The New Jersey Devils are staring down a tough road in the 2025-26 season, and the numbers back it up. According to Moneypuck, their playoff odds sit at a bleak 8.9%.
Only the New York Rangers are keeping them from the basement of the Eastern Conference standings. It’s not the kind of position anyone in New Jersey expected to be in at this point in the season.
Let’s break down where things stand with the Devils-starting with the injury to their franchise cornerstone, Jack Hughes-and explore why the climb back into playoff contention might be steeper than it looks.
Jack Hughes Injury: Olympic Hopes Still Alive
Thursday night against Nashville, Jack Hughes gave Devils fans a scare. Just a few minutes into the game, he left for the locker room, returned briefly for a shift, and then exited again for good.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe later described it as a lower-body injury that didn’t seem too serious at the time. Still, Hughes missed Saturday’s game in Ottawa and was absent from Monday’s morning skate.
There was a glimmer of optimism, though-Hughes did take the ice after the official skate wrapped up, according to team reporter Amanda Stein. But he wasn’t on the ice for Tuesday’s optional skate, and Keefe officially ruled him out for the upcoming game.
So what does this mean for Team USA and the upcoming Olympics in Milan? Right now, it doesn’t appear to be a major concern.
TSN insider Pierre LeBrun reported that no one close to the situation is overly worried about Hughes missing the Olympic tournament. It’s being treated as a day-to-day situation, and with over a week to go before Team USA opens against Latvia, there’s still time.
Hughes himself addressed the situation at the Devils’ Sweep the Deck Gala on Monday night, saying, “Obviously, that’s the goal [to play in Milan]. I’d like to be [back].
It’s day by day. It’s seeing how I feel each day.”
The Devils are clearly being cautious with their star forward-and rightfully so. This isn’t just about the Olympics. It’s about the long-term health of a player who is central to the franchise’s future.
Arseny Gritsyuk: A Bright Spot On and Off the Ice
It’s been a rough season for the Devils, but Arseny Gritsyuk has quietly become one of the more consistent and entertaining pieces of the puzzle.
Through 51 games, the 22-year-old winger has posted nine goals and 23 points. Those numbers won’t light up the league leaderboard, but they don’t tell the full story. Gritsyuk has brought a reliable two-way presence to the middle six, rarely making costly mistakes and showing he can be trusted in a variety of situations.
What’s made him stand out even more, though, is his personality off the ice. Despite a language barrier, Gritsyuk has become a fan favorite thanks to his active presence on the messaging app Telegram. He’s constantly joking around with teammates and giving fans a peek behind the curtain.
Recently, after polling fans about new content ideas, he took it a step further-ordering Meta Glasses to start filming his own vlogs. His first video is already out, giving fans a unique, first-person look at life behind the scenes with the Devils. It’s the kind of content that builds a connection between player and fanbase, and Gritsyuk is leaning into it in a big way.
Climbing the Standings: A Long Shot
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room-the standings. The Devils are in a hole, and the teams ahead of them aren’t doing them any favors.
As it stands, every playoff team in the Eastern Conference is on pace to finish with at least 98 points. That’s a high bar, and with just 58 points in the bank, the Devils would need to go on a blistering 20-6-1 run just to reach that threshold. That’s not impossible, but it’s asking a lot from a team that’s struggled to find consistency all season.
There might be a slightly more realistic path through the Metropolitan Division. The New York Islanders currently hold the third spot in the Metro, and if they stumble down the stretch and finish with, say, 91 points, the math becomes a little more forgiving.
In that case, the Devils would need to go 16-8-2 to catch them. Still a tall order-but not quite as daunting.
The problem? They’re not just chasing the Islanders.
Columbus, Washington, and Philadelphia are all wedged between the Devils and that third Metro spot. Even if one team falters, the Devils would need to leapfrog multiple squads to make it happen.
Final Thoughts
There’s still time on the clock, but the Devils are running out of runway. The injury to Jack Hughes is a concern, though it doesn’t appear to threaten his Olympic hopes.
Arseny Gritsyuk continues to be a bright spot in a dim season, both on the ice and in the locker room. But the reality is that unless something clicks-and fast-the Devils are going to need a near-perfect finish just to stay in the playoff conversation.
For now, all eyes are on Hughes’ return, Gritsyuk’s next vlog, and whether the Devils can find a spark before it’s too late.