After the New Jersey Devils traded Erik Haula to the Nashville Predators this summer, one of the primary questions heading into 2025-26 is who will fill the center roles in the bottom-six?
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The Devils brought in a few names who could fill the positions. Returning is Cody Glass on a two-year contract. He’s a shoo-in for third or fourth line duties. However, that leaves one center spot open in the bottom-six.
General manager Tom Fitzgerald also signed Juho Lammikko to a one-year contract, bringing the Finnish forward back to the NHL after a three-year stint in Switzerland’s National League.
Then there’s Luke Glendening who signed a professional tryout with the Devils, and the veteran is showing well in training camp.
However, on Saturday, the Devils forward group that Sheldon Keefe iced for practice looked a lot like a lineup that could be the same one on opening night on October 9th.
Filling the third-line center role was Dawson Mercer, who many—including us—wondered about as a center. Certainly, it’s an intriguing idea. Mercer was drafted in 2020, 18th overall, as a center out of the QMJHL.
However, the 23-year-old forward has spent the majority of his professional career as a winger.
So, what’s Keefe’s thought process on Mercer as a center?
“Well, with Mercer, we see him as a guy that’s going to kind of bounce back and forth as required. I’ve liked his camp so far,” Keefe explained.
Keefe lined Mercer up in between newcomers Evgenii Dadonov and Connor Brown. The trio makes for a speedy line that will certainly play a two-way game, with the ability to score goals. In fact, should that line go into the regular season, it would perhaps be one of the stronger third lines in the NHL.
However, from the sound of it, Keefe doesn’t necessarily plan to start Mercer there. In fact, he’s likely moving back to the top-six.
“I like the line, the way that we had it with him on the wing [next to Nico Hischier and Timo Meier],” Keefe said. “As I told Mercer when I spoke to him yesterday about it, we want to give them an opportunity to get some reps in, both in practice and in game. So we’re going to do that. At the same time, it allows them to play with some different guys, some new players to our group. I think that’s healthy, and it’s helpful for chemistry and camaraderie and all this sorts of stuff, because it’s a long season. You face different things.”
Mercer is a Swiss-Army Knife. He can play in both top and bottom six roles. He’s on the power play and the penalty kill. And, he provides quality services in all three zones on the ice.
The versatility is certainly a coaches dream. However, Mercer has preferences, too. And he wants to play on the wing, next to the Devils captain.
“I see Mercer starting the season on the wing with us, and that’s something he reminded me of when we spoke yesterday,” Keefe quipped. “But it’s going to happen. We’re going to need him. We’re going to need them there, and it gives us a different look too, which I think is important to have.”
