The New Jersey Devils may have found a top-six without Jack Hughes

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Today’s post was written by ALEX CHAUVANCY. You can find Alex on Twitter @AlexC_THW.

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After a rough outing against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday evening, the New Jersey Devils responded with an impressive 4-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Jonathan Bernier was in top form after returning from a lower-body injury, specifically late in the game. And the much-maligned Jesper Bratt came through with a game-winning goal on a penalty shot late in the third period. 

Bratt may have been the hero but he had some help from his linemates, Dawson Mercer and Andreas Johnsson. The Devils will need them to keep it going.

They'll also need more from the Nico Hischier line and Yegor Sharangovich considering they haven't found the back of the net much yet. Once they get going, the Devils could have a legitimate top-six without Hughes for the next five weeks or so.

Fortunately, it looks like the Hischier line and Sharangovich are due for more scoring. Let's look at how everyone could bring together the Devils' new top-six without Hughes. 

Mercer and Co. What the Devils Need Right Now

Bratt had become a bit of a punching bag on social media through the team's first five games. It didn't get much better after head coach Lindy Ruff benched him for the entire second period against the Flames a few nights ago. But that benching seemed to light a fire under him. He ended the Flames game on a line with Mercer and Johnsson. And the three fared quite well in the third period, putting up Corsi and expected goals percentages of 100 percent in a small sample size. 

That strong five-on-five play carried over into last night's game, as they were the Devils' best line against the Penguins. In a bit over 10 minutes at that game state, Johnsson, Mercer and Bratt finished with a Corsi For percentage (CF%) of 72.2 percent and an expected goals percentage (xG%) of 83.9 percent, both the best of any line combo. The Devils also outscored the Penguins 2-0 with them on the ice. 

Bratt was arguably the Devils' best player on the night, finishing with a game score of 3.08, tops for a skater on either team. He also picked up his first points of the season, an assist and the previously mentioned game-winning goal on a penalty shot. 

Mercer and Johnsson played their part as well. Mercer didn't finish with a point, but he was perhaps the Devils' second-best forward. He finished with a CF% 68.2 percent and xG% of 77 percent, both of which topped Devils forwards on the night. Mercer won't get an assist for the penalty shot, but he might as well have gotten one. He made a slick saucer pass to Bratt that sent him in for a clearing scoring chance that earned him the penalty shot. 

And what about Johnsson? It certainly looks like he's back. He got a bit fortunate with a lucky deflection on the first goal. But after what he went through last season, he deserves it. He also iced the game with an empty-net tally, bringing him to three goals and five points through six games. 

Johnsson's play isn't a fluke either. His seven high-danger chances tie him with Hischier, Tomáš Tatar and Jimmy Vesey for the team lead. His 5.46 high-danger chances per 60 minutes is third on the team behind Tatar and Vesey. He looks much closer to the player he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs, so the Devils have to be super encouraged by what they're seeing. 

By the time yesterday's game concluded, Bratt, Mercer and Johnsson were first, second and third in game score among all Devils players. That's exactly what the team needs while they wait for Hughes to heal up. And there should be more offense coming from other players. 

Hischier Line and Sharangovich Are Due

Consider this; aside from Pavel Zacha, the Devils are due for some more output from their current top line. Tatar leads the team in high-danger chances per 60, while Hischier is averaging just a tick over five high-danger chances per 60 minutes. Per Money Puck, Hischier has accumulated 2.3 expected goals but scored just once. Tatar has generated 1.3 xG but not scored yet. That trio has a CF% of 63.4 percent and xG% of 71.7 percent at five-on-five. So good things are happening when they're on the ice. 

Yegor Sharangovich can only generate so many chances and hit so many posts before he starts finding the back of the net. He has an expected goals of 1.5 but has not scored either. After he gets his first tally, the flood gates could open for him. 

Once they begin scoring at a higher clip, the Devils could have a legitimate top-six to get by without Hughes for the next month-plus if the Mercer line can stay true to form. Couple with that with goaltending we saw from Bernier last night, and the imminent return of Mackenzie Blackwood, and the Devils may be alright without their star 20-year-old center. 

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Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Stat Cards, MoneyPuck