The Devils’ camp logjam has already started to sort itself out, and not in Stefan Noesen’s favor.
Two days into training camp, New Jersey has a much clearer picture up front. The Luke Glendening trade left the club with 15 NHL-level forwards for 13 spots, and if Lenni Hameenaho is included after spending the second half of last season in New Jersey, that number jumps to 16.
Then Nick Bjugstad tore his pectoral muscle during training and was ruled out for the next four to six months, which changes the math even more. Bjugstad had been on the roster bubble and was staring at a possible waivers designation, so the injury likely keeps him in New Jersey for the foreseeable future.
That still doesn’t make the final forward spots any less crowded. In fact, the biggest squeeze may be around Noesen.
His game is NHL-caliber, but the fit is getting harder to see. The Devils want more speed and a tougher overall pace, and Noesen’s style - opportunistic and reliant on the dirty areas - doesn’t exactly match that direction. That’s especially true with the way Sheldon Keefe has lined things up in camp.
There’s already a player making a strong case for Noesen’s role. Amadeus Lombardi, acquired from the Detroit Red Wings for a fourth-round pick earlier in the offseason, has quickly become a favorite. Sunny Mehta made that move early after taking over for Tom Fitzgerald, and while Lombardi was viewed by many as someone who might not crack Detroit’s roster, New Jersey appears to have landed an immediate NHL option for a fourth-rounder.
Lombardi has opened camp on what looks like the Devils’ fourth line alongside Cody Glass and Connor Brown. Noesen, meanwhile, is skating with Marc McLaughlin and Jesper Boqvist, which has the feel of a direct battle for the last forward spot.
Keefe has already spoken highly of Lombardi after two days, and the young forward backed that up with two goals in the scrimmage. Noesen also scored, doing what he does best by cleaning up around the crease.
The problem for Noesen is that Lombardi may not even be the player he’s really fighting. Lombardi is not waiver-exempt, so sending him to the AHL would mean exposing him to the rest of the league for free. That doesn’t seem likely.
So the real decision may come down to Noesen, Boqvist, McLaughlin, and Hameenaho for that final opening.
And if the Devils have to choose between Noesen and Boqvist, the contract could tip the scale. Boqvist came to New Jersey in the Jacob Markstrom trade, and the sense here is that the Devils would be more willing to risk Noesen on waivers. Noesen carries a $2.75 million cap hit this season, so if someone does claim him, New Jersey at least gets some relief.
In Other News...
Devils Camp Already Revealed One Early Lineup Problem
The Devils opened 2026-27 training camp by splitting the roster into two groups, and the first look at possible opening-night combinations already offered a glimpse of how the forward group could look with Anthony Mantha and Luke Evangelista in the mix. It also quickly underscored how much the early days of camp can be about sorting through availability as much as talent, with the lineup work coming before the first real decisions are made.
Nick Bjugstad is recovering from offseason pectoral surgery and is expected to miss four to six months, while Johnathan Kovacevic is still rehabbing a knee injury and is not fully participating in camp. Even with those injuries creating some immediate uncertainty, general manager Sunny Mehta said he believes the team can compete and made it clear he expects a Stanley Cup run, which puts even more pressure on camp to settle the gaps as quickly as possible. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Are Helping More New Jersey Kids See Hockey Differently
Hockey in New Jersey is getting a different kind of push these days, one that goes beyond wins and losses at the Prudential Center. Through a program run by Hockey New Jersey in partnership with the Devils, children from diverse backgrounds are being brought into the sport with a focus on access, skating sessions, and the kind of early exposure that can make hockey feel less distant and more welcoming.
Coaches and staff involved in the effort have made inclusion and representation central to the message, with mentorship playing a big part in keeping young players engaged once they get a taste of the game. For a franchise that has long tried to deepen its roots in the state, the work matters because it helps more kids picture themselves in hockey, not just watching it from the outside. [Read more 🡒]
Nico Daws Suddenly Has A Real Shot In Devils Camp
Nico Daws is getting a different kind of springboard into Devils camp this time, with the door opening a little wider for a goaltender who has spent the past five years working his way through the system. After time in the AHL with Utica and a steady climb in his development, Daws says he understands exactly what is in front of him now: a real chance to battle for an NHL roster spot and the need to keep earning it with consistent work and performance.
The competition is still the point, and Daws is not pretending otherwise. He knows he has to prove he belongs at this level, but he also sounds like a player who feels the timing is right, confident in the progress he has made and ready to test himself against NHL shooters. For the Devils, that creates one of camps more interesting under-the-radar storylines, because a path that looked distant not long ago now feels very much alive. [Read more 🡒]