Jesper Bratt Is Closing In on History as Devils’ Star Continues Career Surge

Jesper Bratt is having his best season yet with the New Jersey Devils, and now he’s just four points away from reaching 90 points for the first time in his NHL career. Right now, he has 86 points on the season, made up of 20 goals and 66 assists – already a new personal best. His previous high was 83 points, which he recorded last season over a full 82-game schedule. This year, he’s played in 69 games so far, and the Devils still have seven games left in the regular season.

Bratt helped lead the Devils to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild after a tough 4-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. In that win against Minnesota, he had two assists, bringing his assist total to 66 for the year. He’s been playing especially well lately. Over his last 10 games, he’s picked up 16 points. He also has a four-game point streak going, during which he’s scored three goals and added 10 points. One of those goals was the game-winner against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 17.

This season, Bratt set a new career-high in assists with 67. He also hit a personal best in power-play points with 34. On top of that, he broke the Devils’ franchise record for most assists in a single season. The previous record was held by former captain Scott Stevens.

Bratt has also improved on the defensive side of his game. He delivered 45.5% more hits this season compared to last year and blocked 42 shots, which is the highest total of his career. Head coach Sheldon Keefe took notice of his stronger play in the defensive zone.

He’s played an important role in all types of situations. He has two shorthanded goals this season and has spent 45.5% of his penalty kill time in the neutral zone. That’s 14.8% more than the league average among forwards. When Bratt is on the ice during 5-on-5 play, Devils goaltenders have a .907 save percentage.

His skating has also stood out. According to NHL Edge data, Bratt ranks in the 95th percentile in total skating distance this season. Over the past four seasons, he’s consistently been in the 91st percentile or higher for speed bursts over 20 miles per hour.

Bratt has led the Devils in scoring this season, just like he did in the past two. He finished the 2022–23 season with 83 points and followed it up with 88 points in the 2023–24 season, including three points in five playoff games. In the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bratt averaged four shots per game and 23 minutes and 23 seconds of ice time. He was on the ice for 58.49% of the team’s high-danger scoring chances in the first round.

Bratt was picked 162nd overall in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft. He made the Devils’ roster for opening night on October 7, 2017. In his first NHL game, he scored a power-play goal and had a shorthanded assist. He finished his rookie season with 35 points. For the next few years, his point totals stayed in the 30s, but starting in 2021–22, his production increased to over 70 points each year.

In 2023, he signed an eight-year contract extension with the Devils worth $63 million. That deal has an average annual value of $7.875 million. Since then, he’s led the team in scoring for two straight regular seasons.

Bratt has also stepped up when other players were out. During the 2023–24 season, when Jack Hughes was injured, Bratt became the team’s leading goal scorer. He was also chosen to represent the Devils at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Hughes’s place. This season, after Hughes suffered another shoulder injury, Bratt continued to produce alongside Nico Hischier and Timo Meier.

Now, with forward Ondrej Palat on the trade block, the Devils may need to name another alternate captain. Bratt, along with Nico Hischier, is the team’s longest-tenured player. He has been with the Devils since the rebuild began. He also played through a shoulder injury this season. Because of his scoring, his all-around play, and his commitment to the team, Bratt is seen as a strong candidate to wear the “A” as an alternate captain.

As the season winds down, all eyes will be on Bratt to see if he can reach 90 points. With seven games left and his recent strong play, he’s in a great position to make it happen.