How New Jersey Devils’ Draft Choice Reshapes Teams in the past decade – Hockey Writer – New Jersey Devils

For much of the 2010s, the New Jersey Devil was defined by mediocrity and missed opportunities. After the 2012 Stanley Cup final surprise, the franchise entered a rebuilding period marked by roster turnover, guidance changes, and overall challenges at the front and back ends. During the turbulent years, the Devils stocked up their draft picks and made many choices that would eventually reshape their identity as a top NHL team.

The Devil now has one of the most talented young cores in the NHL. They are a team that not only returns to the playoffs, but looks expected to compete for years, and over the past decade, these star picks have regained relevance for the team and made them rivals for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Jesper Bratt

Jesper Bratt is probably one of the most underrated wingers in the NHL. The Stockholmians, who ranked 162nd in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, have become an integral part of the Devil’s Rebuilding and one of their most valuable contributors. Bratt, seen by many as a long-term project (even if he even made the NHL completely), exceeded expectations and forced himself to have a conversation right away. He scored the Devil’s opening lineup in 2017 at the age of 19 in 2017, the lowest teenager in the NHL game since 1995-96 and scored in his career debut. In his rookie season, Bratt scored 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) and jumped to the front line with Nico Hischier and Taylor Hall. Over time, he evolved from a primitive but skillful advance to one of the most stable and creative organizers of the league.

By the 2021-22 season, Bratt has solidified his first-class winger, usually producing at the pace or near-speed of each game. His ability to work on the edge, vision and create haste makes him a dangerous opponent. Bratt has scored 80 points in one season, becoming the main producer of assists and an active point leader in franchise history, while Devil legend Scott Gomez is 447 behind.

Apart from his personal talent, his playing style is a perfect addition to Jack Hughes. Together they form one of the most dynamic duo of the Eastern Conference, especially PB&J, who Hughes is known in 2023 as “Chemistry on Ice.”

Bratt is crucial to the development of the young devil’s core, his low-key mannerisms and professionalism on the ice make him a respected and loved figure of teammates, coaches and fans. He is a quiet cornerstone that transforms the organization’s culture and is one of the most valuable options in the NHL’s past decade.

Nico Hischier

When the New Jersey Devils won the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery, they found themselves in the unknown: holding the first choice for the first time in franchise history. Through the draft pick, they chose NICO Hischier, the highest-born Swiss player in NHL history. In his rookie season, he scored 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) and claimed to be a dominant two-way center.

In 2021, Hischier was appointed captain at the age of 22. He quickly became the emotional and tactical backbone of the team, and his performance quickly stopped due to the No. 19 pandemic. In the 2022-23 season, he reached an all-time high with 80 points (31 goals, 49 assists) and 33 points. Hischier is an active leader and strong game goal for the series team goals and does play an important role in the development of young groups. His calm manner, defensive responsibility and ruthless work ethic set the tone for young locker rooms that need direction. He has less lead, but more of determination, diving to block shots, anchor free throw kills, and closes the top opponent line at night. He won second place in the NHL behind Sidney Crosby, winning his 55.5% draw.

Hischier’s two-way style helps shape the identity of the New Devil’s Age: a team that is not only built on skills but also based on structure, speed and discipline. With the advent of young stars, Hischier offers a perfect balance of a solid center capable of driving and defensive insurance, ultimately establishing himself as the Selke Trophy finalist for his elite two-way race. His leadership played a major role during the 2023 and 2025 Devils’ return to the playoffs, where he recorded a lot of time and proved that he could perform on the biggest stages of the game. Hischier is not only the first draft pick in the history of the Devil: he was the one who stabilized his franchise in the darkest moments, now bringing it into the most promising era.

Jack Hughes

After winning the first-choice draft pick in 2017, the Devils gained their luck again in 2019 when they won the top pick for the NHL draft lottery again. With these options, they chose Jack Hughes, the new face of the franchise.

Related: Top Breakthrough Candidate for Each Team 2-25-26: Metropolitan Department

In his rookie season, with only 21 points in 61 games, Hughes continued to grow and figure, closely examining his development. By 2022-23, he has exploded his superstar today. In the 2022-23 season, Hughes broke Patrik Elias’ long-term single-season franchise record and proposed a 99-point campaign. His game matures; he is faster, more confident, and overall more dominant. His skating ability and hockey control make him dangerous at the top line, and his offense is unparalleled.

