The Devils’ new season is almost here, but the biggest question hanging over the roster isn’t about the forwards they added or the new cap flexibility Sunny Mehta created. It’s the crease.
New Jersey opened the 2026-27 season Thursday at home against the Philadelphia Flyers, and while the offseason brought a long list of changes - including the departures of Jacob Markstrom and Simon Nemec and the additions of Luke Evangelista, Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist - the goaltending picture still looks unsettled. The Devils also re-signed Arseny Gristyuk, Nico Daws and captain Nico Hischier, but the net has remained the area that draws the most concern.
That’s why the Devils claimed Remi Poirier off waivers from the Dallas Stars on Sunday. The 24-year-old arrives after a strong season with Dallas’ AHL affiliate, and New Jersey clearly wanted another option in the mix behind Jake Allen and Daws.
Still, Sheldon Keefe made it sound like the Devils are not planning to rush Poirier into a major role. Asked about the goalie, Keefe said, "My plan and my approach are to have Allen and Daws prepared to go. [Poirier] is really here as increased depth, but…"
That line says plenty about where Poirier stands right now. He has been with the Devils for three days and has not really had a chance to work with the full team yet, which suggests New Jersey is still sorting out exactly what it has in him.
The timing matters, too. Johnny Kovacevic’s injury is expected to be short-term, which means he will eventually come off IR and force another roster move. Stefan Noesen and Jesper Boqvist are among the possible waiver candidates if the Devils need room, but if the team decides Poirier is not worth a longer look, he could end up back on waivers before he ever gets a real chance to prove himself.
That’s the crux of it: Poirier needs actual ice time. A practice here and there is not enough. If the Devils want a true evaluation, he probably needs game action, maybe even a start.
For now, the organization appears to be trying to buy itself that window. And because David Rittich cleared waivers, New Jersey does at least have another goaltending option if injuries hit. But if Poirier doesn’t get a meaningful opportunity soon, sending him back through waivers would be a wasted chance to learn what they really have.
In Other News...
Dawson Mercer Enters A Critical Devils Season For One Big Reason
The Devils spent the offseason reshaping their forward group, and the ripple effects have landed squarely on Dawson Mercer. With additions such as Anthony Mantha and Luke Evangelista changing the depth chart, Mercer is no longer being viewed through the lens of the breakout 2022-23 season that raised expectations around him. Instead, he enters this year in the bottom six, a different kind of assignment for a player whose value once seemed to be trending steadily upward.
That shift gives Mercer a chance to prove he can still matter even without the same offensive runway. He is expected to skate with Arseny Gritsyuk and Evan Rodrigues, a lineup spot that could help stabilize his game and show the Devils he can contribute in a lesser role. If the production does not rebound, though, the questions around his long-term fit in New Jersey are only going to get louder. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Face A Costly Long Term Test As Cap Space Climbs
Rising NHL salary caps are changing the math for clubs everywhere, and the Devils are no exception. With more room across the league, New Jersey is staring at a roster picture where pending unrestricted and restricted free agents could all see their next deals climb, especially as the team weighs younger pieces against veterans who have already carved out roles in the lineup.
Cody Glass, Declan Chisholm, Jonas Seigenthaler, Anthony Mantha, Dawson Mercer and Amadeus Lombardi all fit somewhere in that conversation, whether as current contributors or players who could matter more down the road. Sunny Mehta and the front office now have to balance those rising contract expectations against the need to keep the cap flexible, which makes the next stretch of negotiations a potentially expensive test of how the Devils want this roster to look long term. [Read more 🡒]
Devils May Have One Early Problem With This Revamped Lineup
The Devils are heading into the season with a noticeably different look after a busy offseason that brought in Anthony Mantha, Luke Evangelista, Evan Rodrigues, Amadeus Lombardi, Jesper Boqvist and defenseman Declan Chisholm, while Simon Nemec and Jacob Markstrom are gone. Even with all that turnover, the bigger short-term challenge may not be talent so much as timing, because this roster is being built to sort itself out on the fly.
New Jersey also plans to use a three-goalie rotation, and every one of its four forward lines is expected to feature at least one new face. That kind of overhaul can work, but it rarely clicks instantly, and the Devils may need several weeks before the chemistry settles in and the best version of the lineup comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]