The New Jersey Devils have enough firepower and depth to look like a playoff team, at least on paper.
Jack Hughes sits at the center of it all. The projection has him finishing with 37 goals and 104 points in 77 games, riding the kind of pace that comes from elite playmaking and timely finishing. On his wing, Jesper Bratt is forecast for 91 points in 80 games, giving Hughes the kind of partner who can keep the attack moving in a hurry.
Behind that duo, Nico Hischier gives the Devils another high-end center to lean on. The captain is projected for 83 points in 79 games after what the model calls a banner season with fellow countryman Timo Meier. Meier, the bulldozing winger, is expected to come close to a point per game with 76 points in 78 games, including 36 goals under the Sunny Mehta system.
There’s more than just the top names here, too. Arseny Gritsyuk is projected to be a problem for opposing teams with 24 goals and 58 points in 80 games.
Alexander Command, the recently drafted Swedish 2-way center, is expected to play 71 games and finish with 11 goals and 34 points. The idea is simple: give the young center a first taste of the NHL, then let him build on that familiarity the way Arseny Gritsyuk did in his own first cup of coffee.
The blue line also comes with size and production. Anton Silayev is projected for 168 points in 78 games with 7 goals and 29 points.
Brett Pesce is expected to match him closely in the hits and blocks department, landing in the 140 and 180 club as they work to shut down top lines. Luke Hughes and Dougie Hamilton won’t pile up the same kind of physical numbers, but the pair is projected to chip in 30 goals and 88 assists while focusing more on shot blocking.
In goal, the Devils are working with a platoon setup. Nico Daws is penciled in at 26-11-4, Jake Allen at 18-10-1, and David Rittich at 7-4-1. If the Devils get to the playoffs, Daws would stay in the starter’s role and carry them forward.
In Other News...
Devils Fans May Not Like Where The Quinn Hughes Dream Is Heading
The Quinn Hughes chatter has taken on a different shape lately, and it is starting to matter well beyond Minnesota. Hughes had already signaled he was open to staying put, and now the conversation around his next contract is moving into a place where the Devils have to pay attention, because any long-term resolution would reshape the market for one of the leagues most coveted defensemen.
For New Jersey, the appeal was obvious from the start: a chance to imagine Quinn Hughes alongside Jack and Luke Hughes and turn a family storyline into a hockey one. If Minnesota locks in its star blueliner, though, that door gets a lot harder to push open, and the ripple effects could also leave the Wild with some real cap questions as they try to sort out what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Suddenly Face A Bigger Quinn Hughes Question Than Expected
The Wilds search for answers around Quinn Hughes has already started to spill into the kind of rumor mill that usually follows a franchise-altering name. Minnesota is being tied to Jack Hughes in the chatter, and while that kind of speculation can take on a life of its own, the broader point is clear enough: the Wild are trying to get ahead of a situation that could reshape their future if it drags on.
Pasha Eshghis read is that the Jack Hughes noise may be less about a real pursuit and more about nerves over whether Quinn Hughes will ultimately stay put. Even with the buzz building, a blockbuster move for Jack Hughes does not sound like a realistic path, given the size of his deal and the steep price that would come with him. For now, it looks more like Minnesota is being forced to confront the possibility that the bigger question is not who it can acquire, but whether it can keep the star it already has on its radar. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Still Have One Summer Need They Can't Ignore
Timo Meier spent July 6-10 back home in Herisau, Switzerland, hosting his seventh annual youth hockey camp and giving more than 100 kids a chance to skate, learn and soak up a few days with a Devils winger who has become one of the teams most recognizable veterans. It was a reminder of how much New Jersey already has in place up front, with Meier part of a core that should keep the club dangerous again next season.
Even so, the Devils still have a summer item they cannot really set aside: another scoring piece for the roster. General manager Sunny Mehta has already shown a willingness to chase help, and with the market still offering possibilities, New Jersey continues to weigh veteran free-agent options, including Vladimir Tarasenko, as it looks for a way to deepen the attack for 2026-27 without waiting for the perfect answer to appear on its own. [Read more 🡒]