Devils Hit Olympic Break with Harsh Reality: It's Time to Sell
The New Jersey Devils head into the Olympic break with one thing finally made clear: the playoff dream is over. If there was still a flicker of hope heading into Thursday night’s matchup, it was extinguished by the New York Islanders-and not in dramatic fashion, but in the kind of slow, frustrating loss that’s come to define this Devils season.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Back in October, this team believed it had the pieces to make a real postseason run. Instead, they’re limping into the break 11 points out of a playoff spot, with little to show for the season other than a couple of late trades-Ondrej Palat and Nick Bjugstad-made far too late to change the trajectory.
Thursday night’s 3-1 loss to the Islanders felt like a microcosm of the entire campaign. New Jersey pushed, they tried, they fired everything they could at Ilya Sorokin-but the puck just wouldn’t go in.
Nico Hischier finally broke through to tie the game at one, but that was all the Devils could muster. And when the Islanders scored with under four minutes left, followed by Mathew Barzal’s empty-net dagger, it was over.
Not just the game, but the season.
There’s no more pretending. The Devils are sellers now.
The standings say it, the results confirm it, and the front office has to accept it. But here’s the kicker: the NHL is on a movement freeze during the Olympics, so even if the Devils wanted to start reshaping the roster today, they can’t.
No trades, no call-ups, no roster tweaks-just time to sit with the reality of where things stand.
Sheldon Keefe remains behind the bench. Tom Fitzgerald is still steering the ship as GM.
But the message is clear: the second half of the season isn’t about chasing a playoff berth anymore. It’s about asset management, player development, and maybe-just maybe-playing spoiler down the stretch.
This kind of clarity can be freeing in a way. There’s no more pressure to salvage something that’s already slipped away.
The Devils can focus on the future now. That might mean giving more ice time to younger players, exploring trade options once the freeze lifts, and identifying which pieces are part of the long-term vision.
It’s not where the Devils thought they’d be in February, but it’s where they are. The sooner they embrace that, the better their chances of turning this setback into something productive. The road to Milan may be paved with disappointment, but what comes after could shape the next chapter for this franchise.