Welcome to the The Hockey Writers’ Countdown of the 10 most impactful New Jersey Devils of the 2024-25 season. This is not a countdown of the ten best but rather a list of players slated to have the most significant impact. These ten players offer unique contributions, are challenging to replace, and are essential to the Devils’ quest to return to the postseason. The list concludes with the three players in line to significantly impact New Jersey’s season: Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Jacob Markstrom.
Good teams are built down the middle. The backbone of the roster is two first-overall draft picks, centers Hischier and Hughes, and highly prized trade acquisition Markstrom, who seeks to solve the goaltending problem that has existed since Martin Brodeur retired. Few teams can boast a 1C and 2C as young and talented as the Devils, and both centers complement each other’s play. If all goes well this season, all three will be vying for postseason awards.
Hischier Poised for a Rebound Season
Nico Hischier was never able to get started last season. Seven games in, he was on the receiving end of a cheap shot by the Buffalo Sabres’ Connor Clifton, which caused him to miss the next month. Losing Hischier was profound, impacting all three units and all four lines as the Devils had to scramble to plug all the holes left in the wake of his absence. For an extended period, it is impossible to replace a team’s best two-way center, let alone one of the top five in the league.
After a breakout campaign in 2022-23, Hischier was poised to fight for the title of the best two-way center in the NHL. Despite improving many of his stats, including goals per 60, shooting percentage, and face-off percentage, he didn’t have the same impact in 2023-24 – he went from a plus-33 rating to minus-5. Much of that is likely due to constantly shifting linemates coupled with the loss of Michael McLeod. Without McLeod, the Devils struggled to find a shutdown/matchup center other than Hischier. That burden, along with having to try to fill the offensive void left by injuries to Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Timo Meier, and Ondrej Palat, proved too difficult even for a player as talented as…
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