The New Jersey Devils have a problem: they are struggling to score. It doesn’t matter how well you play defense, if you don’t score goals in the NHL, you are not going to win games. This has been an issue for the New Jersey Devils for many years now.
As DevilsNation.com has documented, the Devils haven’t been the same since they traded away Tyler Toffoli during the 23-24 season. His production has never been replaced. You can see this team needs a finisher in the worst way possible.
New Jersey Devils Need To Prove Offense Doesn’t Run Through Jack Hughes
The Devils rank 27th in the NHL with 2.70 goals per game. Over the last 11 games, New Jersey has recorded: 0 goals, 0 goals, 1 goal, 4 goals, 4 goals, 4 goals, 1 goal, 1 goal, 2 goals, 1 goal, and 1 goal. That is an average of 1.72 goals per game over that stretch. New Jersey finds itself on the outside looking in of the playoff picture with 41 points.
Even when Jack was healthy before the injury this was the offensive as well.
Still need a finisher. Has been an issue for a while. #njdevils https://t.co/DYY9g7NlnP
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) December 24, 2025
The Devils started the season so well. The cushion they built up is no longer there. Even with Jack Hughes back in the lineup, the Devils are struggling to score. New Jersey was struggling to score even before the ‘freak accident’ that forced Hughes to miss 18 games. But this team should be better than 27th in the league in goals per game, given their talent.
For a team that has a lot of skill with the likes of Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and Timo Meier, these players are too similar in nature. For the most part, they are playmakers and not goal scorers. Despite the Devils trading for Meier during the 22-23 season from the San Jose Sharks, he has not delivered the scoring output New Jersey hoped for.
NHL Rumors: What Do the New Jersey Devils Do Next?
While Meier had a 40-goal season during the 22-23 season, he never came close to hitting that number again. The Devils paid him $8.8 million a season to be that guy. While 28 goals, in the 23-24 season, and 26 goals, in the 24-25 season, are nothing to sneeze at, the Devils expected more. However, this season is his most consistent with the Devils, with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 32 games.
But Meier is being paid like he is a 60-70-point player, if not more, when in reality he is a 50-60-point player. Meier is the least of the Devils problem offensively. Jesper Bratt has had one goal since November 6th, which was an empty-netter. He has six on the season. Not to mention, he is a pass-first player who had a career season last year. It is hard to have career seasons every year.
But Bratt looks like the player he was before his new contract, which is inconsistent and invisible at times during the game. Nico Hischier has taken on so much defensively that his offensive output has dipped. Through 37 games, he has 29 points (10 goals and 19 assists). That isn’t terrible, but people wanted more, especially when Hughes was out of the lineup.
Devils Rumors: New Jersey Not Done and Tom Fitzgerald Job Security
There was a period where it looked like everything was going in for Meier and Hischier. But the Devils captain takes on so much that he needs help. Dawson Mercer isn’t the player he was in the first two seasons with the club, but he is having a decent year with 24 points (10 goals and 14 assists) in 37 games. But he had to fill the center position when Jack Hughes went down to injury.
No offensive help. This has nothing to do with Jack Hughes not being in the lineup. Same with Timo
They need a top six scorer. But it is going to be hard just stick with it and not like it effect other areas #njdevils https://t.co/EtFxtNki0p
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) December 20, 2025
But they don’t have the offense that President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald thought would be there when he didn’t replace Toffoli’s production in the summer of 2024. It is hard to score goals in this league. The Devils should be in the top 15 in the NHL in goals scored per game. But they don’t have that fourth or fifth piece needed to do that.
So if Stefan Noesen isn’t having another 20-goal season, where do the Devils turn? Obviously, the Devils would like to add, but they have salary cap issues related to the contracts and trade clauses for 15 players on the roster. So retention is out of the question for any deal necessary to get Johnathan Kovacevic back on the books.
While Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault would be great additions for the Devils, the Nashville Predators are winning hockey games now. It would have to take a significant package to move either player right now. Not to mention, if the Predators were to retain, the Devils need to throw in a sweetener.
Devils Rumors: New Jersey Looking To Make a Big Splash
Would a Jordan Eberle or a Jared McCann help from Seattle? Rickard Rakell, from Pittsburgh, would be a good fit, but it would cost the Devils inside the Metro Division. The Devils do need center depth as well, but finding a player who can do both would be a plus, but those players aren’t out there, not right now.
Internally might be their best bet right now. Expecting Arseny Gritsyuk to be that scoring savior in his first season is a tall task. New Jersey needs its players to step up, as we are seeing in Florida with the Panthers. Their top players are stepping up to get them back in the fight. The Devils’ top players need to do that as well, and look and see what else is out there, scoring-wise.
Again, the New Jersey Devils can play great defensively and see their goaltenders step up every night, but if they don’t score goals in this league, they will not win. Scoring still matters.
