The Devils get a clean measuring stick on Tuesday night. When Colorado rolls into New Jersey, this isn’t just another October game - it’s a chance to see whether New Jersey’s deeper roster can stand up to one of the league’s elite groups.
On paper, the star power still leans the Avalanche’s way. Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier are excellent players, but they aren’t Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
Those two have piled up a Hart Trophy, two Norris Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy and two Stanley Cup titles, and they’ve built a reputation as two of the top five players in the NHL. That’s the gap at the top.
But the Devils have spent the offseason building a team that’s supposed to win with numbers, not just names. General manager Sunny Mehta’s moves were aimed at giving New Jersey a fuller roster, and the forward group is where that’s showing up most.
Luke Evangelista, Anthony Mantha and Evan Rodrigues have all brought something different to the mix, and through eight games, the Devils have shown they can come at opponents in waves. The 7-1 win over the New York Rangers made that plain.
The 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, though, was a reminder of what happens when a good team meets a great one.
New Jersey’s depth isn’t limited to the forwards, either. Declan Chisholm gives the defense an extra piece, and Rémi Poirier came in on waivers to add to the goaltending mix. Neither has made much noise yet, and Poirier still hasn’t played for the Devils, but both are there as reinforcements when needed.
Colorado, meanwhile, has quietly become a different kind of team. The Mikko Rantanen trade halfway through the 2024-25 season marked a major turn in how the Avalanche built their roster. They gave up a star, but leaned harder into depth, and the result is a team with more layers than the one fans got used to.
That approach shows up in the additions they’ve made. Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri came in at the 2025 and 2026 trade deadlines, giving Colorado two centers who can slide up and down the lineup.
Brent Burns arrived in the 2025 offseason to bolster the defense. And the Avalanche have also been leaning on the players they’ve developed with the Colorado Eagles in the American Hockey League.
TJ Hughes was a pleasant surprise in training camp and has worked his way into a bottom-six role with some scoring touch. This is not the top-heavy Avalanche team of earlier years.
Tuesday also brings a few lineup questions for New Jersey. Evangelista missed three games but was back at practice and is expected to play. How he looks after a week out will matter, especially if he can again be the wing threat he was in the first five games of the season.
The Devils have had their own injury churn on defense. Johnathan Kovacevic returned last week, which forced Sheldon Keefe to sit Brenden Dillon. With Chisholm continuing to develop, Dillon has become the seventh defenseman or the odd man out.
Colorado comes in on the second half of a back-to-back after a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, and that gives the Devils an opening. New Jersey has had three days off, while the Avalanche are making the trip up the New Jersey Turnpike and are still trying to get back in the win column.
The goaltending matchup adds another layer. Scott Wedgewood is expected to start for Colorado after MacKenzie Blackwood played against the Flyers.
Wedgewood spent three seasons with the Devils, posting a .908 save percentage and a 2.77 goals-against average. Those numbers were nothing special, but in hindsight, New Jersey would probably take that production in a heartbeat.
He’s been far better since joining the Avalanche, putting up a .920 SV% and a 2.03 GAA over his three seasons there.
For the Devils, the question is simple: is the roster deep enough to make a night like this feel winnable against a team built to punish mistakes? Tuesday should say plenty.
In Other News...
Devils Suddenly Have A New Path To A Superstar Trade
The Devils spent the offseason doing what contenders usually do when they believe their window is open: they reshaped the roster with a mix of trades and signings, including the addition of Luke Evangelista and new deals for key returning players. It was the kind of business that signaled New Jersey is trying to keep pace now, not just later, and it has left the front office with a group that looks a little deeper and a little more flexible heading into the season.
Now another wrinkle has surfaced, and it has to do with a player who would change the conversation in a hurry. Dylan Larkin reportedly broadened the list of teams he would consider if Detroit continues to explore options, and the Devils are among the clubs now mentioned. Nothing about that makes a deal imminent, but it does give New Jersey a fresh potential avenue to chase a star-caliber upgrade if the opportunity ever turns real. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Suddenly Have Two Trade Storylines Fans Cant Ignore
Brenden Dillons absence from the Devils lineup in recent games has only added to the sense that New Jersey may be heading toward a real roster decision on the blue line. League chatter has centered on whether a defense-needy team could come calling, and Dillons contract situation matters here too, especially after his no-trade clause limited movement last season.
The other storyline is even more intriguing from a Devils perspective: Dylan Larkins 10-team trade list reportedly includes New Jersey, putting the club in the mix as talks continue around possible multi-team trade scenarios. Even if nothing is close, the fact that the Devils keep surfacing in both conversations says plenty about how active this market could become and how much the front office may still be weighing before the deadline picture sharpens. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Got An Early Look At A Devils Problem Already Brewing
The Devils have been trying to find some stability in the opening weeks of the 2026-27 season, and the results have reflected the unevenness Sheldon Keefe has talked around rather than through. New Jersey is 5-4-0, and the early stretch has already prompted lineup shuffling, including the decision to scratch veteran defenseman Brenden Dillon for four games as the staff tries to increase Johnathan Kovacevics workload and keep developing Declan Chisholm.
Recent returns have helped on the margins, with Luke Evangelista and Connor Brown both back in the lineup, and Evangelista made an immediate impact against the Colorado Avalanche with a goal and an assist. Even so, the larger concern for New Jersey is still hanging there: the Devils have enough talent to win games, but not yet the kind of nightly consistency that lets them settle into a rhythm, and the tweaks around the blue line suggest Keefe is still searching for the right balance. [Read more 🡒]