3 bold predictions for New Jersey Devils in 2024-25

The New Jersey Devils struggled in the 2023-24 NHL season, but they're ready to turn the page. The organization made a lot of moves in the offseason, including the notable additions of Jacob Markstrom, Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon and Tomas Tatar. They also hired a new head coach, Sheldon Keefe. With these additions and hopes for a healthier season from stars like Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton and Timo Meier, the Devils are shaping up as a team that can have a much better year in 2024-25. 

Now that the regular season is just a few weeks away, it’s time to take a look at what the year might bring. Here are three bold predictions for the 2024-25 Devils.

3. Four Devils will score 30+ goals

A bold prediction for the season is that four Devils will score 30+ goals. Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt have all had 30+ goal seasons in their careers. Dawson Mercer’s highest was 27 goals in 2022-23, showing potential to get there. Mercer, an RFA, still doesn’t have a contract, but that’s a whole other conversation that will hopefully be resolved soon. Four of these five players will reach 30 goals in the regular season.

At first glance, this might not seem super bold since there are five players seemingly capable of this feat … but the team had zero 30-goal scorers last year. Technically, Tyler Toffoli reached the 30-goal mark, but 26 of those were with the Devils and seven came after being traded to the Winnipeg Jets. Toffoli is now with the San Jose Sharks.

Going from zero to four is a big jump, but the Devils have the talent to do it. Hughes, Hischier, Bratt and Meier all came close last year. If Hughes stays healthy for the duration of the season, he could score 40, maybe even upwards of 45 goals. Considering his injury history, it’s tough to bank on that. Of the five, Bratt and Mercer were healthy all of last season and fell short of 30 goals. Bratt reached a new high in points, showing he’s on an upward trajectory. Mercer had a down year but still managed 20 goals. He’s due for a bounce-back year, and what better way to prove his worth than by having the first 30-goal season of his career?

It’s a tall order for all five to stay healthy and have excellent seasons, so predicting all five will do it would feel too bold. If four Devils reach 30 goals, this stat could be part of a special season for the Devils.

2. Dougie Hamilton will lead the NHL in goals scored by a defenseman

The next bold prediction is that Dougie Hamilton will lead all defensemen in the NHL in goals. Hamilton’s career-high in single season goals is 22. This came just two years ago in the 2022-23 season, a strong year for the Devils. Hamilton also set his career-high in points that year with 74. He is now coming off a year cut short, as he was hampered by a pectoral injury in 2023-24 and underwent season-ending surgery.

In 2023-24, Roman Josi scored the most goals of defensemen in the NHL, with 23. In 2022-23, Erik Karlsson led defensemen with 25 goals. Hamilton was second that year with 22. In 2021-22, it was Cale Makar with 28. These are some of the names Hamilton would contend with to lead the league in goals by a defenseman, although Karlsson took a step back last year. Rasmus Dahlin and MacKenzie Weegar both scored 20 goals last season, putting their name in the mix of defenseman who could challenge for the lead in this stat.

If Hamilton is back to himself after his surgery and rehab, he’s going to be a huge asset for the Devils. The blueline and the power play were not even close to the same without him last year. The Devils need Hamilton to be a big contributor.

Hamilton has probably already shown what his ceiling is with his 22-goal season. But if he can get back to where he was two years ago and add another goal or two, he could lead the league in goals by a defenseman.

1. Devils will win the Metropolitan Division

The final bold prediction on this list is that the Devils will win the Metropolitan Division in the 2024-25 season. When considering the Devils fell all the way to seventh place in 2023-24, it’s quite bold to think that they could win the division. As stated earlier, the team made key additions in the offseason, and the players who didn’t have healthy seasons last year will hopefully have a different fate this year. 

It feels like the Devils are due to win a division title. The team has never won the Metropolitan Division, since its inception in 2013. Their most recent division title came in the 2009-2010 season. They came close in 2022-23, landing just one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes. That year, the Devils set a franchise record for regular season points with 112.

Their biggest competition in the Metro are the Hurricanes and New York Rangers. The Rangers won the division in 2023-24, and the Canes came out on top in 2022-23. Both teams are expected to be strong again in the upcoming season, but the Devils should be in the mix with them. No other team in the Metro is really expected to contend to be the best in the division, but there could be a total surprise.

If the Devils perform to the level they’re capable of, they should make the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing the postseason last year. They could get there in style, finishing ahead of their division rivals in the standings.

The Devils open the regular season on Oct. 4 against the Buffalo Sabres in Prague as part of the 2024 Global Series.