Jesper Boqvist may be the odd man out in New Jersey, and that’s not the path many expected when the Devils brought him back this offseason.
The Devils opened preseason with a roster light on NHL regulars, giving players like Matyas Melovsky, Seamus Casey, and Anton Silaev a chance to get real game reps. With only four preseason games to work with, New Jersey has to be selective about how it spends those minutes. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier likely only need one tune-up game if practices are used to simulate game action, and Sheldon Keefe appears focused on using the preseason to sort out what comes next.
Against the Islanders on Sunday, the Devils were essentially rolling out their fourth line, third-pair defense, and a third-string goalie. Most of the rest of that group is expected to begin the season with the Utica Comets. That’s what made the forward group on the ice a little surprising.
Amadeus Lombardi has been turning heads early in camp. His speed and elusiveness have stood out in practice, and he looked even better once the games started.
That matters because New Jersey’s roster math is getting tight, and the conversation around the bottom six is starting to sharpen. Stefan Noesen has long looked like the most obvious player to be placed on waivers to begin the season.
The fit is awkward, the contract is awkward, and there isn’t a clean opening for him in the lineup. If Sunny Mehta can get salary cap relief by sending Noesen to Utica, there’s also the chance another team claims the final year of his $2.75 million deal.
But Noesen isn’t the only name in that discussion.
Jesper Boqvist was one of the pieces New Jersey added in the Jacob Markstrom trade this offseason, along with Evan Rodrigues. The point of that deal was moving Markstrom’s $6 million salary, but the Devils also brought in bottom-six help as part of the package.
Boqvist’s history with New Jersey makes this situation feel even stranger. The Devils drafted him in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft, the same year they selected Nico Hischier.
He developed with the organization and eventually became an NHL regular in 2022-23, which was the last great Devils season. Then, that summer, Tom Fitzgerald stunned people by not even giving Boqvist a qualifying offer.
Boqvist wound up with the Florida Panthers and ended up contributing to a Stanley Cup winner, while the Devils’ new GM had been the assistant GM there.
The idea that Boqvist could go from helping lift a team to the Cup to potentially landing on waivers is hard to wrap your head around, especially for a Devils team that has gone through so much less success than it would like. But that possibility is now very real.
Noesen has also done his part to stay in the mix. After an injury-plagued season last year, he has played well, and it’s worth remembering he was just one season removed from a 20-goal campaign.
Boqvist’s numbers don’t stack up the same way. He has never scored more than 12 goals in a season, and last year he managed just four. Injuries should have opened the door for him to do more, but instead he posted his worst offensive output since the COVID-shortened 2021 season.
Boqvist was an intriguing addition this offseason, but Lombardi’s upside is higher, and Noesen brings a role that still makes sense. The next wave of camp cuts should make the picture clearer, and it will be worth watching where Boqvist and Noesen land when opening night lines start to take shape.
In Other News...
Devils Fans May Be Rethinking Just How Risky That Markstrom Era Was
When Sunny Mehta took over the Devils, one of his first major moves was sending Jacob Markstrom to Florida in a deal that brought back Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist. The trade also cleared the cap room New Jersey needed to add Anthony Mantha and Luke Evangelista, giving the roster a different shape up front and signaling a clear pivot in how the team wanted to build around its goalie situation.
Markstroms preseason debut with the Panthers offered an early reminder of why that decision will be watched closely in New Jersey. The Devils, meanwhile, are heading into the season with Nico Daws, Jake Allen and David Rittich in the crease, a tandem-and-a-half arrangement that leaves the position looking very different than it did when Markstrom was still in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Fans Get An Early Look At A Much Different Lineup
After a preseason opener that offered the usual first glimpse of October hockey, the Devils are turning quickly to a much different look against the Rangers. Sheldon Keefe is rolling out a lineup far heavier on established NHL talent this time, with Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt all set to be part of the mix as New Jersey keeps building toward opening night.
The night also brings several fresh faces to Prudential Center, including Luke Evangelista, Anthony Mantha and Evan Rodrigues. Keefe pointed to Evangelistas fit on the power play, noting the value of his right-handed shot and his ability to move the puck, and this game should give Devils fans a better sense of how those additions can change the teams feel early in the preseason. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Camp Suddenly Has A Roster Battle Fans Need To Watch
Training camp in New Jersey has opened with the kind of competition every team hopes for and every fringe player dreads. The Devils are sorting through rookies, veterans and new additions as they build toward the 2026-27 season, and a recent preseason win over the Islanders only sharpened the focus on who can push their way onto the roster.
Amadeus Lombardi has turned some heads with his play in that game, giving himself a legitimate case to stick around if he keeps it up. In goal, Nico Daws looks set to handle the backup role after signing a two-year extension, and coach Sheldon Keefe has already voiced confidence in his readiness, leaving the rest of camp with a few more jobs still very much up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]