Connor Hellebuyck didn’t need much time to show why the Devils wanted him in net.
In his first start for New Jersey, the goaltender picked up the win against the Dallas Stars and allowed just one goal. That was about as clean a debut as the Devils could have hoped for, especially considering Hellebuyck had not played competitive hockey since April after being suspended by the Winnipeg Jets and missing all of training camp.
The lone puck that got past him was hardly a soft one. Justin Hryckowian finished off a sharp tip-in just seconds after Hellebuyck stoned Matthew Seminoff from point-blank range.
There wasn’t much Hellebuyck could do about the goal against, and otherwise he was sharp all night. HockeyStats credited him with a goals saved above expected mark of +0.67, which lined up with the eye test.
He turned aside seven of eight high-danger shots and was perfect on medium- and low-danger chances, according to NaturalStatTrick.
He got plenty of support, too.
New Jersey controlled the game from start to finish, outshooting Dallas 27-17 and holding a decisive edge in shot attempts, 58-37. That dominance turned into five goals, with captain Nico Hischier scoring twice, Jesper Boqvist adding one, and both Hughes brothers finding the net as well. The Devils made life easy for their new goalie, and Hellebuyck did exactly what was required in front of them.
If this level of goaltending continues - even if it’s just average or better - New Jersey has every reason to think it can push Carolina for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division. The Devils’ underlying play has been better than anyone else in the league, and with their finishing and goaltending regressing toward average, they’ve now won four in a row and sit second in the division.
That’s the real value Hellebuyck brings. He doesn’t have to be spectacular every night to change the shape of this team.
The expectation is simpler than that: steady, reliable, and rarely a problem. Against Dallas, he was all of that.
In Other News...
Connor Hellebuyck Just Exposed What Rivals Still Think Of Devils Fans
Connor Hellebuycks move to New Jersey has already stirred up more than the usual trade chatter, because the goalie arrived after a contentious exit from Winnipeg and into a market that still seems to draw outside assumptions about its fanbase. The Devils paid a real price to bring him in, with multiple players and draft picks changing hands, so the attention on the deal has been about more than just the roster fit. It has also reopened the familiar debate over how rivals view Devils supporters, especially when the conversation starts drifting north into Canada.
For New Jersey, the reaction matters because it speaks to the bigger picture around the teams place in the league. The piece gets at how Hellebuycks arrival has been received in both markets, and why the response says as much about lingering misconceptions as it does about the trade itself. Even now, the part of the story that feels most revealing is not what happened on the ice, but what his move seems to have exposed about the way some people still talk about Devils fans. [Read more 🡒]
Former Devils Forward Is Already Proving New Jersey Right
When the Devils passed on extending Paul Cotter a qualifying offer, it looked like a clean roster decision and nothing more. He left as an unrestricted free agent, landed with the Vancouver Canucks, and got off to a strong start in his new home before the season began to tilt the other way. In New Jersey, the front office moved on quickly, reshaping that spot in the lineup with Jesper Boqvist and Amadeus Lombardi.
Now Cotters early surge in Vancouver has given way to a tougher stretch, one that has even landed him in healthy-scratch territory. For the Devils, it is at least a reminder that the bet they made on their own depth chart is holding up so far, even without the player who once seemed like a straightforward part of the forward mix. [Read more 🡒]
Former Red Wings Prospect Is Making Detroit's Trade Look Risky
Amadeus Lombardis arrival gave the Devils another intriguing young piece to watch after a busy offseason that saw the club reshuffle its forward depth and add more scoring options. Picked up from the Red Wings, the former Detroit prospect wasted little time getting his first taste of the NHL with New Jersey, making his debut in the 2026-27 season opener and then following it up with his first points shortly after.
For a Devils team that has leaned into movement and flexibility around its roster, Lombardis early progress is the kind of development that can make an acquisition feel especially useful. He did spend a brief stretch as a healthy scratch before getting back into the lineup, and that up-and-down start is part of the early evaluation here, with Detroits side of the trade now looking more complicated as he begins to settle in. [Read more 🡒]