Jesper Bratt

There's a real case to be made that Bratt was New Jersey's best player in 2021-22. He averaged nearly a point-per-game (26 goals, 73 points in 76 appearances) while adding a career-high 197 shots on goal and 18 points with the man advantage. Bratt and the Devils were scheduled for salary arbitration in August before agreeing to a one-year, $5.45 million contract days before the hearing. The 24-year-old will be a restricted free agent again next summer, and should be able to secure an even better deal if he comes close to matching the production we saw from him a year ago. That seems like a safe bet, leaving Bratt as a mid-round option in fantasy leagues in 2022-23.

Bratt entered the 2020-21 season with breakout potential after notching three consecutive 30-point seasons. The 23-year-old extended that streak to four seasons with seven goals and 23 assists in 46 games - putting him on pace for 53 points over a full regular season. The speedy winger needs to become a more consistent finisher to take the next step, but with the arrival of Dougie Hamilton on the back end and further growth from budding stars Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, Bratt has the talent and opportunity to make a big leap in the 2020-21 season as the Devils continue their march towards a playoff berth. Bratt could post 25-30 goals and 60-plus points if he can maintain a prominent role in the top six and on the top power-play unit, and he has solid sleeper appeal for fantasy managers in the later rounds of their drafts.

Despite the league going on hiatus and a handful of games missed due to injuries, Bratt hit the 30-point mark for the third straight year in 2019-20 and set a new personal best in goals. Were it not for the 13 games the Devils missed out on due to the shortened campaign, the speedy winger very well could have been coming off his first 20-goal, 40-point campaign, a threshold the Swede is almost certain to hit next year. While he'll never be in contention for the Rocket Richard Trophy, Bratt's quick-release shot should help him hold on to his spot on the power play, making him a solid mid-round option for season-long fantasy owners and a dependable yet inexpensive DFS play most nights.

After posting 35 points in 74 games as a rookie, Bratt was on pace to surpass that mark before missing the final 15 games of 2018-19 with an undisclosed injury, finishing with 33 points in 51 appearances. While he should be healthy heading into Year 3, the 21-year-old Swede's role will dictate his value. If he skates in the top six and sees power-play time, Bratt has a chance to finally break the 40-point mark, but there's a strong possibility that New Jersey's busy offseason pushes him down to the third line.

Where Bratt lands in New Jersey's wing pecking order will be critical to his outlook for the season. The 20-year-old Swede spent a healthy chunk of last season skating on the top line with Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier, and that valuable lineup placement helped fuel a 35-point rookie campaign from Bratt. If the Devils roll with that alignment this year, Bratt has an excellent chance of topping last year's point total. Should New Jersey put someone else with Hall and Hischier instead, Bratt's likely in for a sophomore slump.