Back in June, the forecast for Sunny Mehta’s first offseason as Devils general manager came with 10 predictions attached. With the summer winding down and September about to arrive, the roster looks close to set, and the review is in.
The biggest swing came on Nico Hischier, and that one landed cleanly. The Devils and their captain agreed to a contract extension, with the deal officially announced on July 1, the first day he was eligible to sign.
The 2026 NHL Draft also stayed in New Jersey’s hands. The Devils kept the 12th overall pick, then used it on Alexander Command.
While a trade for a proven top-six forward might have been appealing, the offseason market never really produced that kind of move. Brady Tkachuk wasn’t on the Devils’ list of preferred teams, and Jordan Kyrou wound up with the Washington Capitals.
Command was the choice, and the writer gave himself full credit there.
Dougie Hamilton never moved, either. That prediction is being treated as a safe call now, with Hamilton expected to be on the Devils roster in 2026-27 and a real chance he’s still there next season to play out the final year of his seven-year contract. His $9 million AAV would obviously be a major factor in any future roster decisions, but for Opening Night in five weeks or so, he’s expected to be in the lineup.
Simon Nemec did get dealt, though not in the exact way forecasted. The Devils traded him, but the return wasn’t a top-six forward.
Instead, they got two future first-round picks, a second-round pick that was later used on Matias Vanhenen after a draft-day trade back, and prospect Etienne Morin. The idea that those first-rounders could eventually help the Devils land a forward upgrade still keeps part of the prediction alive, but not enough for a full hit.
Dawson Mercer, meanwhile, stayed put. That was one of the clear misses. The thought was that Mercer could be packaged in an effort to improve up front, especially with a contract year ahead and a long-term decision looming, but that move never happened.
The same goes for Jonas Siegenthaler and Brenden Dillon. Neither defenseman was traded, and the Devils still haven’t addressed the broader issue on the blue line.
The team, as written, still looks like it could use another puck-moving defenseman, and with training camp approaching, that need remains unresolved. There was also some speculation that a couple of defensemen could be moved off the roster, but no-trade clauses, injuries, and poor play may have blocked that path.
Maxim Tsyplakov was another player the Devils ultimately moved on from, but not through a buyout. He ended up in the Simon Nemec trade, which satisfied the underlying goal of clearing him from the roster.
Stefan Noesen, however, remains with the Devils for now. He has not been bought out or traded, though his place on the opening roster still feels uncertain given the team’s depth at forward and the fact that he wasn’t someone Mehta specifically chose for the group.
The A.J. Greer prediction missed, but not completely in spirit.
The Devils did bring in players with Florida ties in Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist, just not Greer. Greer instead landed a four-year deal worth $4.25 million AAV from Pat Verbeek on July 1, a contract that drew immediate attention for the way it may have helped leave the Ducks exposed to an offer sheet situation involving Leo Carlsson.
The final pair of calls centered on goaltending and the second buyout window. The Devils did move on from Jacob Markstrom, but they did it through a trade rather than a buyout. Even more surprising, they managed to escape the Markstrom extension without retaining salary or attaching draft capital, and they came away with two useful pieces in Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist.
The other part of that prediction was close enough to count: the Devils added David Rittich, though it came on July 2 rather than July 1.
In the end, the scorecard came out to 5.75 out of 10. That’s better than 50 percent, but still not exactly a passing mark in high school. On the other hand, the writer noted that if this were baseball, he’d be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
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The more immediate reality is that there is still concern about the timing of any deal, which keeps the door open for more chatter until something is actually done. New Jersey fans are left sorting through a familiar mix of possibilities, especially with the club already part of broader offseason discussion around player evaluation and trade considerations elsewhere in the market. For now, though, the Hughes noise appears to be more about rumor control than an active Devils pursuit. [Read more 🡒]