Hughes’s appearance marks a change in the way the devil perceives internally and around the alliance. The devil is suddenly known for his offensive speed and skill, and Hughes is at the center of this transformation. By 2023-24, Hughes is not only a regular in the highlights and All-Star roster, but he is also beginning to defend himself as a top player in the entire NHL. He is the cornerstone of the franchise and one of the most dynamic centers of the league. His appearance made New Jersey the highest offensive power.

Dawson Mercer

The Devils chose Dawson Mercer at No. 18 in the 2020 draft, and he immediately had an impact on the team. During his rookie season, Mercer played all 82 games and scored 42 points (17 goals, 25 assists), demonstrating his consistency and durability. He continued to grow in his second season, scoring 56 points (27 goals, 29 assists) and helping the Devils make the playoffs for the first time in years.

Mercer is often overlooked, but it turns out to be a valuable asset to New Jersey. His strong work ethic led to 328 games, the highest six in the league and the longest in the history of the Devil, and the presence of his lowest six forward increased the Devil’s scoring depth. Mercer is a universal player. He is used both in the wings and in the center, constantly spinning to fill in various characters. Despite his struggles with stretching last season, Mercer remains one of the most durable and reliable players in the league and has contributed a huge amount to the rebuilding year of New Jersey.

He proved himself an important part of the team glue, bringing effort, reliability and accountability to every game. Mercer provides the necessary structure and effort to improve the entire lineup while taking offense at a young age.

Luke Hughes

One Hughes is not enough for the New Jersey Devil. In 2021, the Devils chose Jack’s younger brother, Luke Hughes, as the fourth-coupe draft pick at the University of Michigan, where he defended with 42 points in the NCAA.

After signing with the Devil in April 2023, Luke Hughes made his NHL debut in the final games of the regular season and he had an immediate impact. His calmness, hockey and skating abilities stood out in his two games. In his second game, he won overtime goals against the Washington Capitals and weaved a beautiful surround inning in the defense. His relaxed skating ability makes him one of the best skating abilities in the NHL: He is smooth, agile and powerful when transitioning. Hughes is able to escape the brink, activate the ability to rush and join the offensive game, which makes the devils become a dynamic element from the backend they desperately need. He has performed well in hockey searches and is always effective in transition. His fluidity allows the devil to play quickly, control possession and stretch his opponents in new ways. Hughes scored a total of 91 points in his first two seasons at Jersey, an elite number for a defensive player.

Despite his youth and defensive space within the coverage of his body and area, Hughes’s hockey IQ is unparalleled, and fans eagerly await his contract extension to lock him in the next few years. He is heading towards more than 50 points campaigns in the 2025-26 season, and the 21-year-old is already one of the most influential young blue line stores in the league.

Šimonnemec

The Devils chose šimonnemec’s second place in the 2022 draft, adding a young right gun defense player to its back-end group, with the highest potential. Slovakia’s Blueliner has steadily become one of the league’s most famous young defensive players and appears to be a longtime host of the New Jersey defensive core.

Nemec plays a mature game that demonstrates quality decisions, clean area exits and polished hockey. His potential is high and continues to grow in the years to come. Nemec’s ability to move hockey and defense during transitions allows New Jersey to play a role quickly and actively without compromising structures. He supplemented his offensive conscious companions (such as Luke Hughes or Dougie Hamilton) and began to argue with himself more confidently. Nemec spent his first season with Utica Comets in the American Hockey League (AHL). He struggled to keep his usual reliable way in the back end, where the Devil recalled him to fill the gap in the defensive pairing. Nemec was one of the best games of his career in the 2024 playoffs, winning the tag team title against the Carolina Hurricanes and averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time.

With the Devil’s main defender, Jonathan Kovacevic in the injured reserve game, Nemec may maintain a consistent position in the back end of the 2025-26 season, allowing him to continue to improve his game. NEMEC represents the long-term stability of the devil. He is the defender every competitive team needs: reliable in every situation, trust in tight time, able to play the best game against the league. As he continues to mature and grow into his own character, Nemec is a key figure in the Devil’s future.

The New Jersey Devil did not take a simple route. They promise to rebuild patients and focus on developing culture, character and team chemistry. From Hughes Brothers to Hischier Jesper Bratt, and up-and-coming stars like Mercer and Nemec, the Devils aren’t just back in the playoffs combination, so they’ve built a roster around Hughes Brothers to Hischier Jesper Bratt, plus Hischier Jesper Bratt. They were built for the next few years.