New Jersey Devils
A preview of the 2026-27 NHL season for the New Jersey Devils, including predictions from VSiN NHL Expert Jonathan Davis. For all other NHL team previews, check out our NHL page.
Key Additions: Evan Rodrigues, Anthony Mantha, Luke Evangelista, Jesper Boqvist, David Rittich
Key Departures: Paul Cotter, Jacob Markstrom, Simon Nemec, Maxim Tysplakov
Overview
Since making 13 consecutive trips to the playoffs from 1997-2010, the Devils have failed to make back-to-back postseason appearances. So it shouldn’t have surprised anyone when they failed to qualify for the playoffs last season after earning a spot in 2025. Ownership felt a new direction was needed and fired general manager Tom Fitzgerald, replacing him with Sunny Mehta. Mehta spent six seasons with the Florida Panthers, including the last three as assistant GM and head of analytics, helping to build a roster that won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025. In one of his first moves, Mehta engineered a trade with his former team, sending goalie Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers in a multi-player deal that saw Evan Rodrigues come to New Jersey.
Offense
Goals were hard to come by for the Devils last season, who ranked 27th overall. Despite playing in just 61 games last season, the 27 goals scored by Jack Hughes were just one less than team leader Nico Hischier’s 28 (played all 82 games). In need of goal-scoring, general manager Sunny Mehta signed free agent Anthony Mantha, who led the Penguins last season with 33 goals, and added Evan Rodrigues, who can play up and down the lineup and is good for 15 goals. Maybe the additions of Mantha and Rodrigues will take some of the pressure off Timo Meier, whose goal totals have dropped each of the past three seasons (28,26,24) after scoring 40 goals in the 2022-23 season.
Defense
Maybe one of the bigger surprises heading into the 2026-27 season is that Dougie Hamilton is still a member of the New Jersey Devils. Long rumored to be on the trade block, a new general manager, the trade of Simon Nemec (to Calgary) has Hamilton as a key part of the Devils’ quest to make the playoffs and be legit Stanley Cup contenders. Hamilton and Luke Hughes will anchor the Devils’ two power play units, and it will be interesting to see which of the two is on the top unit. Brett Pesce (37 games last season) was sorely missed; Brendan Dillion, Johnathan Kovacevic and Jonas Siegenthaler are all solid defensively. Siegenthaler plays with Hamilton on the top pair, and his 135 blocked shots last season led the team.
Goaltending
It’s been said that goaltending is 70% of a team’s success and 100% of its failures. The Devils enter the season with 35-year-old Jake Allen, career backup David Rittich, and the hope that Nico Daws can ultimately emerge as the team’s number one goalie. It’s hard to envision the Devils raising the Cup this season with either one of these goalies, and for Daws, who has started just seven NHL games over the last two seasons, general manager Sunny Mehta believes given a legitimate opportunity, Daws can seize the number one job.
Player to Watch
For me, it’s Jack Hughes. A healthy Jack Hughes makes the Devils a legitimate threat not only to make the playoffs, but to make a deep playoff run. The Devils’ captain has missed a combined 46 games in the last two seasons. Last season, despite playing 21 fewer games than Jesper Bratt (71 points) and Nico Hischier (66 points), Hughes led the team in scoring with 77 points. The Devils won just eight of 21 games without Jack Hughes in the lineup. He has played more than 62 games only once in his career, and that was in 2022-23, when he put up 99 points in 78 games. His talent is unquestionable. His availability continues to come into question, and New Jersey’s success is tied to his health.
Outlook
Scouts who followed the Devils last season told me there were too many games when the Devils were too easy to play against. Of their 40 losses last season, 29 were by two goals or more (73%). The acquisition of forward Luke Evangelista on September 1 leaves the Devils with a glut of forwards and leaves me thinking they are looking to swing a trade to upgrade their goaltending. I immediately added their point total Over 95.5 to my futures portfolio as well as a .25 unit play on the Devils to finish third in the Metropolitan Division (+450).
Team Futures
Regular Season Points: 95.5 (Over -120, Under -110)
To Make the Playoffs: (-135)
Miss the Playoffs: (+105)
To Win the Division: (+750)
To Win the Eastern Conference: (+1700)
To Win the Stanley Cup: (+3000)
2025-26 Recap
Record: 42-37-3
Over/Under: 39-43
Home Favorite: 19-10 // Home Dog: 2-6
Road Favorite: 7-8 // Road Dog: 13-9
Win Score 4 or more: 29 of 42 // Lose Give Up 4 or more: 26 of 40
Puck Line Wins: 22 of 42 // Puck Line Losses: 29 of 40
Front End Back-to-Back: 9-6 // Back End Back-to-Back: 8-7
Points Leader: Jack Hughes – 77
Goal Leader: Nico Hischier – 28
Teams First Goal Leader: Timo Meier – 14
Assist Leader: Jack Hughes – 50
Shots on Goal Leader: Timo Meier – 269
Blocked Shots: Jonas Siegenthaler – 135
Depth Chart
Forwards
Timo Meier / Nico Hischier / Luke Evangelista
Jesper Bratt / Jack Hughes / Anthony Mantha
Arseny Gritsyuk / Cody Glass / Dawson Mercer
Connor Brown / Nick Bjugstad / Evan Rodrigues
Defense
Jonas Siegenthaler / Dougie Hamilton
Luke Hughes / Brett Pesce
Brenden Dillon / Johnathan Kovacevic
Goalies
Jake Allen / Nico Daws
