The New Jersey Devils shipped durable forward Dawson Mercer to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday as part of the return for three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck in Friday’s dramatic trade.
Mercer’s durability is the draw for Winnipeg, but his departure raises a pointed question about why New Jersey would give up a player who has not missed an NHL game since 2021.
Winnipeg also received forwards Alexander Command and Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick, according to the Winnipeg Jets news release. Command, 18, went 12th overall to New Jersey in the 2026 draft, and the Jets acquired his rights. Mercer, 24, has four assists in 10 games this season.
Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and 2024-25 Hart Trophy winner, had asked for a trade in the offseason, and Winnipeg suspended him Sept. 16 when he skipped training camp. That suspension was set to end Friday.
Dawson Mercer’s Reliability and Career Path
Mercer was born Oct. 27, 2001, in Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador. The Drummondville Voltigeurs chose him eighth overall in the 2017 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft, according to Elite Prospects. Before that, he scored 68 points in 24 games for Tri Pen Ice U15 AAA in 2015-16, then spent a season at Bishop’s College Prep.
He scored 30 goals and 64 points in 68 games for Drummondville in 2018-19, then moved to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in January 2020. One pre-draft scouting report praised his stickhandling and his habit of scoring from close range, according to The Puck Authority.
The Devils selected him 18th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft and signed him Dec. 24, 2020. He also owns international hardware with Canada, including gold at the 2020 World Juniors, silver at the 2021 World Juniors and silver at the 2022 World Championship.
Reliability defines his NHL résumé. Mercer played all 82 games in each of his first five seasons and all 10 so far this season, for 420 career games, according to NHL.com. He reached 20 goals three times in that span, including 20 goals and 42 points last season, and his career line stands at 103 goals, 110 assists and 213 points.
His best season came in 2022-23, when he scored 27 goals and set a career high with 56 points. Mercer is listed as a 6-foot, 181-pound center and right wing who shoots right. The Jets’ release credits him with nine points in 17 career playoff games.
Why the New Jersey Devils Moved Dawson Mercer
Goaltending ranked as New Jersey’s problem area. Jake Allen has an .883 save percentage and Nico Daws an .874 mark, and the Devils as a team have stopped 220 of 250 shots, according to stats cited by New Jersey Hockey Now.
Fitting Hellebuyck’s $8.5 million cap hit, which runs through 2030-31, required outgoing salary. New Jersey had about $1.3 million in cap space entering Friday, and Mercer’s $4 million cap hit and Daws’ $1.1 million figure together cleared $5.1 million.
Winnipeg was underwhelmed by the offers it had received as recently as last weekend, according to ESPN. Talks gained momentum Thursday night, and the Jets wanted the deal finished before hosting the Heritage Classic on Sunday.
Mercer is in the final year of a three-year, $12 million contract and will be a restricted free agent after this season, according to PuckPedia. New Jersey visits Winnipeg on Nov. 10, which sets up an early reunion.
Devils Announce Dawson Mercer Decision After Connor Hellebuyck Trade