The New Jersey Devils’ first day of training camp brought lineup clues, roster battles and, most notably, a significant injury update that changes the picture up front.
On the ice, there were a few early looks worth watching. Anthony Mantha skated on the top line with Jack Hughes, while Amadeus Lombardi appeared set to begin camp in the top nine. In the second practice, Nico Hischier’s exact linemates were still unclear, but the early setup had him alongside Timo Meier and newly acquired Luke Evangelista.
The biggest development, though, centered on the injury list. Johnny Kovacevic is expected to miss time, which gives Declan Chisholm an early opportunity in camp and could also create a path for Seamus Casey or Topias Vilen.
Then came the more serious news: center Nick Bjugstad is facing a lengthy absence. The Devils announced that Bjugstad was hurt during training this month and suffered a torn pectoral, an injury that required surgery and will keep him out four to six months.
That timeline makes his season status a real question mark. Bjugstad, who joined the Devils near the trade deadline last season, was in the mix for a fourth-line role and was part of a crowded competition for the final roster spots. Now he is likely to miss most, if not all, of the year.
The injury also reshapes the Devils’ forward logjam. Bjugstad, Jesper Boqvist, Stefan Noesen, Amadeus Lombardi and Lenni Hameenaho were all competing for limited openings. His absence eases that squeeze, at least for now.
It also helps explain some of the roster choices. With the Devils adding more center options, including Evan Rodrigues, Cody Glass and the ability to use Dawson Mercer there in a pinch, Bjugstad was already on the bubble. Lombardi’s chance in the top 12 now looks a little more meaningful.
There’s a cap wrinkle, too. Because the Devils are under the salary cap ceiling, they do not need to place Bjugstad on long-term injured reserve right away. But if a trade opportunity comes along later, LTIR could free up his $1.75 million cap hit.
For Bjugstad, it is a rough turn entering free agency after an injury. If the recovery stays at the four-month end of the range, he could be back around January. If it stretches to six months, a return in time for the playoffs is still possible.
That said, the Devils also have to work within the new CBA, which requires playoff rosters to be cap-compliant. So they cannot simply hold him out until the postseason as a maneuver.
In Other News...
Devils Lose Veteran Center At Worst Possible Time
The Devils got an unwelcome reminder of how quickly a preseason can change when Nick Bjugstads recovery became the headline before camp even opened. New Jersey said the veteran forward underwent successful surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle, and the timing could hardly be worse for a team trying to sort out its early-season plans and build some stability down the middle.
Bjugstad will miss training camp and is facing a four-to-six month recovery timeline, which puts a significant chunk of the 2026-27 season in jeopardy as well. The injury adds another layer of caution to camp, where defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic is also expected to be limited while working back from a minor offseason knee procedure. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Front Office Shakeup Sends Familiar Name Back Into The NHL
The Devils have moved into a new phase upstairs, with Sunny Mehta now running hockey operations after the organization parted ways with Tom Fitzgerald. Mehta wasted little time putting his own stamp on the front office, including a change at assistant general manager that brought Braden Birch into the role and shifted Dan MacKinnon out of it.
One familiar name from the previous regime also found a new landing spot elsewhere in the league. Chuck Fletcher, who had served as a senior advisor with New Jersey, was not retained and has since been hired in the same advisory role by the Seattle Kraken, a reminder that front office turnover rarely stays contained to one zip code for long. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Camp Suddenly Has A Roster Crunch Fans Need To Watch
The Devils are heading into on-ice training camp with a forward group that looks far more crowded than it did a year ago, and that is by design. General manager Sunny Mehta spent the offseason adding to the mix, giving New Jersey a deeper set of options up front while also bringing back a defensive group that still has plenty of familiar faces in place.
What makes camp worth watching now is the squeeze at the bottom of the roster, where a few spots are going to be fought over rather than handed out. Dawson Mercers status remains part of the conversation, and new defenseman Declan Chisholm adds another layer to the competition as the Devils sort through how their projected lines and defense pairings ultimately fit together. [Read more 🡒]