Special teams took center stage on the Devils’ third day of training camp, and so did a few lineup tweaks.
After two days of fairly steady combinations, the groups were shuffled on Day 3. The first set of forwards and defensemen looked like this:
Lombardi - Klassen - McLaughlin
Tufte - White - Hameenaho
Steeves - Melovsky - Parent
Lachance - Schmelzer - Squires
Vilen - Diotte
Edwards - Casey
Hanzel - Leddy
Morin - Powell
Rittich
Malek
The second group had a much more familiar feel, closer to what a Devils lineup could resemble when the season opens:
Mantha - Hughes - Bratt
Meier - Hischier - Evangelista
Gritsyuk - Rodrigues - Mercer
Boqvist - Glass - Brown
Noesen
Hughes - Pesce
Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Dillon - Chisolm
Silaev - Kolyachonok
Allen
Daws
That group spent a big chunk of the session working on special teams for the first time this camp, and the power play units were already taking shape. The first unit to go over the boards featured Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, Luke Evangelista and Luke Hughes.
The second unit was Timo Meier, Evan Rodrigues, Anthony Mantha, Arseny Gritsyuk and Dougie Hamilton.
Declan Chisholm, Cody Glass, Connor Brown and Dawson Mercer also rotated in at different points.
For Chisholm, the early camp experience has been made easier by a familiar face beside him. He has been paired with Brenden Dillon, and the two previously played together in Winnipeg. Chisholm is working on his off side, and having that built-in chemistry has helped him get comfortable quickly.
“We know each other from Winnipeg, so there's a little chemistry out there, and he talks a lot, and I know he'll be coming across the middle flying too,” Chisholm said. “So, that gives me more confidence to play out there too.”
Dillon said he has been leaning into a “babysitting hat” with some of the newer players, but he likes what Chisholm brings. He called the young defenseman creative and willing to make plays, while also noting that his own experience in Sheldon Keefe’s system can help Chisholm settle in.
“I think for Chiz, he's eager to learn. He's receptive to that stuff, and hopefully we can kind of have some good games,” Dillon said.
Chisholm said Dillon’s veteran presence gives him room to jump into the rush while still knowing someone steady is behind him.
“He's a veteran guy. He's always in the right position, so I know I can rely on him to have my back defensively while I'm hopefully jumping in the play, and then likewise with him,” Chisholm said.
The off side is not new territory for Chisholm, either. He said he spent about half a season there in Minnesota and liked being able to work on his forehand when moving across the offensive blue line. There are still some adjustments, especially when his back is to the play in the neutral zone, but he said his skating helps him handle it.
“But I like to use my feet, get around the puck pretty quick, and then get your head up,” he said. “So, I don't mind it at all.”
Dillon also used his time at camp to talk about the bigger picture. He said the Devils are entering the season with higher expectations after missing the playoffs, and he wants that disappointment to fuel the group.
“I think for our group, the expectation should be not just playoffs, but we want to go further than that,” Dillon said. “And it's hard to get into playoffs.
It's hard to make it. There's 32 teams right now in camp that are talking about wanting to compete for the Stanley Cup.”
He said the turnover in personnel and coaching can work in the team’s favor, giving the Devils a chance to build better habits while they sort through systems and special teams.
“There's a lot of change, but change can sometimes be good,” he said.
Dillon also said he’s fine with the idea of New Jersey flying a little under the radar.
“Having a chip on your shoulder, being an underdog, whatever way you want to call it, I think isn't a bad thing,” he said.
What stands out to him most is the depth across the roster. He pointed to the team’s forward groups, defense pairs and goaltending as a reason for optimism.
“I think if you look at lines one through four, D pairs one through three, and goaltending, we're in a great spot,” he said.
He expanded on that later, saying each line seems to carry its own identity and that the Devils’ speed should be a major weapon. For him, the formula is simple: force turnovers, move fast, and win the battles around the crease.
“We're a speed team. We're a team that can play fast. We can create turnovers with our sticks, with our feet,” he said.
Dillon also liked the way camp has started, with players embracing whatever role they’ve been given rather than worrying about where they sit on the depth chart.
“Again, it's early in camp. It's early.
We're not even at the regular season, but everyone's focused on bringing what they can bring to help this team win,” he said. “There's nobody pouting because they're not on the line they want to be on or where they finished last year.”
For Dillon, that kind of internal push is a good sign.
“And I think that's healthy because it creates that internal competition that you want more, and I think that's the mindset you can tell of a competitor is when they want more,” he said.
He also made clear that the Devils should be wearing their identity with pride.
“New Jersey's such a great place to play, and you look at the history, you look at what we stand for, the only team in New Jersey with New Jersey on our sweaters. We should have some swagger with that, and we should be really excited about the season ahead, what we can bring.”
In Other News...
Devils Power Play Is Already Reviving A Familiar Concern
The Devils are heading into the season with plenty to like on paper, from the additions of Luke Evangelista and Anthony Mantha to the expectation that Jack Hughes will again drive the top power-play unit. For a team carrying real expectations, the man-advantage should be one of the clearest places to create separation, and the early unit outlines suggest the staff is leaning into the same star-powered formula that has defined so much of the offense.
Nico Hischier's role is part of what makes the setup interesting, because there is already a sense that the current configuration could lean too heavily on Hughes in the moments that matter most. The alternative is not about taking the puck out of Hughes' hands entirely, but about finding a way to make the power play less predictable and more efficient, which is the sort of balancing act that could matter a lot once opponents start matching up and the games get tighter. [Read more 🡒]
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The larger question is whether Pesce can stay on the ice long enough to make that impact over a full year. He is entering the third season of his six-year contract, and if health cooperates, he is also on track to clear 800 NHL games, a milestone that speaks to how much experience he brings. For the Devils, the value is obvious: a veteran defenseman who can absorb tough minutes, settle the rotation and give the rest of the blue line a more dependable structure - if the injuries finally stay out of the way. [Read more 🡒]
Seamus Casey Could Force A Tough Devils Blue Line Decision
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Sunny Mehta will have some blue line sorting to do before the season begins, and Casey is part of that conversation if he stays healthy and makes his case in camp. For a team that will be weighing both immediate depth and long-term upside, his preseason performance could make this a harder decision than it first looks. [Read more 🡒]