The Devils have enough firepower on paper to make the forward group one of the more dangerous parts of the roster this season, and the mix of star talent and added depth gives them plenty of ways to shuffle things around. General manager Sunny Mehta brought in help to round out the lineup, and that leaves New Jersey with a top nine that looks deeper than what it has iced over the past two seasons.
At the top, the expected first line of Timo Meier, Nico Hischier and Anthony Mantha gives the Devils size, skill and scoring punch all in one place. Hischier is projected for 27 goals, 41 assists and 68 points, while Mantha is forecast to finish with 28 goals, 38 assists and 66 points.
Meier is the name to keep an eye on here. He still hasn’t hit 30 goals in a season in New Jersey, but this feels like the kind of setup that could finally push him there.
With Hischier centering the group and Mantha on the other wing, the chances should be there.
The second line keeps the familiar pairing of Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes together, with Connor Brown rounding out the unit. Hughes is being tabbed for his first 100-point season, and the expectation is that he arrives with plenty of motivation to stay healthy and lead the push back to the postseason. Bratt and Hughes remain a dangerous duo, and Brown adds another layer of scoring support while working alongside the Devils’ best player.
New Jersey’s third line could end up being the sneaky one. Arseny Gritsyuk, Cody Glass and Dawson Mercer give the Devils a group that can chip in offensively while still holding its own.
Gritsyuk is projected for 21 goals, 35 assists and 56 points in what would be his second year. Glass has settled in as a dependable two-way center who can also produce.
Mercer, who is expected to be a Restricted Free Agent in 2027, gets a chance to attack softer matchups from the bottom six and build the kind of season he needs.
The fourth line of Jesper Boqvist, Nick Bjugstad and Evan Rodrigues adds another layer of flexibility. Rodrigues could easily be argued higher in the lineup based on what he has done before, but he also gives New Jersey real value down the roster with his ability to contribute in every phase.
Bjugstad is projected for 7 goals, 10 assists and 17 points, and should be a useful penalty-kill piece in a full season with the Devils. Boqvist, back with the club, is described as a more seasoned veteran and should bring that experience to the bottom six.
In Other News...
Three Devils Prospects Are Running Out Of Time To Break Through
The Devils have a small but important cluster of prospects heading into a pivotal season, with Josh Filmon, Ethan Edwards and Seamus Casey all entering the final year of their contracts. Each one is at a different stage of the climb, but the common thread is simple enough: this is the year they have to show real progress if they want to stay in the conversation. For Filmon, that means hanging onto a roster spot in Utica while bringing more offense. Edwards has to keep pushing for a larger role and prove he can stand out in a crowded field of call-up candidates.
Casey brings the highest ceiling of the group, but his path is tied just as much to availability as ability, because staying healthy is central to his development and his chance to earn NHL looks. The Devils have seen enough from all three to believe there is still something to work with, yet the margin for patience is getting thinner. With contracts running down and competition everywhere, this season may determine whether they become part of New Jerseys next wave or just another set of prospects who never quite broke through. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Fans Just Got A New Reason To Watch Quinn Hughes Closely
Nico Hischiers new extension with the Devils carried the kind of message fans in New Jersey love to hear: he said loyalty to the organization and a desire to give back helped shape his decision to stay. For a franchise that has spent years trying to build real stability around its core, that kind of commitment matters as much as the contract itself, especially when it comes from one of the faces of the team.
Elsewhere around the league, Quinn Hughes has become a player worth monitoring for a different reason. Minnesota GM Bill Guerin recently cast some uncertainty over Hughes priorities while also leaving the door open to trade possibilities, which is the sort of comment that tends to ripple quickly through the NHL rumor mill. For Devils fans, it is another reminder that the market for top-end talent can shift fast, and that even the leagues most closely watched names can suddenly enter a conversation nobody expected to be having. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Face A Bigger Question As Hischier's Status Keeps Rising
Nico Hischiers place in the league keeps climbing, and the latest sign came this week when NHL Network ranked the Devils captain No. 43 on its list of the top 50 NHL players. It comes on the heels of his five-year contract extension in New Jersey, another reminder that the organization is building around a center who has become one of its most important pieces both on and off the ice.
The Devils will also have plenty of national exposure to show off that core, with their 2026-27 broadcast schedule including 12 games on ESPN and TNT. But as the roster picture gets clearer in Newark, the larger question around Quinn Hughes is not getting any simpler. Cale Makars eight-year extension in Colorado only tightens the salary-cap squeeze across the league, making it more difficult for the Devils to find a path if they want to chase another elite defenseman. [Read more 🡒]