Only 14 games into the season, and New Jersey Devils fans have already seen three different left wingers play alongside Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe began the season with newly acquired veteran Evgenii Dadonov. Unfortunately, the 36-year-old sustained a hand injury in the team's season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes, and has been sidelined since Oct. 10.
With Dadonov's injury, Keefe went back to what he was familiar with, moving Ondrej Palat to the top line. After keeping that trio together for 10 games, New Jersey's coach made another change.
Stefan Noesen has been glued to Hughes and Bratt's side over the last three games against the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Montreal Canadiens.
"It is the first time playing with (Hughes),” Noesen said. “Obviously, I have played with (Bratt) before. It is getting used to the way Jack plays the game. He is so talented and plays the game based on instinct, so it is about adapting to him and learning. I am just trying to do my part."
During a postgame media availability on Dec. 14, 2023, Hughes was asked about playing alongside Bratt and said, "When we play together, it is like peanut butter and jelly."
It was at that moment that the nickname PB&J was born.
The young duo is dynamic and responsible for multiple highlight reel plays throughout a season, and in some cases, a single game. Their chemistry is off the charts as they always know where the other one is on the ice.
“They are always looking for each other,” Noesen said. “You know, you can put anybody on that line, and I don't even know if they know anyone else is on that line. They look for each other all of the time, which is great.
“I have had that a few times when I played with some guys where all I did was look for them,” he continued. "I have been on the other side of that, which is completely fine, and I know my role.”
During training camp, Keefe spoke about the Hughes line and wanting that third player to bring a new element to that group.
“(We) want to make sure there is not duplication in their jobs and what they are doing,” he said. “Sometimes there is duplication between Hughes and Bratt and we can’t triple it up. We have to have someone with proper spacing that is going to be around the net, and can earn the puck back.”
At 32-years-old, Noesen knows who he is as a player and will not adjust his play to match the creativity of his line mates.
“I know that is not my game,” he explained. “Maybe when I was younger would probably tend to do that, but I know (Hughes and Bratt) want the puck. I am a very simple north-south kind of guy, so it is trying to get (the puck off the boards), try to get them the puck as much as I can, go to the net, and hopefully create some good chances for them.”
On Friday, Keefe provided The Hockey News with his early thoughts on the Noesen-Hughes-Bratt line.
“(Noesen has) done the things I have expected him to do on that line. The line itself hasn’t been as good as I envisioned it could be when we put it together.
“Noesen has done his part,” he continued. “(Hughes) and (Bratt) are the drivers and the anticipation is for them is to create more. With that said, Noesen is also still finding his game after coming back from injury and while he has done the work off the puck that I have expected, he still has more to offer as well.”
Fans should get another look at Noesen with Hughes and Bratt on Saturday afternoon when the club hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins at Prudential Center at 12:30 p.m.
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