Sunny Mehta has spent the offseason tearing down and rebuilding the Devils’ roster, and the work has left New Jersey with a very different look heading into the new season. The organization has more depth, more competition and a lot more questions to sort through before the real games begin.
The biggest anchor remains Nico Hischier, who signed a five-year, $58.5 million extension in July. That deal keeps the captain in New Jersey through 2031-2032 and, at least for now, looks like a bargain when stacked against some of the contracts being handed out around the league.
In goal, the picture has changed completely. With Jacob Markström traded to Florida, the Devils are heading into camp with Jake Allen, David Rittich and Nico Daws battling for ice time. The possibility of carrying three goaltenders all season is very much on the table.
Behind that NHL mix, the Devils also added Jakub Málek on a two-year, two-way contract. He gives the team another young goalie to develop in the pipeline, and the question now is whether he could see NHL action sooner rather than later.
Up front, Anthony Mantha arrives on a two-year deal worth $4.75 million annually. The 6-5, 240-pound forward is being counted on for secondary scoring and a bigger physical presence, with the hope that he can be the finisher Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt have been waiting for.
The Devils also brought in Luke Evangelista after his 56-point season in Nashville. At 24, he adds another skilled playmaker to the mix and gives New Jersey a real option for the top six. The obvious next step is whether he can push past those career highs in a new uniform.
All of it speaks to the scale of Mehta’s overhaul. The roster has been turned over in a matter of months through trades and free-agent moves, and the depth chart is stronger than it has been in years. That should make training camp and the preseason a fight for a limited number of jobs, while the Utica Comets are expected to be much better this season.
The Devils’ future also comes with plenty of draft capital. They hold three first-round picks over the next two drafts, giving Mehta room to keep maneuvering if another major move comes into view. A big swing at the trade deadline is still very much a possibility.
And away from the roster churn, Mike “Doc” Emrick took time to look back on a career that has been intertwined with the Devils for decades. In more than 80 minutes of stories, he reflected on the 1995 Stanley Cup, Martin Brodeur, Jack Hughes and Team USA’s Olympic gold.
In Other News...
Jack Hughes Addressed The Devils Question Fans Wont Stop Debating
Jack Hughes used a recent interview with Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts to put a little more shape around where he stands with the Devils, and around the people making decisions upstairs. He talked about his relationship with former GM Tom Fitzgerald and current GM Sunny Mehta, while making clear he remains committed to New Jersey and energized by the teams recent moves. For a franchise trying to build around its young core, that kind of public alignment matters almost as much as anything happening on the ice.
The bigger conversation, though, has been the one fans will not let go of, with speculation still swirling around Quinn Hughes future and what it could mean for Jack Hughes down the road. Jacks ties to Nico Hischier and Luke Hughes help ground him in the present, but the outside noise keeps following him because the family storyline is never far from view. Even with his message of commitment, the debate around possible trade chatter and where this all leads next is not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
Devils May Have Found A Young Pairing Fans Will Want Soon
The Devils prospects game against the Islanders ended in a 5-4 overtime loss, but the result was almost secondary to what New Jersey may have seen on its blue line. Seamus Casey and Anton Silaev stood out for the way they moved together, with the pair drawing attention for both their skating and the chemistry they showed throughout the game.
For a team always trying to sort out its defensive future, that kind of early connection matters. Casey and Silaev are still on different development paths, and the Devils will have to weigh roster fit and readiness before anything becomes real at the NHL level, but nights like this at least offer a glimpse of a pairing fans could be eager to see down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Anton Silaev Gives Devils Fans Hope And One Clear Reason To Wait
Anton Silaevs first impression in a Devils sweater gave the organization and its fans a glimpse of why he has become such an intriguing part of the pipeline. In a prospect game against the Islanders, the top defense prospect stood out for his size and physical presence, the kind of raw material New Jersey believes can eventually be shaped into a shutdown defender. For a club that has been looking to deepen its blue line, that kind of upside matters.
Silaev is still very much a work in progress, which is why the Devils plan to let him develop with the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League this season. The next step is less about highlight moments and more about refining his defensive positioning and finding consistency from shift to shift. If that comes, the early promise could start to look a lot more like a long-term answer. [Read more 🡒]