his future, as demonstrated by refusing to include him in trade packages for goaltenders this past season.

Mercer is currently an unsigned, restricted free agent. The Devils hold his rights, and he cannot avail himself of arbitration until next season. In June, the Devils made a qualifying offer to Mercer, ensuring they wanted him to remain a Devil. In his July press conference, general manager Tom Fitzgerald indicated that now that the draft and unrestricted free agency were complete, his next priority would be restricted free agents like Mercer. @AFPAnalytics has projected that Mercer will receive a two-year deal for $3.79 million annually. A two-year “bridge” deal would make sense for both parties as it would compensate Mercer for his early success and allow the team to assess his true value over a broader period. It also makes economic sense for both parties as it would buy out one year of arbitration eligibility but still leave two years of team…