The New Jersey Devils have backed themselves into a roster squeeze, and it’s not a small one.
What started with the Barrett Hayton offer sheet has turned into a numbers problem. Hayton’s best fit is as a third-line center, but once the Utah Mammoth matched the contract, the Devils were left with a player who doesn’t have an obvious home. With Vincent Trochek already in the mix, the choices get awkward fast: either move Hayton to the wing or accept that Trocheck was paid like a center only to be used like a winger.
The Devils didn’t stay on that path for long. They shifted their money to Anthony Mantha, bringing in a 33-goal scorer who left the division rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
That move pushed the roster even further over the edge. New Jersey now has 14 NHL-quality forwards, and that count doesn’t even include younger names such as Shane Lachance and Amadeus Lombardi. The group is full before the Devils add anyone from the Utica Comets, make another trade, or bring in one of the professional tryouts that have become part of recent Devils camps.
The problem is simple: the Devils still have to get down to 23 players, and right now they appear to have 14 forwards, 7 defensemen, and 3 goalies lined up as essentially locked in. That’s too many bodies for the space available.
Lenni Hameenaho stands out as the only forward in the group who is waivers exempt, so he’s the cleanest option if someone has to be sent to Utica. That protection matters because he can’t be claimed by another team if he spends the season in the AHL.
Declan Chisolm looks safe, too. Sunny Mehta has spent the offseason talking about how excited he is that Chisolm is on the roster, and he’s also the only extra defenseman in the picture. That makes it hard to imagine a Devils setup with only six defensemen.
There are other possibilities, at least in theory. The Devils could try sending a veteran such as Nick Bjugstad or Stefan Noesen to the Comets, which would also help a little with cap space. But the bigger issue remains the same: the roster is crowded, and a decision is coming.
The most likely outcome is a trade. New Jersey simply has too many players right now, and the best move for Mehta may be finding the right partner before camp turns this into a bigger problem.
If not, Hameenaho could be the temporary answer, with the Devils hoping another team later pays a premium after an injury. That approach has not always worked out before.
In Other News...
Devils Finally Have A Reason To Care About Utica Again
Utica has not been much more than a distant outpost for the Devils in recent seasons, but this summer gave the organization a reason to pay closer attention. Sunny Mehta, who oversees hockey operations in New Jersey, has pushed through a meaningful reset of the Comets roster and management structure, starting with the hiring of Braden Birch as assistant general manager and general manager in Utica.
The roster work has been just as notable, with the Comets adding several players who bring real AHL scoring potential while also keeping important pieces from last season in place. For New Jersey, the hope is straightforward: make Utica more competitive, more stable and more useful as a development stop for the next wave of NHL talent. [Read more 🡒]
Tomas Nosek Leaves Devils After Sudden Career Turnaround
Tomas Nosek is heading back to where it all started, signing with HC Dynamo Pardubice for the upcoming season after a long NHL run that included stops with the Devils and Panthers. For New Jersey, he was a veteran forward brought in for depth and experience, and for Florida he became part of a championship group, finishing with a Stanley Cup win in 2025.
The move sends Nosek back to Czechia and to the club where he launched his career, a full-circle decision that fits the stage he is at now. After more than 500 NHL games, the jump to Europe likely marks the final stretch of his professional playing days, closing out a career that took an unexpected late turn into a title run. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Suddenly Have A New Samu Salminen Dilemma
Samu Salminens next move is suddenly a real talking point for the Devils, because the forward is nearing free agency after four years of NCAA hockey and still has not signed with New Jersey. For a team that always has one eye on the pipeline and the other on the clock, that leaves his path hanging in the balance at just the moment his college career appears to be reaching its natural end.
A recent Colorado court ruling has made the situation more complicated by opening the door for some athletes who began college sports in the 2022-23 season and used up four years of eligibility to return to NCAA athletics. Salminen now has a wider menu of choices than the usual pro-hockey decision tree, with the ability to sign with any NHL team, go back to college hockey, or keep his career moving in Europe, and that uncertainty is exactly what makes his case worth watching for New Jersey. [Read more 🡒]