The Devils are still sorting themselves out less than 10 games into the 2026-27 season, and the picture has been a mixed one. They’re 5-4-0, they’ve had stretches where the offense looks unstoppable, and they’ve also had the kind of special teams and 5-on-5 issues that can drag a team backward in a hurry. One encouraging trend has emerged, though: they’ve scored the first goal in each of their last four games, something they hadn’t done before their overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings.
That uneven start has forced Sheldon Keefe to keep moving pieces around, especially as injuries and illness have taken players in and out of the lineup. The latest roster decisions have centered on Brenden Dillon, while Luke Evangelista and Connor Brown are both back in the mix.
Dillon’s situation has become one of the more notable lineup calls. Since arriving as a free agent in 2024, he has carved out a role as a physical, steady veteran presence on the blue line.
The expectation was straightforward: bottom-pair minutes, hard contact, shot blocking, and some stability. He opened the season next to Declan Chisholm while Johnathan Kovacevic was out recovering from knee surgery, and because Dillon had played every game across two seasons with New Jersey, his four straight scratches after Kovacevic returned stood out.
Keefe explained the decision on Monday, saying the team wanted to increase Kovacevic’s workload and also keep developing Chisholm into an everyday player. “Dillon’s a guy that’s worked extremely hard in his career to establish himself in the league. He’s an important leader on our team, so to not have him involved wasn’t an easy discussion,” Keefe stated.
There was also a wrinkle behind the scenes. Elliotte Friedman reported on The FAN Hockey Show that Dillon used his no-trade clause to block a proposed move in 2025-26. This season, his contract includes a ten-team no-trade list, which means the situation could still shift.
The return of Evangelista and Brown gave the Devils a different kind of boost in their matchup with the Colorado Avalanche. Evangelista missed three games because of illness, while Brown was making his season debut after a lower-body injury suffered in practice in late September.
Evangelista wasted little time making his presence felt. He opened the scoring 6:40 into the first period with a wrist shot past Scott Wedgewood, then added another impact play midway through the second by assisting on Chisholm’s goal to put the Devils ahead 2-1. Dawson Mercer had filled in on the top line while Evangelista was out, but the speedy winger looked right at home on his return.
Brown was eased in on the fourth line with Jesper Boqvist and Cody Glass, logging 7:25 against Colorado. Even with limited ice time, that trio still left a mark. Brown picked up an assist on Boqvist’s empty-net goal, helping the Devils push the lead to three.
For New Jersey, Brown’s return carries real intrigue. In his first season with the team, he matched a career high with 43 points despite missing seven games, and the hope is that he can become a dependable bottom-six scorer again this year.
As for the bigger team picture, the Devils still have plenty to clean up. They’re not short on shot attempts - they rank third in the league with 665 - but they’ve also allowed 30 goals while scoring 29, according to Natural Stat Trick. The real problem has been turning chances into goals at 5-on-5, a familiar issue that has hung around for seasons.
Their 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals showed exactly where the cracks can open. New Jersey scored first, then watched Washington rip off four straight. After that game, Keefe was blunt: “I don’t know if we won a puck battle the entire second period…We’re just on our heels in terms of one guy allowing someone to beat us and get by us.”
The response came at practice Monday, where the Devils ran a heavy session built around urgency, puck pressure, ending plays quickly, and finishing checks in the corners. The work carried over into Tuesday night’s 4-3 win over the Avalanche, when New Jersey showed more bite defensively and held on even after Colorado made things interesting with two late goals.
In Other News...
Flames Fans May Need To Rethink Those Devils Trades
Calgarys win over Carolina had a familiar twist for Devils followers, with Yegor Sharangovich providing the game-winning goal and reminding people why his departure from New Jersey still stands out. The Flames have leaned on a cluster of former Devils players, too, and Kevin Bahl and Simon Nemec have settled in as a sturdy defensive pairing that has helped give Calgary some real balance on the back end.
It is the broader trade history that keeps making this feel worth revisiting from a New Jersey perspective. The Flames have been the landing spot for players acquired in deals with the Devils, including Jacob Markstrom and Tyler Toffoli, and the early returns keep looking better than many expected when those moves were made. Sharangovich, meanwhile, has backed up his strong season with more timely production, which only adds to the sense that some of these exchanges may deserve a fresh look. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Suddenly Have A New Path To A Superstar Trade
The Devils spent the offseason reinforcing a roster that already looked like it had a real window, mixing confirmed trades and signings with a few key retainers to keep the core intact. Now a different kind of opportunity has opened up, one that could change the shape of their forward group if they decide to get aggressive.
Dylan Larkin has reportedly widened the list of teams he would consider as a trade destination, and New Jersey is now among them. For a club that has tried to build toward contention without losing its identity, that kind of opening is hard to ignore, even if it only puts the Devils in the conversation for now and leaves the next step very much unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Fans Have A New Prospect Reason To Watch Boston University
Boston Universitys season is off to a sharp start at 3-1, and the attention for Devils fans goes well beyond the win-loss record. Goaltender Mikhail Yegorov has been a big part of that early success, turning in a 1.00 goals-against average with a .956 save percentage and one shutout, the kind of start that makes every Terriers game worth a closer look for New Jerseys prospect watchers.
There is also a more immediate Devils angle in the lineup, even if it has been a short one so far. Conrad Fondrk has appeared in two games for BU, but he is currently day-to-day with an injury, leaving his next step in college hockey uncertain for the moment. [Read more 🡒]