Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Connor Brown have formed a pivotal trio for the New Jersey Devils.
Despite a 5-4 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday, Bratt explained how Brown complements the pairing.
“He’s a great fit. A vocal guy that has played with a lot of really good players in the past,” Bratt said to NJD.tv. “He really knows what it’s like to play with skilled, speedy guys that want the puck a lot. He’s a good voice for us, too, acting like a teacher mentality, showing what can work for our line. He wins a lot of battles, wins a lot of pucks back. He’s smart with the puck, too. He really knows how to utilize my and Jack’s speed. A player that guys like me and Jack trust a lot and want to learn from.”
Brown signed a four-year, $12 million contract with the New Jersey Devils on July 1, 2025. In 58 games this season with the Devils, he has recorded 28 points. Hughes requested to play alongside Brown. Once the trio was put together, they found success. Head coach Sheldon Keefe explained his perspective on the line combination.
“Brown is very personable, loved, likes to talk, is a student of the game,” Keefe said. “Guys like Jack and Bratt are drawn to that because of Brown’s personality. Then you look at his experience, playing with elite guys, he picks up on different things, being around them every day. They want to know about and hear about. He also gives them some confidence. He can help them. He can play with them.”
Reflecting on the game, despite the loss on Thursday, Bratt explained his perspective on his line's performance.
“A lot of times we created some good looks and had some good offense, created off the rush,” Bratt said. “The problem was we went so hard on the offense that we missed out on the defense. I think that’s what happened on a lot of the goals that our line was on. We take full responsibility for that. We’re a line that strives to be the best line for our team every single night, create offense, and win games. We take a lot of pride in our defense, too. That wasn’t a good game at all for our line. We’re excited about having the practice we had today, getting back to work tomorrow, and showing what kind of line we are.”
Looking ahead, the Devils will get another chance to prove themselves as the team takes on the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
The puck will drop at 7 pm.
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