The Devils spent the offseason reworking their forward group, and Amadeus Lombardi might be the most interesting name in the bunch.
New Jersey came into the 2026-27 season looking more dangerous up front after a string of moves that included sending Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers for three forwards - Ben Steeves, Evan Rodrigues, and Jesper Boqvist - then adding Anthony Mantha in free agency and trading for Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators for draft picks. But the quietest deal may end up mattering the most: the Devils landed Lombardi from the Detroit Red Wings ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft for a fourth-round pick.
That move gave Lombardi his first real shot at the NHL after three seasons in the minors with Grand Rapids. Detroit had drafted him in the fourth round, 113th overall, in 2022, and he spent one more season in the Ontario Hockey League before moving into the Red Wings organization.
From there, he logged three years with the Grand Rapids Griffins, where his production kept trending up. In 161 games, he totaled 108 points, and each season brought more offense than the one before.
Lombardi’s first NHL action came on Oct. 1 in the Devils’ home opener against the Philadelphia Flyers. It was also the start of the 2026-27 season, and for Lombardi it marked a long-awaited debut. He took his rookie lap, then got into the game for 11 shifts and 8:03 of ice time.
His production started to catch up soon after. Three games later, he picked up his first NHL point with an assist on Jesper Boqvist’s goal. Then three games after that, he notched his first multi-point effort, setting up Luke Hughes’ second goal of the night and Stefan Noesen’s goal to open the third period.
The points have been nice, but they’re not the whole story. Lombardi has shown speed and energy every time he’s stepped on the ice, and even with modest ice time, he’s been finding ways to matter.
That hasn’t meant a perfectly smooth run. After a strong first eight games, Lombardi was a healthy scratch for the Devils’ Oct. 20 game against the Colorado Avalanche and their Oct. 22 matchup with the Anaheim Ducks. The move was tied to Connor Brown finally getting into the lineup for the first time in the 2026-27 season, and the Devils needed a spot for him.
Lombardi was back in the lineup on Oct. 24 against the Los Angeles Kings. The day before, New Jersey had traded Dawson Mercer to Winnipeg as part of the deal for Connor Hellebuyck, but head coach Sheldon Keefe made it clear Lombardi’s return had already been set for that game.
For a player who spent three seasons waiting for this chance, Lombardi has already made a solid first impression. And with an 84-game season still stretching ahead, there’s plenty of room for him to keep building on it.
In Other News...
Devils Fans Are Still Waiting For Hellebuyck To Address One Thing
Connor Hellebuycks move to New Jersey has already shifted the spotlight, but the story behind the trade still lingers. According to insider Elliotte Friedman, the Winnipeg Jets made the deal in part to avoid the possibility of a public feud, with concern that Hellebuyck might have spoken to the media after a required physical. The preference in Winnipeg was to keep the matter contained and find closure inside the room instead of letting it spill into a larger dispute.
Now with Hellebuyck on the Devils and expected to debut soon, the attention is turning to how this all gets addressed, especially with a return to Winnipeg on the horizon. For New Jersey, the immediate focus is on what he brings on the ice, but the off-ice backdrop gives his arrival a little extra weight. The one thing Devils fans are still waiting on is how, or if, Hellebuyck handles the part of this trade that Winnipeg clearly wanted to keep private. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Fans Finally Got Their First Look At A Stunning New Era
The Devils latest move finally became visible on the ice when Connor Hellebuyck took part in his first practice with New Jersey after arriving from the Winnipeg Jets in a multi-asset trade. For a fan base that has been waiting to see how this reshaped roster will look in real time, getting their first extended glance at a new No. 1-level presence in camp was the latest sign that the organization is moving into a different phase.
Around the league, the goaltending and injury picture remains unsettled, with Logan Thompson and Jakob Chychrun leaving Capitals practice early and Thompson still working back from a lower-body injury. Elsewhere, Taylor Hall was back on the ice with the Hurricanes after his own lower-body issue, while Alexander Nikishin has yet to rejoin Carolina after signing his one-year deal, a reminder that even as one major addition settles in, other teams are still sorting out their own lineup questions. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Just Saw How Fast Colorado Can Suddenly Look Vulnerable
The Avalanches latest wobble was a reminder that even one of the NHLs most dangerous teams can look shaky in a hurry. Colorado was beaten 6-2 by Nashville, and the breakdowns were easy to spot, especially on special teams, where the Predators cashed in on four power-play chances out of seven. For a Devils team that has to keep an eye on the bigger picture in the East, it was the kind of result that shows how quickly a contender can lose its footing when the details slip.
Scott Wedgewood did not give Colorado the kind of steadiness it needed, and the broader issue has been the same one following the Avalanche lately: the defense has not held up well enough, and the overall effort has come and gone. That inconsistency has left Colorado searching for more urgency and a way to stop the slide before it starts to affect the tone of the season. [Read more 🡒]