The 2024-25 season ended for the New Jersey Devils after their first-round exit in the playoffs at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. The Devils made a decent playoff push, but ultimately, all the injuries did them in. In the regular season, the Devils had a record of 42-33-7. Each player on the team contributed in different ways, with some having a better performance than others. Let’s look at Erik Haula’s 2024-25 season performance.
Haula’s Season With the Devils
The 2024-25 season was Haula’s third straight with the Devils. It was the second of a three-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $3.15 million. Although this was his third season with the Devils, this was his 12th season overall in his NHL career. On Oct. 24, 2024, Haula played in his milestone 700th career game. He concluded the season with a career total of 759 games.
Haula played 69 regular-season games and recorded 21 points via 11 goals and 10 assists. He had a strong start to the season, recording three assists on Oct. 12. Three games later, he scored his first goal of the season on Oct. 17. He scored another one in the next game, and then two games later, he rang in his 700th career game with another goal. He scored another on Oct. 27, but after that, he hit a bit of a lull. His next goal came 12 games later on Nov. 25, and he only recorded two assists in between. After that, it took him 29 more games to record another point. On March 9, he scored a goal and an assist, which gave him two points in one game after a long point drought. His points in the regular season were severely inconsistent. He recorded a minus-6 for the season.
Haula mostly played center on the fourth line with Nathan Bastian and Paul Cotter as his wingers. His average time on ice (TOI) was 14:42. However, once Jack Hughes was injured, Haula stepped up to center the second line while Nico Hischier centered the first.
Haula played five postseason games and recorded an assist in Game 2. Since several players were injured, he had a higher TOI in the playoffs, recording 18:36.
Haula’s Past Seasons With the Devils
On July 13, 2022, Haula was traded to the Devils from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Pavel Zacha. In the 2022-23 season, he played 80 regular-season games and recorded 41 points via 14 goals and 27 assists. He already made a strong impact with the Devils from the beginning. He just missed his chance at tying his previous season’s point total by three points. He recorded a plus-13.
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In the 2023-24 season, Haula played 76 regular-season games and recorded 35 points via 16 goals and 19 assists. He recorded his highest TOI since his 2017-18 season, with a 16:53. On top of this, he also recorded his first negative plus/minus since 2017-18, with a minus-1.
Haula’s Future in Hockey
On June 18, the Devils announced they were trading Haula to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Jeremy Hanzel and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 Draft. The Predators will now take on the remaining year of Haula’s contract.
Haula will play his 13th NHL season with the team he spent the 2020-21 season with. He played six games and recorded four points via one goal and three assists.
If Haula stayed with the Devils, there is no doubt that he would play with the bottom-six forwards again. Perhaps this move was an attempt to give him more playing time.
Haula’s Overall Grade
For the 2024-25 season, Haula gets a D. His season started strong, but his production slide is what earned him this grade. He was mostly playing in the bottom six, but he was still getting plenty of minutes on the ice to try and get points. Although he moved up to the top six while Hughes was injured, his lack of points hurt the Devils towards the end of the season, but most importantly, during the playoffs. He had a decent season, but certainly could have been better, especially while he was playing in the top six.
With the Devils trading Haula for Hanzel, it is clear they are building towards the future. Hanzel has yet to play for an NHL team, spending the 2024-25 season in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the ECHL. Trading a veteran in Haula for a prospect like Hanzel, the Devils are committed to the core they have right now and are trying to build for the future. Unfortunately for Haula, this means there is no more room for him on the Devils.
Wishing Haula all the best in Nashville.
