Devils' Unexpected 2022-23 Season is One for the Record Books

The Devils exceed expectations this season and etched their name into the record books.

Transcending, unforgettable, and inspiring. These are the words New Jersey Devils fans use when reflecting back on the 2022-23 regular season. Of course, you can add unexpected, impressive, and reinvigorating to that list as well. 

It has been quite the journey for head coach Lindy Ruff and his team as they dropped their first two games of the season losing to both the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings by a final score of 2-5. 

After that things began to click and by November every team in the league knew the Devils were a threat. Before long it seemed as if each time the team took the ice a new individual, franchise, or league record would be tied or broken. 

A team that made the second-overall selection at the 2022 NHL Entry draft and lost out on some of the biggest names of the offseason will go down in the history books as one of the best in franchise history. 

Ahead of the playoffs, let's take a look back at some of the team's achievements over the past several months. 

Largest Point Improvement in NHL History: 49

After the team's final home game of the regular season, Ruff was asked what his reaction is to the team's point improvement from last season.

"Well, I answer that one usually with you got to be a bad team the year before to have the biggest turnaround," he said. "It goes to where we wanted to focus and it started with playing better defensively, and we accomplished that. We found a lot of different ways to win a lot of games."

The core of the team's roster from the 2021-22 season did not undergo much of a change last summer. Knowing the young core that was in place, general manager Tom Fitzgerald went to work and found a supporting cast. He brought in Vitek Vanecek, Brendan Smith, John Marino, Ondrej Palat, and Erik Haula, and the rest is history as they say. 

Franchise Record Wins in a Single Season: 52

Brent Sutter was behind the Devils' bench the last time the team earned over 50 wins in a season. The team was led by Zach Parise and Patrik Elias and by the final buzzer of their 82nd regular season game they celebrated 51 victories, a franchise record. 

That record stood until April 13, 2023. In the final game of the 2022-23 season, the Devils found themselves in overtime versus the Washington Capitals. Jack Hughes passed the puck to younger brother Luke Hughes who scored his first career NHL goal to solidify the win and franchise history. 

Franchise Record Most Points in a Single Season: 112 Points

Thanks to that Luke Hughes overtime goal in Washington, the Devils finished their 82-game schedule with 112 points, breaking the record set during the 2000-01 campaign (111). 

The team's core led the way with Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Dawson Mercer combining for 133 goals and 308 points. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton stayed healthy and earned a career-high 74 points. 

Several players celebrated career seasons including Michael McLeod and Jonas Siegenthaler. At different points of the season, various players stepped up and contributed whether it was goaltender Akira Schmid, the BMW Line, or the emergence of John Marino. 

Franchise Record Player with Most Points in a Single Season: 99 

There isn't much to say about the performance of 21-year-old Jack Hughes that has not already been said. The former first-overall pick showcased why he was worthy of that selection during the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

On April 8, Hughes tied Patrik Elias for the most points by a Devils player in a single season (96). A few days later Jesper Bratt would pass the puck to Hughes who would celebrate his 97th point of the season after scoring an empty-netter.

"I didn't think it would come on an empty netter," Hughes said. "We had a lot of good looks tonight. I'm really excited that it happened in front of the home crowd, with one game left it's not much time. But you put it behind you now. I'm really excited, it's for me, but it's also for the team."

He would add two more assists in the team's regular-season finale versus the Capitals for a franchise-leading 99 points, a 19-point lead over the second-highest point earner on the team. 

Regardless of what happens when the playoffs begin on Tuesday, April 18, the team exceeded expectations and played themselves into the history books. It was a season defined by resiliency and redemption and made the statement that the Devils have finally arrived.