After a long summer without hockey, the Devils are finally back in motion, and the first look at rookie camp offered a few names worth watching right away. The opening days have already put Matyas Melovsky, Seamus Casey and Anton Silaev in the spotlight, with the first preseason game coming up fast and the club trying to get rolling in a condensed 84-game regular season.
Casey, in particular, is approaching camp with plenty of confidence. The young defenseman appeared in 14 games with New Jersey in 2024-25, but last season was derailed by the lower-body injury he picked up in training camp. He managed 29 games for Utica and two more for the Devils before being shut down in January and undergoing surgery.
Now healthy again, Casey says the goal is simple: stay steady over the long haul. “Just continuing to prove consistency, that I can do it over the full course of a season is the most important thing for me,” Casey told the media on Saturday.
He has spent rookie camp paired with Silaev, and the two have already shown real chemistry. Casey’s game is built around clean zone entries and sharp passing, while Silaev brings speed and physical play that can push the action forward. They are expected to skate with veterans on Wednesday, which will give the Devils another look at whether this pairing can stick in the long run.
One of the weekend’s biggest performances came from Melovsky, who is quickly making his case as a player to keep near the top of the organization’s call-up list. The 22-year-old forward, a sixth-round pick in 2024, spent all of last season in the AHL. Against the New York Islanders on Sunday, he put together a three-point night with two goals and an assist.
His pass to Mikael Diotte tied the game at one late in the second period, and then he took over in the third. Melovsky scored twice in a two-minute span, first tying the game again before scoring the go-ahead goal in a 4-3 contest. He looks poised to be a major piece for Utica’s offense, and it would not be a surprise if his NHL debut comes sooner rather than later.
Another forward who could be in line for a call if injuries hit is Ben Steeves. Acquired in the trade that sent Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers, Steeves was re-signed in July to a one-year, two-way contract by general manager Sunny Mehta.
Steeves opened the Rookie Showcase on the top line with Melovsky and Lenni Hameenaho, and he spent much of that game creating chances early by driving the net. He looks close to making the jump, and he could eventually fit into the Devils’ bottom six.
The offseason also included Martin Brodeur’s seventh annual MB30 Golf Invitational, held to celebrate the start of the 2026-27 season. The event brings together the Devils’ past and present, giving current players a chance to connect with staff and sponsors while alumni share stories and remain part of the organization.
The tournament benefits the Devils Youth Foundation through the Alumni Scholarship Fund, which helps soon-to-be college students with financial assistance. In June, the foundation handed out ten $5,000 scholarships to New Jersey-based high schoolers, and this was the third year the program has been supported by the MB30 Golf Invitational.
Brodeur said the foundation work is what means the most to him: “We are proud to invest in young leaders who are committed to service, growth, and creating positive change,” said Brodeur.
In Other News...
Devils Lose Veteran Center At Worst Possible Time
The Devils got an unwelcome reminder of how quickly a preseason can change when Nick Bjugstads recovery became the headline before camp even opened. New Jersey said the veteran forward underwent successful surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle, and the timing could hardly be worse for a team trying to sort out its early-season plans and build some stability down the middle.
Bjugstad will miss training camp and is facing a four-to-six month recovery timeline, which puts a significant chunk of the 2026-27 season in jeopardy as well. The injury adds another layer of caution to camp, where defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic is also expected to be limited while working back from a minor offseason knee procedure. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Front Office Shakeup Sends Familiar Name Back Into The NHL
The Devils have moved into a new phase upstairs, with Sunny Mehta now running hockey operations after the organization parted ways with Tom Fitzgerald. Mehta wasted little time putting his own stamp on the front office, including a change at assistant general manager that brought Braden Birch into the role and shifted Dan MacKinnon out of it.
One familiar name from the previous regime also found a new landing spot elsewhere in the league. Chuck Fletcher, who had served as a senior advisor with New Jersey, was not retained and has since been hired in the same advisory role by the Seattle Kraken, a reminder that front office turnover rarely stays contained to one zip code for long. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Camp Suddenly Has A Roster Crunch Fans Need To Watch
The Devils are heading into on-ice training camp with a forward group that looks far more crowded than it did a year ago, and that is by design. General manager Sunny Mehta spent the offseason adding to the mix, giving New Jersey a deeper set of options up front while also bringing back a defensive group that still has plenty of familiar faces in place.
What makes camp worth watching now is the squeeze at the bottom of the roster, where a few spots are going to be fought over rather than handed out. Dawson Mercers status remains part of the conversation, and new defenseman Declan Chisholm adds another layer to the competition as the Devils sort through how their projected lines and defense pairings ultimately fit together. [Read more 🡒]