The New Jersey Devils did not just add bodies this offseason. They gave Sheldon Keefe a roster that should be able to score, roll four lines, and survive the kind of injuries that can wreck a season.
That changes the conversation fast. If the Devils come up short in 2026-27, the spotlight is going to land on the bench, not the front office.
Sunny Mehta’s summer work was built around depth and flexibility. He brought in Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues, Luke Evangelista, and Jesper Boqvist, giving the Devils options who can fit in the top six or slide down into steadier middle-six and bottom-six roles. The idea was clear: build a forward group with enough range that Keefe can mix and match without the lineup falling apart.
New Jersey also added depth pieces elsewhere. Amadeus Lombardi, Riley Tufte, and defenseman Declan Chisholm are expected to give the Utica Comets a stronger backbone while also serving as call-up options when the NHL club needs help.
The one area that still raises eyebrows is in goal. The Jake Allen and Nico Daws tandem is not one the Devils trust, even with a strong team in front of it.
A major swing for a goalie such as Connor Hellebuyck is still possible, but as things stand, the position remains a weakness. On the other hand, Mehta did get out from under the Jacob Markstrom contract, which opens more cap space for New Jersey moving forward.
That part matters because the Devils are no longer being built around just top-end talent. Mehta clearly wanted players who could grow into more, and several of the younger forwards have that kind of upside. This is a roster with real talent and real depth, which is why the burden now shifts to Keefe to make it all work.
And that is where the pressure starts to build. Keefe is entering his third season with the Devils, and if the results don’t come, a change could follow. Mehta didn’t hire him, either, which only makes the situation more fragile if the season starts to wobble.
Keefe has already shown he can get a team into the playoffs. He guided a less-talented Devils group in 2024-25 to the postseason, and he made the playoffs every year he coached the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But this Devils roster is supposed to be better than a bubble team. It is supposed to be good enough to push higher in the Metropolitan Division, and that expectation falls squarely on the coach now.
The lineup itself still has some moving parts, even if the big names are easy to identify. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier are locked in as the centers of the top two lines, and Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier are also set in the top six. The most likely setup has Bratt alongside Hughes and Meier with Hischier, which means the real questions are on the right side.
That opens the door for different combinations. Evangelista could skate with Hughes while Mantha joins Hischier if Keefe wants a line built around skill on one side and power on the other. Or the two newcomers could be flipped, depending on how he wants to balance playmaking and scoring.
There are more options beyond that, too. Arseni Gritsyuk and Dawson Mercer both showed last season that they can hold down top-six minutes, and Evan Rodrigues can be used anywhere in the lineup. That kind of versatility is exactly what the Devils were chasing this summer.
Now it falls to Keefe to turn those pieces into something that looks and feels like a contender. The roster gives him the chance. The pressure says he has to take it.
In Other News...
Devils Just Got Linked To A Goalie Upgrade Fans Will Debate
Connor Hellebuycks public trade request has instantly turned one of the NHLs biggest goalie questions into a fresh round of speculation, and the Devils are already getting pulled into the conversation. Any time a proven No. 1 becomes available, New Jersey is bound to be mentioned, especially with a roster built to push for more and a fan base that knows how much elite goaltending can matter when the games get tight.
A hypothetical framework has already surfaced that would send Hellebuyck to New Jersey in exchange for several players and a first-round pick, which is enough to spark debate even before anything real develops. For now, though, there is no sign the Devils and Jets have actually talked, and no indication a deal is close, so this remains the kind of rumor that says as much about the market for top goalies as it does about New Jerseys intentions. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Face A Dawson Mercer Decision That Could Get Complicated
The Devils have some contract math to sort through over the next year, and Dawson Mercer sits near the center of it. Under the NHLs new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams can hand out eight-year deals only until Sept. 16, 2026, which means the window for locking in certain core players is narrower than it used to be. New Jersey also has nine players on track to hit free agency in 2027, so the front office has a real incentive to identify who belongs in the long-term group before the deadline arrives.
Mercer is an obvious name to watch because he has been part of the Devils since 2021-22 and has shown enough talent to stay in the conversation, even if his production has not always been steady. The upcoming season could matter as much for evaluation as it does for results, with New Jersey likely wanting a clearer read on whether he is the kind of player worth committing to on a long deal. If Mercer takes a step, the Devils choice gets simpler, but if the inconsistency lingers, the decision could become a lot more complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Suddenly Linked To A Goalie Move Fans Can't Ignore
The conversation around Connor Hellebuyck has widened beyond Winnipeg and now includes several contenders that would feel the ripple effects if the Jets ever decided to move their star goalie. Among the clubs mentioned are Buffalo, Carolina and New Jersey, with the discussion centered on what kind of return could justify dealing a player of that caliber, including prospects and draft capital. It is the sort of offseason chatter that starts as speculation and quickly becomes a leaguewide talking point once a name that big is in play.
For the Devils, the interest is obvious because goaltending is one of the few areas that can reshape a season in a hurry, and any plausible path to upgrading there will draw attention. The broader analysis from Murat Ates and Anthony Di Marco does not point to a deal as imminent, but it does put New Jersey in the same conversation as some of the other teams that would be watching closely if Winnipeg ever seriously entertained offers. For now, it is more a map of possibilities than a deal on the horizon, which is enough to keep Devils fans reading every twist. [Read more 🡒]