The New Jersey Devils made a loud move to open September, landing Luke Evangelista and adding even more bite to an offense that already looks loaded on paper. Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier and Anthony Mantha are already in the mix, so it’s easy to see why the trade has Devils fans buzzing about Sunny Mehta and what comes next.
But the move also sharpened a problem that was already there: the Devils have too many forwards and not enough spots to sort them all out.
That’s why training camp is about more than just sorting out lines. One of the biggest questions hanging over the group is how Sheldon Keefe will handle the power play, especially the second unit. Last season, New Jersey spread the minutes around in a way that included Connor Brown logging more than 100 minutes on the power play, Stefan Noesen getting more than 60 despite appearing in just 38 games, Ondrej Palat getting 41 minutes, and even Paul Cotter and Evgenii Dadonov getting chances with the extra man.
The approach worked well enough. The Devils finished with a 22 percent power-play rate, which ranked 12th in the league. Still, the production came in bursts, and the first unit carried most of the load.
That first group is easy to picture. Hughes and Hischier on the same line is the foundation, and if Keefe keeps that setup, Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt make a lot of sense alongside them.
From there, the Devils just need a net-front option to clean up the rest. With Evangelista in the picture, though, there’s a real argument for using him as the second “defenseman” on that top unit.
That decision pushes the attention squarely to the second power-play group.
New Jersey has plenty of candidates there: Meier, Dawson Mercer, Anthony Mantha, Brown, Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass all have cases, with Luke Hughes also in the mix, or Hamilton if the Devils choose to move things around. That’s a good problem to have, but it also means Keefe has a tough call waiting unless an injury changes the equation.
Glass looks like the safest fit as the center. He gives the group a needed middle option, and last season he showed he can score a bit. Gritsyuk also looks positioned to get a spot, and Meier feels like another lock.
That leaves one opening.
Mercer has been a regular on the second power play in the past, but he hasn’t done enough to make that spot untouchable. He has 18 career power-play goals.
Mantha, on the other hand, brings the kind of finishing touch that’s hard to leave off. He scored 33 goals last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the source here is clear: there’s no world in which he isn’t on the power play.
If the Devils do take a step forward on the man advantage, the second unit may be a big reason why.
In Other News...
Nico Hischier Revealed What Made Him Commit To The Devils
Nico Hischier didnt waste any time when it came to locking in his future with New Jersey, agreeing to a five-year, $58.5 million contract extension on the first day he was eligible. It was a fitting move for a player who has been one of the Devils most steady voices and most dependable performers over the past five seasons, growing into the captaincy while helping anchor the franchise through a period of change.
In discussing the decision, Hischier pointed to his commitment to the Devils and the recent shifts around the organization, including the arrival of new general manager Sunny Mehta. For a player of his stature, the timing underscored how much faith he has in where the team is headed, and it also hinted at a broader belief that the Devils next chapter could be even more compelling than the last. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Already Face A Big Question With Their New Winger
Luke Evangelista is already giving the Devils something to think about well before his first season in New Jersey even gets going. The winger arrived from Nashville with a fresh start and a contract situation that immediately puts him on a different timeline than the rest of the roster, since he is heading into the final year of his deal. For now, Evangelista says he is not worried about extension talks, which is a reasonable place for a new player to be in, but it also means the Devils are set to spend the season watching both his fit and his future.
For a team trying to settle into its next phase, that kind of uncertainty can matter just as much as production. New Jersey did not bring in Evangelista for a long-term mystery, but his situation adds another layer to a summer already full of league-wide movement chatter, including renewed discussion about whether Sidney Crosby even leaves Pittsburgh at all. The Devils cannot control those bigger narratives, yet they do have to manage the one in front of them, and what happens with Evangelista over the coming year could decide whether this trade looks like a short-term boost or the start of something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans Have Every Reason To Watch This Hellebuyck Sweepstake
As training camp approaches, the Devils are carrying a roster that already looks crowded in a few important places, especially up front and in goal. That makes any significant move harder to pull off, but it also leaves New Jersey in position to monitor the market closely if the right opportunity appears. Connor Hellebuyck has already made his desire for a trade public, and the Devils are widely viewed as one of the teams best positioned to chase him if Winnipeg decides to engage seriously.
The issue, of course, is cost. Any deal for a goalie of Hellebuycks stature would require a substantial package, and that is where the Devils would have to decide how aggressive they want to be while trying to keep their current depth intact. Luke Evangelista, recently acquired by New Jersey, has already sounded eager to help push the club toward the playoffs, which only adds to the sense that this is a team trying to win now while still leaving room for a major swing if the market breaks its way. [Read more 🡒]