Devils Need More From Mercer
Back when Dawson Mercer was selected No. 18 overall by the Devils in the 2020 NHL Draft, I envisioned him having a career in the mold of long-time center Travis Zajac, a reliable two-way player.
With Mercer now in his fourth NHL season, I can see that though both players could play in all situations, the comparison wasn’t exactly on target—for one thing, Mercer doesn’t have Zajac’s faceoff talent. Both players, though, share the periodic extreme frustration they inflicted onto the fan base from their long stretches with minimal production.
Devils Head Coach Sheldon Keefe has gone to great lengths in his attempts to get Mercer going in this recent slump of seven games with just one point (a goal in the 5-1 victory at the Rangers on December 2). Keefe has shuffled Mercer’s linemates and even tried him at center for Sunday’s 4-0 loss to Colorado.
Keefe moved Mercer up into the top six on Nico Hischier’s right wing during New Jersey’s 2-1 overtime loss to visiting Toronto on Tuesday night, but that line also could not light the lamp. Instead, Mercer was beat down the ice on the sequence that led to Toronto’s game-tying shorthanded goal midway through the third period.
Now, Mercer’s was just one of a trilogy of errors on a play that commenced with the Devils swarming the Toronto net, only to be stoned by Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz, a New Jersey native. Toronto finally flipped a clear out of their defensive zone, where Mercer had a head start on Connor Dewar in a race to the rolling puck.
Except Dewar got around and past Mercer and the two cancelled each other out, leaving the puck for Leafs forward Pontus Holmberg in the slot because Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton didn’t hustle back. Holmberg’s swipe beat Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom through the five hole, concluding the embarrassing turnabout in a game New Jersey had been dominating.
The Devils, who outshot Toronto, 39-16, had some good looks in the overtime, but it was Leafs star Auston Matthews who ended things with a roofer from in tight with two minutes remaining. It was the first time this season New Jersey lost a game they were leading entering the third period.
It was also the first time the Devils did not bounce back from a loss since October 25, as they had gone 13-6 overall in that span. Oddly, five of those defeats were by shutout, two of them by former Devils goalies Scott Wedgewood (Colorado) and Mackenzie Blackwood (San Jose).
When the Devils’ power play isn’t converting, it spells trouble—despite the gaudy record in their last 20 games, New Jersey ranks just 22nd in the league in five-on-five goals per game in that span. New Jersey took another collar with the man advantage on Tuesday, going 0-for-4, with Mercer on the ice for 2:37 in his regular spot on the second unit.
Again, Mercer is far from alone in the Devils underachievement rankings—his mere three points at all strengths in his last 11 games was in line with colleagues like Erik Haula, Tomas Tatar, and Ondrej Palat, who broke his own 11-game goal-less slump on Tuesday with a second period snipe. Paul Cotter, who started the season on fire with six goals in the first 11 games, is pointless in this same period.
Still, there have been too many games where Mercer has simply not created scoring chances like he can. He’s a sturdy 6-feet and 180 pounds with a strong stick, but he’s not getting inside position around the net. His keen hand/eye coordination often allows him to create turnovers, but this is a results league. Finishing plays also matters. Six goals in 31 games puts him on pace for a career low total.
No wonder Mercer’s play can draw Devils fans’ ire at times. They expected more from him following his offseason signing of the restricted free agency contract that pays him $12 million over three years. The Devils’ ceiling is limited if Mercer is just another guy.
At least Mercer suits up for every game—his 277 consecutive games played places him seventh on New Jersey’s all-time list. The record holder? That would be Travis Zajac with 401.