The Devils keep stacking up reasons to believe this start is for real, but the conversation in New Jersey isn’t just about the 9-5-0 record. It’s also about the new gear, a goalie trade, and a power play that still hasn’t found its rhythm.
After sweeping a three-game homestand, New Jersey picked up two more wins on its latest road trip and closed it with a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. The schedule now swings back to Prudential Center for Tuesday night’s meeting with the Edmonton Oilers, before the week ends with another back-to-back on the road that wraps up Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
One of the biggest off-ice reveals came earlier this week when the league rolled out its Hometown Remix jerseys, a project that “uniquely and authentically celebrates the fans, fabric, and local culture of each NHL team and the cities they call home.” The Devils’ version leans into a familiar look with a fresh twist, drawing from their 2024 Stadium Series jersey while adding a black base, red logo, striped detailing, and sleeve embossing.
The alternate mark is just as eye-catching: a red pitchfork built around the letters ‘NJ.’
We stand together. We stay defiant. It’s not a jersey announcement without @MCRofficial.
- New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) November 2, 2026
The team had already hinted at the reveal on social media last month with an encoded message that fans quickly decoded as “BLACK PARADE.” The trailer that followed used “Welcome to the Black Parade” from Newark’s own My Chemical Romance, tying the whole rollout together.
New Jersey will wear the Hometown Remix jersey 10 times during the 2026-27 season, with the first appearance coming Nov. 18 against the Montreal Canadiens. It also marks the club’s first black sweater since retiring the iconic “Jersey” jersey last season.
Jerseys and apparel will be sold at the Devils Den at Prudential Center while supplies last.
There was movement in goal, too. On Sunday, general manager Sunny Mehta said the Devils traded Remi Poirier to the Capitals for a seventh-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
Poirier arrived in New Jersey in September when the Devils claimed him off waivers from the Dallas Stars. The plan entering 2026-27 had been a three-goalie setup with Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich, but once Rittich was sent to the American Hockey League, Poirier made the final roster.
Even so, the 25-year-old never really got traction with the Devils. He got through only one full practice with the team, then spent two games on the bench as Allen’s backup after the Hellebuyck trade, without getting any closer to an NHL debut.
Poirier was candid about the situation in an exclusive interview with Nicholas Kingman of 100 Degree Hockey last week. “I haven’t been practicing much, so that part is a little hard. I feel like you know players more when you practice and play with the guys,” he stated.
He was on the ice for his first practice with the Capitals on Monday and is still chasing a full-time NHL job.
For all the good vibes around the Devils, the power play remains the area that needs a jolt. New Jersey is 7-35 on the man advantage, good for 16.7 percent and 25th in the league. The group came up empty on the last road trip and hasn’t scored a power-play goal since Oct. 22 against the Anaheim Ducks.
The chances are there. The Devils have generated 69 shots on goal and 87 scoring chances, but they’ve only turned that into six 5-on-4 goals.
At practice on Monday, the club tried something different by moving Connor Brown onto the top unit with Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and the Hughes brothers. That pushed Luke Evangelista down to the second group.
Bratt said after practice that Brown’s presence can make a difference on special teams. “I think last year he just helped guys like me, Nico, Jack, and Luke, to just kind of evolve our game a little bit on the power play,” he said.
New Jersey had success late last season with Brown on the top unit, and he finished 2025-26 with four goals and eight points on the power play. The Devils are hoping that familiarity can get the man advantage moving in the right direction.
In Other News...
Devils Prospect Suddenly Giving Fans A Real Breakout To Watch
Conrad Fondrk is giving Devils fans a reason to keep one eye on Boston University this fall. After returning from injury, the young forward has come back looking sharp, piling up six points in six games and quickly turning himself into one of the more intriguing names in the organizations prospect pool. For a team always trying to balance the present with the future, that kind of momentum matters, especially when it comes from a player who is still early in his development.
Fondrk is hardly the only prospect making noise, either. Gustav Hillstrom, Daniil Rusakovich, Quinn McKenzie and Chase Cheslock have each put together notable stretches in their own leagues, while the Utica Comets have also picked up two recent wins with help from Anton Silaev, Lenni Hameenaho, Dmitry Osipov, David Rittich, Topias Vilen, Jakub Malek, Colin White and Ben Steeves. The bigger question now is whether Fondrk can keep this pace going long enough to turn a hot start into something much more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Just Made Their Belief In This Core Impossible To Miss
Martin Brodeur made it clear the Devils are not treating this stretch like a slow build. With the clubs core players in their prime, the executive vice president of hockey operations said adding Connor Hellebuyck was a necessary move, a sign New Jersey sees its competitive window as open right now rather than somewhere down the road.
Hellebuyck arrived from Winnipeg and wasted little time showing why the Devils valued him so highly, earning a win in his first start with New Jersey by making 17 saves in a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Brodeur pointed to the veteran goalies experience and immediate impact as part of the clubs push to keep moving forward, and the early return only sharpened the sense that this is a team acting with real urgency. [Read more 🡒]
Hellebuyck Faces His First Real Devils Test At Home
Connor Hellebuyck has settled in quickly since the Devils brought him over from Winnipeg on Oct. 23, and the early returns have been exactly what New Jersey hoped for. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner has won his first two starts in a Devils sweater, drawing positive remarks from teammates and coach Sheldon Keefe as he gets comfortable in a new setting.
Now comes the first real test at home, with Edmonton coming to town and Connor McDavid leading a record-setting season. For Hellebuyck, it is the kind of assignment that can tell you plenty about how well the transition is going, and for the Devils it is another chance to see whether their new goaltending answer can hold up against one of the leagues most dangerous offenses. [Read more 🡒]