The Devils are back on the clock Thursday night, and the opening test comes fast: a home date with the Philadelphia Flyers to start the 2026-27 season.
After last year’s disappointment, new general manager Sunny Mehta has wasted no time setting a higher bar. He’s not talking about merely getting back into the playoffs.
He wants the Stanley Cup. That kind of ambition only matters if the roster delivers, and for New Jersey, this season boils down to three things going right.
The biggest one may be in net. Mehta inherited a messy cap situation from former GM Tom Fitzgerald, including Jacob Markstrom’s two-year, $12 million extension that was set to kick in July 1, 2026.
Instead of letting that deal take hold, Mehta found a trade partner and sent Markstrom to the Florida Panthers before the extension started. Angus Crookshank went with him to Sunrise, Florida, and the Devils got Evan Rodrigues, Ben Steeves, and a reunion with Jesper Boqvist in return.
That move drew praise from fans, but it also opened the door to a major question: who actually owns the crease? Mehta has made it clear he believes in Nico Daws, the 2020 third-round pick who has played just 55 NHL games but brings plenty of AHL mileage.
The situation with Daws and Jake Allen should be worth watching all season, but if Daws turns into a reliable NHL starter, he could grab the job outright. The team in front of him looks stronger than it has in years, so if he handles the routine stops and flashes some timely big saves, New Jersey should be in decent shape.
Another key piece is Luke Hughes, who needs a real leap forward. His NHL start has been rough in one important area: through 223 career games, he carries a minus-38 rating.
He’s still only 23, though, and the talent is there. With Mehta trading Nemec to Calgary, Hughes has a clear opening to prove he can become a star offensive defenseman.
The power play situation adds even more weight to that challenge. The top unit’s quarterback role is there for the taking, and while Dougie Hamilton brings more experience and a heavier shot from the blue line, the hope is that Luke can follow the kind of playmaking path his older brother Quinn has built. If he can sharpen that side of his game, the Devils stand to gain in transition and on special teams.
And then there’s the same old problem that has haunted this team for five years: injuries. The Devils have too often watched key players go down, whether it’s Jesper Bratt, Cody Glass, or the yearly Jack Hughes setback. Last season started well, but once Jack Hughes got hurt, the offense fell apart and the team never recovered enough to make a playoff push.
If New Jersey can finally stay mostly healthy, that alone would change the outlook. A clean bill of health would give this roster a real chance to get back to playoff hockey in Newark.
The season opens Thursday, Oct 1 at 8:00 EST against the Flyers.
In Other News...
Alexander Holtz Just Revived An Old Devils Development Debate
The Devils trimmed their roster ahead of the official deadline, putting goaltender David Rittich on waivers and claiming Remi Poirier from the Dallas Stars. But the more familiar name in the mix is Alexander Holtz, the former first-round pick New Jersey once hoped would grow into a steady scoring piece.
Holtzs situation has a way of pulling the conversation back to one of the organizations lingering development debates, because he was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights and is now on waivers after limited scoring success. For Devils fans, it is another reminder of how uncertain the path can be for a young forward who arrives with pedigree, leaves with questions, and still leaves plenty of second-guessing behind. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Camp Battle Is Putting One Tough Roster Decision Front And Center
Training camp has done what it usually does for a team with playoff expectations and too many forwards for too few jobs: it has turned the bottom six into the loudest part of the roster conversation. The Devils are still sorting through different third- and fourth-line combinations, with experience and youth both getting a long look as the staff tries to settle on a group that can handle defensive shifts, contribute enough offense and survive the grind of a long season.
Jesper Boqvist, Colin White and Stefan Noesen are among the names in the mix, and the numbers game could eventually force the issue through waivers. Amadeus Lombardi is also part of the equation, with a possible AHL assignment looming as the organization weighs whether he is better served by development time or a spot on the big club. It is the kind of roster squeeze that speaks well of the depth, even if it leaves a few players waiting for the final answer. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Opening Night Will Test A Roster That Suddenly Feels Deeper
The Devils head into opening night looking like a club that carried more than just good vibes out of camp. Their preseason showed a group playing with sharper cohesion and a clearer sense of identity, and it was the kind of stretch that made the roster feel deeper than it did a year ago. Amadeus Lombardi was among the players who turned that opportunity into something more concrete, earning a spot and adding to the sense that the pipeline under Tom Fitzgerald is starting to produce real options.
Now the challenge shifts from summer optimism to a game that counts, with the Flyers waiting to provide an early read on how much of that preseason improvement holds up. Depth can look different once the pace rises and the matchups sharpen, and opening night should say plenty about whether the Devils are simply better equipped for the grind or ready to turn that added depth into an edge right away. [Read more 🡒]