Devils prospect Dawson Mercer striving to bring a Patrice Bergeron-style game to New Jersey

After four seasons in the QMJHL, Bay Roberts, Newfoundland native Dawson Mercer is looking to make his presence felt at his very first NHL training camp later this month in hopes of securing a spot on the New Jersey Devils' roster when their season kicks off on October 15th against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Every young player who comes into the NHL does so looking to carve out an identity at the highest level, bringing whatever they can to the table to separate themselves from the pack during training camp.

So what does Mercer hope to bring to the table for the Devils? Well, according to him, he hopes to bring a little bit of everything to the table. A big fan of Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, Mercer hopes to establish himself as the same sort of two-way center at the NHL level. A lofty goal, for sure - but one that Mercer is striving for nonetheless.

"[Bergeron] has obviously (been) an unbelievable player in this league for a long time," Mercer said, "And he's that complete, two-way forward, that can do whatever you want, whatever role and he can bring a lot of offense, but then he's out there taking these draws, and all that responsibility that a lot of players would like to have. So that's type of player I've been trying to model my game after; be responsible defensively, but then also transition and be able to create a lot of offense and be relied on in different situations."

According to assistant GM Dan MacKinnon, the Devils are thrilled with how Mercer has progressed throughout his QMJHL career - more specifically since being drafted 18th-overall in 2020. There are certainly high hopes for the 19-year-old at camp.

"(Dawson is) the guy we're so excited about," MacKinnon said earlier this summer, "because you just know he's going to be able to step in and have a pretty well-rounded, mature pro-style game right away, but also the skill to produce points and not just be a checker."

If Mercer can set a career trajectory that is even remotely parallel to Bergeron's, the Devils will have made away like bandits at the 2020 draft.

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