Training camp is nearly here, and the New Jersey Devils’ roster questions are starting to sharpen around the edges. The biggest one on the table is the third-line center spot, where Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier are, as expected, nowhere near the discussion.
That job is open, and the competition is shaping up around Evan Rodrigues, Cody Glass and Nick Bjugstad, with Amadeus Lombardi listed as a long shot if camp gets loud. The expectation, though, is that only one of the veterans will begin the season there.
There’s also a fresh look at where Luke Evangelista might land in the lineup after a strong season with the Predators. He finished with 56 points in 81 games and posted terrific underlying metrics, and the discussion now is centered on how he fits with New Jersey, why the top six looks like the most likely destination, and what could come next for GM Sunny Mehta.
Another piece digs into a couple of the game’s quieter but crucial details: puck retrievals and zone exits. The argument is that both are incredibly underrated parts of the puzzle, and that Mehta has improved the Devils in that area.
Around the Metropolitan Division, there’s also a breakdown of one potential Achilles heel for each team.
And Andy Greene’s view from inside the organization is worth noting. The former Devils captain, who played more than 1,000 NHL games, spent 14 seasons with New Jersey and helped lead the club to the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, now works as an advisor in hockey operations. Greene has watched the Devils build what he believes is an even more talented roster than the one that came within two wins of a title.
Elsewhere in hockey, there’s the Connor Hellebuyck trade request and the split that comes with it. One reading sees smart teams in places like Winnipeg continuing to adapt and come out ahead, just as the Jets did when they moved on from Patrik Laine, Jacob Trouba and others. The darker view is that things are trending the wrong way for teams like Winnipeg, and that this may only be the start.
In Other News...
Devils Linked To Quinn Hughes But The Price Could Sting
The idea of Quinn Hughes landing in New Jersey is the kind of speculative swing that instantly gets attention, because it would change the Devils blue line in a hurry. Hughes is already viewed as one of the top defensemen in the league, and any conversation about bringing him in naturally comes back to what a team has to give up to make it happen.
In this scenario, the cost is part of the appeal and part of the danger, with the proposed return built around prospects, developing players and a first-round pick. That kind of package can look reasonable on paper for a club chasing impact now, but it also says plenty about how expensive a move for a player like Hughes would be, which is why the idea remains more intriguing than imminent. [Read more 🡒]
Evan Rodrigues Faces A Devils Test That Could Define This Move
Evan Rodrigues arrives in New Jersey with a track record that makes him easy to trust and hard to pin down. The Devils brought him in as part of the Jacob Markstrom trade, banking on a forward who has carved out a long career as a dependable depth piece and shown he can fit into winning lineups, including two Stanley Cup runs with Florida.
For the Devils, the appeal is obvious: Rodrigues gives them another experienced option in a forward group that wants more stability and versatility. What is less certain is how much offense he can provide in this setting, and whether this move ends up looking like a smart supporting add or something closer to a bigger swing once the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Camp Is Already Revealing Who Could Shape This Season
The Devils are already getting a clearer picture of what this season could look like as training camp opens at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House, where returning players and new faces are settling in together. Early conversations have naturally turned to the pieces that matter most in Newark, from Nico Hischiers contract extension and what it says about the teams direction to the first impressions being made by prospects Matias Vanhanen and Mikhail Yegorov.
There is also the quieter, but no less important, matter of how the roster absorbs Brett Pesces injury history and what that means for the groups structure moving forward. Those kinds of camp observations do not decide anything on their own, but they do offer an early read on leadership, depth and chemistry, which is exactly the sort of groundwork the Devils need in place as they build toward the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]