With absolutely nothing happening in the hockey world right now, and for the foreseeable future, I’ve decided to take the plunge and write player profiles for each member of the New Jersey Devils.
As was the case when I did them last summer, we’ll be looking at the season they just put together and expectations moving forward.
I've already covered Will Butcher and Nico Hischier. Today, we're taking a closer look at Jesper Bratt.
Counting stats: 60 games played, 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists), 13:59 average time on ice
5v5 underlyings: 2.21 points/60, +3.22 CF% Rel, +8.60 GF% Rel, +4.05 xGF% Rel, 100.3 PDO
2019-20 review: The 2019-20 season, like many in recent years, was not kind to the New Jersey Devils. Whether looking at the team as a whole, or specific individuals, there were disappointments across the board. One of the only positives was the play of Jesper Bratt, who quietly put together a fantastic campaign. That may sound like a stretch given his counting totals but, honestly, I don’t think it is.
Bratt scored 14 goals at 5v5, surpassing his combined output over the first two years of his career. Bratt found the back of the net more than Andrei Svechnikov, John Tavares, Jonathan Marchessault, Dylan Larkin, Filip Forsberg and Johnny Gaudreau, to name but a few.
In terms of overall production at 5v5, Bratt matched the likes of Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron. He didn’t get the same opportunity as any of those players and yet the numbers were still there because of his efficiency.
Bratt averaged 2.21 points per 60 minutes. Of the 300 forwards to play 600+ minutes at 5v5, only 55 recorded points at a higher clip. That’s impressive, especially considering Bratt spent almost as much of his time with Pavel Zacha as Nico Hischier.
Fun fact(s): There’s been a lot of talk about Zacha taking a big step forward this season. I’m not sure I’m buying it. Zacha owns a *checks notes* 38.86 Corsi For% without Bratt on his line.
2020-21 outlook: If there was any doubt Bratt could be a top-6 forward, that should be gone now. He was healthy scratched. He was given minutes with poor players. He played under two head coaches. And yet he still managed to produce like a 1st liner – a high-end one at that – during 5v5 play.
With steadier minutes playing under an established head coach, and (ideally) better defenders moving the puck up ice, I really believe Bratt can take the next step and open a lot of eyes.
I could see ~60 points if all breaks right.
numbers via naturalstattrick.com and hockey-reference.com Recent Posts 2020-21 player profile: Nico Hischier