Jack Hughes kept rolling Tuesday night, scoring twice as the Devils outlasted the Oilers 4-3 in a shootout. Connor Hellebuyck finished the job for New Jersey, helping secure the win in a game that stayed tight all the way through.
There’s also a new New Jersey jersey in the mix.
And the early buzz around Arseny Gritsyuk keeps getting louder. As one report put it: “Welcome to the Arseny Gritsyuk breakout season. It’s early, but the New Jersey Devils seem to have found the top-six winger they’ve been needing since the 2023-24 season.”
Around the league, Nikita Kucherov is the name drawing plenty of attention. Interest in a possible trade is real, with one report saying, “Nearly every team in the NHL this past weekend talked about it internally.
Seriously. Like, at least 25 teams.
‘Some teams may lie to you, but 31 teams will want 86,’ one NHL GM said.”
Kucherov addressed the situation Monday, saying he told the Tampa Bay Lightning he would not re-sign and asked for a trade. “It was never about the money for me,” he said.
“It was more about poor communication and respect. Over the last four months, we only have had two conversations, and (general manager Julien BriseBois) in the end made it clear that I’m free to walk on July 1.”
The 33-year-old has a 10-team list of clubs he would accept a trade to, and there’s no indication he’s in a hurry to make a decision on his next stop. That means a move doesn’t appear imminent unless something changes quickly with Tampa.
Elsewhere, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that Russia will not be allowed to play at the upcoming world junior hockey tournament. His comments add to a boycott that has been growing among European federations ahead of next year’s men’s tournament in Germany.
In Other News...
Devils Just Made Their Belief In This Core Impossible To Miss
Martin Brodeur made the Devils thinking pretty clear after the club landed Connor Hellebuyck, framing the move as a direct response to where this roster sits right now. With the core players in their prime, the organization viewed adding an established goaltender as a necessary step, not a luxury, and Brodeur pointed to Hellebuycks experience as a major part of why the deal made sense for New Jerseys push to stay in the mix.
Hellebuycks first night in a Devils sweater offered an immediate glimpse of what that belief looks like on the ice. He stopped 17 shots in a 5-1 win over the Dallas Stars, giving New Jersey exactly the kind of stabilizing presence it hoped to add while signaling that the front office is serious about advancing this competitive window rather than waiting for it to open on its own. [Read more 🡒]
Hellebuyck Finally Addressed The Trade Request Devils Fans Keep Talking About
Connor Hellebuycks move to New Jersey has already given Devils fans plenty to chew on, but the first real public word from the goalie came in a letter aimed back at Winnipeg. In it, he thanked Jets fans for the years of support, reflected on his time with the organization, and made clear that asking out was not a decision he took lightly.
Hellebuyck also said the request was tied to personal family circumstances he preferred to keep private, which only adds to the intrigue around a trade that had already sparked plenty of speculation. For Devils fans, the important part is the arrival of a proven goaltender, but the unfinished business around why the split happened will linger until there is more to the story. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Just Sent A Message Against One Of The NHLs Best
The Devils came away from Edmonton with a shootout win after overtime, and it felt like the kind of result that can travel well. Jack Hughes scored twice to keep New Jersey in the game, while Connor Brown chipped in a power-play goal in a matchup that asked plenty of both teams, especially with the Oilers trying to lean on their top-end talent.
What stood out most for New Jersey was how well it handled Connor McDavid during regulation, forcing Edmonton to look for answers elsewhere. Connor Hellebuyck then steadied things with key saves in the shootout after a difficult night, helping the Devils turn a tight, high-level test into a statement result against one of the NHLs best. [Read more 🡒]