Jesper Bratt has high expectations for Devils – and himself – in 2025-26
This story originally appeared on hockeysverige.se and has been translated from Swedish to English.
The 2024–25 season was Jesper Bratt’s best to date.
With 21 goals and a total of 88 points in 81 games, he was the top-scoring Swedish player in the NHL. He also set a new franchise record for the New Jersey Devils with his 67 assists.
However, the Devils were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes. On top of that, Bratt missed the World Championship on home ice due to a shoulder injury that required surgery.
In other words, a season of both highs and lows.
“The season was still a step in the right direction for the team,” Bratt said. “We had a new coach, a lot of new players, pretty high expectations, and some unfortunate injuries that held us back a bit during the playoffs.
“But we played really well up until Christmas. After that, I think we let up a little and didn’t take the step we had hoped to take as a team. We were far too inconsistent in the second half of the season. Then we just weren’t strong enough in the playoffs to win. We played a few good games and it was definitely a step in the right direction. With a year under our belt with our new coach, we players have a better sense of how we want to play and what the standard is.”
New Jersey dealt with several tough injuries during the season, including to star forward Jack Hughes, who missed the playoffs due to a shoulder injury.
“We kept going as a team, but when you lose one of the league’s best players, parts of the game—like the power play and other things—won’t go as well. He’s the kind of player who averages a point per game when he’s in the lineup. Of course, that was a tough loss. On top of that, Luke (Hughes) and (Brenden) Dillon were injured in the playoffs—two pretty important players we missed on the ice.”
Bratt is pleased with his own progress as a player. As he entered the first year of the $63 million contract he signed in 2023, it was critical that Bratt lived up to his end of the deal.
“I think I took another step forward. I’ve had conversations with myself and the coaches about continuing to take steps every year. That’s what I work toward,” Bratt said. “But it doesn’t matter how happy I am with the previous season—I still want to take another step. I definitely stepped up from the season before. Especially in the playoffs, where I played better. I had more presence, asserted myself more, and was there for the team when we needed goals, points, or wins.”
The shoulder injury that he needed repairs for didn’t directly nag him during the season, but it has been an ongoing issue for a long time.
“It’s something I’ve been dealing with for a few years, not just this season,” he said. “It’s been lingering for a while. At times, I’ve felt it, but mostly it was just unstable. Now it feels really good to have it taken care of. Hopefully that barrier is gone now, and I can take yet another step because the injury feels better.”
Today, he’s feeling good and looking forward to being ready for camp in September.
“The surgery went really well. I got great care and stayed in New Jersey for four and a half weeks after the operation. During that time, they kept an eye on the shoulder and I was able to train at the gym there under the guidance of my strength coach, Gustav Pettersson, who’s from Sweden. He and the Devils worked out my regular strength program and how it would align with rehab and everything.
“Everything’s gone great, and the shoulder is getting better and better each week. It looks like I’ll be ready for camp.”
The injury forced Bratt to decline an invite to the World Championship. He admits that it was painful having to say no to playing a tournament like that in his own hometown of Stockholm.
“That was really tough—those were some really hard days. After the season, I knew something might need to be done, and it was in the back of my mind that the doctors wanted to have that conversation. I knew myself how important it would be to get it fixed.
“At the same time… I was sitting at home with a newly operated shoulder, watching Sweden play at Worlds. I had even thought about putting out some tickets for people to come watch. Playing a World Championship at home was something I had always dreamed of.
“It was disappointing, but I just had to do what was best for myself and the team—try to heal properly long-term in order to win the Stanley Cup.”
The 2026 Olympics are also approaching, and Bratt is eager to be a part of that.
“That’s absolutely something I have in the back of my mind and think a lot about, especially after getting the chance to play in the 4 Nations tournament. That really showed me how fun it is to play in a tournament with the best players, going up against the best, coming together with the Swedish team.”
The Olympics will be a nice bonus during the upcoming season. But it’s the Devils’ progress that really matters to Bratt.
“I have big goals. I’m definitely taking things from last season that I want to build on. Above all, I think what we’re feeling now is how, as a group, we can become much better individually—and also as a team, become more of a well-oiled machine that holds up during tough times and wins tough games.
“Building something that’s consistent, not just being great one night and completely flat the next. Creating a level of play that gives the team confidence. Knowing: ‘This is how we need to play to win.’ I think that’s how you go far in the playoffs.
“If you look at Florida and those kinds of teams, they win the tough games. Even if not everyone is having their best night, they keep grinding and are a team machine that plays fantastic hockey night after night. That’s where we need to get as a team, and it starts with personal development. How serious you are on an individual level. Trying to be your best every day and how you train every day. Then you bring that into the team and create a great foundation.”
Brat is looking forward to being one of the core players who will lead the Devils to long-term success.
“It’s a role that comes from me being serious and putting in hard work over a long time. I always want to keep moving forward. To be that engine and driving force that others just naturally follow,” Bratt said. “I’m not the one who talks the most or constantly speaks up in the locker room, but I try to lead through how I practice, how I play, how I train, and how I take care of myself on a daily basis…
“I try to be a role model—not just for the younger guys, but even for the older ones. Like: ‘Okay, we have to step it up another level,’ because you have to be all-in 24 hours a day to perform at this level.
“That’s what works for me, anyway. I think I’ve earned a lot of respect from the guys on the team just by being who I am.”
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