Dawson Mercer has become an integral part of a competitive New Jersey Devils team. Moneypuck.com currently rates the Devils as the seventh-best team in the NHL. Despite his value to the team, fantasy hockey managers are wondering if there is more value than the 30-ish point pace he is on in 2023-24. Nearing his 200 games played mark, might there be a breakout for more? Let’s dig in.

Dawson Mercer (#91) finds a soft area after teammate enters the zone, circles behind the net evading coverage. When Nemec’s shot takes a bizarre bounce high off the board he battles the D to tap the puck in mid-air without going high-sticking. 2023-12-01#NJDevils📷 pic.twitter.com/0lhelBc2hM

— Fantasy Hockey Doctor - Victor Nuño (@VictorNuno12) December 14, 2023

Mercer was selected 18th overall by the Devils in 2020. The EP team had Mercer as the 14th-best player in the draft so the Devils got him at a bit of a value. The EP team saw something special in Mercer, remarking “he picks apart on-the-puck defenders in much the same way an elite NFL quarterback breaks down defensive coverages -- one read, one component at a time. Mercer displays a wide array of false signals t