As the Devils head toward the 2026-27 season, the organization is leaning hard into depth on the back end - and Sunny Mehta has started building it with a clear eye toward Belarusian and Russian defensemen.
Under Mehta and assistant general manager Braden Birch, New Jersey is working with a new coaching group that the team believes can communicate the system in different ways. Brad Shaw is in charge of defense, including the penalty kill and special teams work on that side of the puck, while Sheldon Keefe is back behind the bench. The old staff is largely gone, with Dave Rogalski no longer in the picture, Jeremy Colliton also out, and Coach Brylin having taken a head-coaching job in the KHL.
That shift is part of why the Devils don’t feel like the same club from the last few seasons. There are five forwards in the final year of their contracts - Cody Glass, Nick Bjugstad, Stefan Noesen, Jesper Boqvist, and Evan Rodrigues - and Brenden Dillon and Declan Chisholm are also in contract years on defense. New Jersey is expected to want more shooters and more play drivers through the middle and bottom six.
Mehta’s hand could still move before the season starts, but there is also an internal path waiting. Anton Silayev is viewed as a likely replacement for Dillon next season, bringing a similar shutdown role at a younger age. The former first-round pick is expected to be a long-term defensive piece in New Jersey.
Another name worth watching is Vladislav Kolyachonok. A Sunny Mehta signee, he could emerge as a mobile puck-moving defender who helps push the pace, fires from the low-danger area, creates rebounds, and flashes enough skill to finish plays himself.
Mehta’s draft work this past year was aimed at reviving the prospect pool, while also connecting with Devils draftees who were left behind from the Tom Fitzgerald era. That approach fits the franchise’s history. Lou Lamoriello once made a habit of bringing in Russian and former USSR players before the rest of the league was fully on board, and Mehta has followed that path by taking several swings on players from Russia and Belarus.
The hope in New Jersey is that all of it adds up to a deeper pipeline and a stronger defense. If that happens, it should make life easier for Nico Daws and Jake Allen in goal and help the offense get rolling again.
In Other News...
Devils Pipeline Ranking Raises A Bigger Question About Long Term Help
The Devils prospect system keeps drawing attention because it has more than just one obvious headliner. Anton Silayev brings the kind of size and defensive upside that can change a blue line, while Alexander Command is part of a group the organization is hoping can grow into meaningful NHL help. Add in the rest of the pipeline, and the picture is less about one future star than about whether enough pieces are on track to matter down the road.
What makes the ranking more interesting is the long-term question it leaves hanging for New Jersey. The evaluative rundown digs into physical tools, skill sets and projected roles, but it also underscores how much of the Devils future depends on prospects eventually turning promise into dependable production. For a team with expectations now, the real test is how many of these players can become more than intriguing names on a list. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Prospect Jakub Malek Is Suddenly Facing A Big Utica Opportunity
Jakub Malek is suddenly in line for a much larger role in Utica, with Nico Daws likely headed into the New Jersey Devils crease and leaving the Comets needing a new No. 1. For a prospect who is still trying to establish himself in North America, that kind of responsibility can accelerate everything, from nightly workload to how the organization evaluates his long-term fit.
The backup picture is still unsettled, and that is where the real roster watch begins. Utica could lean on a veteran like David Rittich, keep Daws in the mix if he stays put, or turn to AHL contract goaltenders Seth Eisele and Jeremy Brodeur, while outside additions remain possible as well. No official decisions have been made yet, but the setup already makes Maleks season one of the more important development storylines in the Devils pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Camp Could Answer Two Roster Questions Fans Care About
The Devils have spent the offseason reshaping the roster under new general manager Sunny Mehta, and now the attention shifts to training camp, where a few unresolved spots should start to sort themselves out. One of the most intriguing names in the mix is Anton Silayev, who recently signed a three-year entry-level contract and is expected to be around when camp opens, giving the organization a fresh look at how quickly he can fit into the next wave of talent.
Goaltending is another position worth watching closely, especially with Martin Brodeur publicly expressing confidence in Nico Daws' potential to grow into the job. The Devils have also shown interest in Alexander Smolin during the offseason, which adds another layer to a competition that could shape the depth chart early in the season and tell the team a lot about where it stands in net. [Read more 🡒]