Devils Reunite Erik Haula With His “Family”

Haula is married with a two-year old son, Henrik, who is often seen at the glass in pre-game warmups cheering on his dad. One of the reasons he gave for wanting to stay in New Jersey was that he was tired of moving and wanted to put down roots, “[h]opefully, we can do it sooner than later, so I can get my living situation in order and make my wife happy.” Fitzgerald seemed to also recognize Haula’s sense of urgency, “[a]t the end of the season, he told me how much he wanted to be a part of what we are building here in New Jersey, and I’m glad we could quickly get a deal done that gives him a place to lay down roots with his family.” Now Haula can focus on a second season in the same jersey for the first time since the summer of 2018.

Veteran Leadership

Entering last offseason the Devils were a team bereft of playoff experience. Finding experienced players who could add leadership to a young locker room was obviously a priority for Fitzgerald as shown by his signing of two-time Cup champion Ondrej Palat and then trading for Haula who brought 60 games of playoff experience. He also brought a versatility that allowed him to play in any situation, be it even strength, power play, or the penalty kill where he finished second on the team in short-handed goals.

Many questioned why Haula was moved early in the season from center to play on Jack Hughes’ wing. At the time, Haula was mired in a deep struggle shooting the puck. A time (five goals in 62 games) he would later call “embarrassing” considering his shooting percentage dipped into the low single digits. Hughes, though, has long recognized what Haula brings to the table and repeatedly alluded to the leadership intangibles that Haula provided to go along with his stellar defensive play and at the faceoff dot. Haula was second on the team behind Michael McLeod in faceoff percentage winning over 54 percent of his draws. Haula’s ability to defend and win faceoffs lessened the burden on Hughes and allowed him to play more freely, leading to the breakout year Hughes experienced.

“I’m a huge Erik Haula fan. He came in and did a great job for us, providing that leadership and experience. There’s a difference between being in the locker room, being a voice, and then not backing it up. He’s been a gamer for us.”

Jack Hughes to reporters during Devils Exit Interviews, May 13, 2023

Haula’s affinity for Hughes is also unmistakeable as he shared with the media after his signing. “It was a lot of fun playing with [Hughes] and just building that relationship. He was someone I was in communication with in the summer and one of my first texts when we got the deal done. I can’t say enough about him and just fortunate to play with a player like that and he’s only going to get better. I’m going to do what I can to help him.” The synergy between the pair translated tangibly into a 60.5 expected goals for percentage when the two were on the ice together in the regular season a full five percent higher than when Hughes was on the ice without Haula.

Haula’s leadership was instrumental to the improvement of the team’s core young forwards. “He’s obviously a key guy. He’s been around for a long time, and has played for a lot of successful teams. Obviously, that brings a lot of maturity and a good voice in the room for us in the room who on paper, are a younger team,” Jesper Bratt told The Hockey Writers earlier this season.

Coming Through When it Mattered Most

After an abysmal start, Haula picked up his game, scoring nine goals in the last 20 regular-season contests. He continued his strong play into the first round of the playoffs against the New York Rangers. Of those players who played all seven games, he was the team leader in points per 60 minutes and individual expected goals for at all strengths. He was also the team leader in goals and total points in the series, scoring twice in Game 5 and once in Game 7 to close the door on the Rangers.

Like most of his teammates, Haula was unable to reclaim the early playoff magic in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes. He was the subject of derision and constant booing during the games in Carolina. Both he and the team were never able to gain a foothold in the series and bowed out in five games.

Unfinished Business

The one milestone Haula has been unable to achieve is hoisting the Stanley Cup. He came close as an original member of the Golden Knights in 2018 who ultimately lost to Washington Capitals in the Final. Competing for the Cup was one of the main reasons he chose to return to New Jersey, “[w]inning is really important to me. I always talk about nothing’s guaranteed, but just being on a team that’s going to make the playoffs or have a chance to make the playoffs… that’s somewhere I want to be and it just seemed like a great fit with New Jersey.” He also praised the fans, “they showed up last year and at times it was unbelievable. I remember some of those playoff games and I’m sure the fan base is really excited at the future, so it’s only gonna get better.”

Fitzgerald now has his top-three centers in place for the next three years at an average annual value of just under $18.5 million. Once he is able to round out the top six by adding in Timo Meier, this will be a formidable team for the foreseeable future.