With Johnathan Kovacevic back in the lineup, the New Jersey Devils made a straightforward choice: Brenden Dillon watched from the bench in their 5-4 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings, and the same decision is expected again Thursday night against the Devils’ biggest rivals.
It’s the right call.
The Devils look different this season. Their forward group has more depth, with four lines that can chip in through speed and skill.
They’ve also got three new coaches behind the bench and a system built around a faster pace. On defense, the group is finally healthy enough that every spot has to fit what this team wants to do.
That puts Dillon in the difficult spot. He is the oldest and slowest of New Jersey’s regular defensemen, and through the team’s first five games, his numbers have lagged behind the rest of the blue line.
His expected goal share was 50.8%, which would be fine in a vacuum, but compared with his teammates it stands out for the wrong reasons. He’s the only Devils defenseman who has landed below a 55% xGF%.
For a team that is still having trouble scoring, that matters. The Devils need as many chances to push play the other way as they can get.
None of that erases what Dillon brings. He plays with a physical edge every night, and he’s clearly a respected figure in the room. He stands up for teammates, he brings energy, and he fits the identity the Devils want to project.
But teams win with the lineup that gives them the best chance to win games, and right now that version of the Devils includes Dillon as the extra defenseman. He still has value.
He’s still a solid bottom-pair option. He just happens to be the seventh defenseman on a team dressing six.
If the roster and health stay steady, that’s how New Jersey’s blue line should remain for the rest of the season, outside of any line-blender changes.
In Other News...
Devils Rookie Is Forcing A Tough Call Before The Rangers Game
With a crucial meeting against the Rangers looming, Sheldon Keefe is already tinkering with his lineup as the Devils try to keep building on a recent win. Anthony Mantha has been moved, Arseny Gritsyuk has been bumped onto the top line, and the coaching staff is clearly looking for the right mix as New Jersey tries to sharpen up a team that has had to manage questions in goal and on defense.
Amadeus Lombardi has become part of that discussion for a less welcome reason, with his recent penalties putting him in danger of sitting out to avoid giving New York's power play any extra chances. For a rookie, it is the sort of early-season test that can tighten a coach's leash fast, and it leaves the Devils weighing upside against discipline in a game where every mistake feels magnified. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Need More From These Forwards Before This Becomes A Problem
The Devils are still sorting out a new-look roster after opening the season at 3-3, and the early scoring has followed a familiar script. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt have done their part at the top of the lineup, but the next layer of forwards has yet to consistently pull its weight, leaving New Jersey a little too reliant on the usual names for offense.
Dawson Mercer, Amadeus Lombardi and Timo Meier are among the forwards the Devils need to see more from as the schedule settles in, because the gap behind the leading scorers is hard to ignore early. New Jersey does not need everything to click at once, but if that secondary production does not arrive soon, the lack of depth scoring could become a real issue for a team trying to establish itself in the opening weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Timo Meier Is Becoming A Bigger Problem For The Devils
Timo Meier arrived in New Jersey with the kind of reputation that was supposed to make life easier for the Devils, a power forward who could tilt shifts, create headaches and help anchor the scoring mix. Instead, the conversation around him has shifted in a less comfortable direction. His effort has remained steady, but his goal production has slipped over the last few seasons, and for a player carrying the highest cap hit among the teams forwards, the return has not matched the expectation.
The concern is not just what Meier has done in the past, but what the Devils are seeing early in the 2026-27 season. There has been no real sign of the scoring rebound the team needs from him, even as the assumption remains that a player with his track record can still find another level. For New Jersey, the longer the production lags, the harder it becomes to treat this as a temporary cold stretch rather than a deeper issue. [Read more 🡒]