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The New Jersey Devils had sky high expectations in 2023-24 after finishing third in the National Hockey League the year before and upsetting the powerhouse New York Rangers in Round 1. There was a ton of belief around Newark that the roster could compete for a Stanley Cup, especially after locking up Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt in the 2023 offseason.
But the campaign quickly went off the rails for the Devils, who lost stud defenseman Dougie Hamilton early in the year and never really recovered. It didn't help that the club suffered some of the worst goaltending in the entire NHL. None of Vitek Vanecek, Nico Daws or Akira Schmid were able to manage above a .900 save percentage, and between the three of them, this team just couldn't get a save when they needed it.
Although Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen were decent down the stretch — yes, New Jersey played five goalies last year — general manager Tom Fitzgerald knew that in order for this roster to return to the postseason, the goaltending needed an upgrade. And so he acquired Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames, sending back to Alberta a 2025 first-round pick and defenseman Kevin Bahl.
On paper, it looks like the Devils are going to be a ton better than their brutal 38-39-5 record. It's hard to find an NHL team that was more of a disappointment than New Jersey in 2023-24. And this squad is still loaded with star power, led by Hamilton, Bratt, Meier, Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier.
It's also expected that a couple of players who battled injuries and just had a down year will improve in 2024-25. At the same time, there are a couple players who could take a step back after strong seasons. Here are three such players who could see regression this season.
Nico Hischier had the highest shooting percentage of his career
Captain Nico Hischier was one of the lone bright spots on the Devils last season, amassing 27 goals and 67 points in 71 regular-season contests. It was a bit of a down year for the 25-year-old, who put up a career-high 31 goals and 80 points the campaign before.
Still, it was a fantastic offensive season for the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. And Hischier does it all for this team, figuring to remain a key part of the core for years to come. The issue is, 2023-24 saw the highest shooting percentage of the young star's career. Hischier scored at a 14.8 percent clip, which is nearly three percent higher than his career season the year before.
Although he'll continue to accumulate assists, especially if he plays alongside an elite passer like Bratt, there's certainly a chance that his goal scoring cools off. He does shoot less than all of Bratt, Hughes and Meier, and that could change in 2024-25. But if it doesn't, he can't exactly be counted on to hover around the 30 goal mark for the third straight season.
Hischier is also injury prone, having played a full NHL season only two times over his seven seasons. It'll be interesting to see if he can put together another full year in 2024-25, and whether he can keep up the high shooting percentage as the Devils look to make a triumphant return to the playoffs.
Luke Hughes is likely getting booted off PP1
When Hamilton went down with a torn pectoral muscle last season, rookie Luke Hughes was asked to step up in a huge way, playing top pairing minutes and quarterbacking the top powerplay unit. Hughes averaged more minutes than any other New Jersey player at 21:28 per game, which is a ton to ask for a rookie.
The 20-year-old did step up, finishing with 47 points in his first taste of NHL hockey — with 25 of them on the powerplay. It's almost certain he'll drop down to PP2 in 2024-25, which should drastically affect his point totals. Hamilton had 16 points in 20 games before his injury, and still projects as a top D-man in the league.
Hughes is the future of this blue line — there's no doubt about that — and if he can one day reach the level of his brother Quinn, who just won the Norris Trophy, the Devils will be thrilled. But even if he does improve in Year 2, it'll be very difficult for him to hover around 50 points without significant powerplay time. He also had his fair share of growing pains as a rookie, finishing the season at -25.
The Hughes brothers seem to get better every year, and it'll be a luxury for New Jersey to have a player of Luke's caliber with the second man advantage group. Still, his point totals will undoubtedly be affected by the lineup change, although if Hamilton struggles out of the gate after missing 62 games, Hughes will be ready to step up.
Erik Haula won't exactly have great linemates in bottom-6
The Devils have a phenomenal top-six, led by Bratt, Hischier, Meier and Hughes, who are complemented by Dawson Mercer and Ondrej Palat. And when Hughes and Hischier were out of the lineup due to injury in 2023-24, Haula stepped up, averaging nearly 17 minutes of ice per game and finishing sixth on the team with 16 goals and 35 points in 76 games.
But with that top-six healthy, Haula will be the third-line center, and Daily Faceoff currently projects him playing with Stefan Noesen and Tomas Tatar. The former — who came over from the Carolina Hurricanes this summer — is not exactly known for his offensive touch, while the latter is well past his prime.
Although Haula performed admirably last year, he will have worse linemates and less minutes in 2024-25. That immediately makes him a regression candidate going into the new season. He also faded down the stretch, scoring six goals and 12 points in the final 35 games after chipping in 10 goals and 23 points in the first 41.
If the Devils' forward core stays healthy — which is a huge if considering their injury history — Haula likely won't be as effective as last season, especially as he's now 33-years-old. The fact he was only a -1 last year on a middling team is seriously impressive as well. Still, he will probably regress unless he is able to slide back into the top-six at some point.
