RSS Devils Team Notes

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils in the Details – 1/16/26: Tom Talks Edition

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

Nico Hischier scored twice, including in overtime, to push the Devils to a 3-2 win over the Kraken on Wednesday. [Devils NHL]

Tom Fitzgerald appears and has plenty to say:

Some analysis and takeaways from Tom Fitzgerald’s media availability: [The Athletic ($)] [Infernal Access ($)]

Tom Fitzgerald threw himself under the Zamboni on Wednesday for the Devils' stunning collapse. The GM believes his team's core is still good enough to make the playoffs — and that might be the only thing that saves his job. Column: https://t.co/iNQMbcxAx6

— Steve Politi (@StevePoliti) January 15, 2026

Where might Dougie Hamilton end up? “The Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs are among the potential fits. Hamilton was a productive player with the Hurricanes, and there is some level of interest there. And Leafs GM Brad Treliving had Hamilton in Calgary. Granted, he traded him away, but the Leafs have a right-shot, top-four need with the Chris Tanev injury.” [The Athletic ($)]

Hockey Links​

The Bruins retire Zdeno Chara’s No. 33:

Congratulations, Zdeno Chara pic.twitter.com/NJxzveG49Q

— NHL (@NHL) January 16, 2026

Alexandre Texier gets a two-year deal:

#GoHabsGo signed Alexandre Texier to a two-year extension: 2 years x $2.5 million = $5 million total.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 14, 2026

“Well, it’s safe to say that a player the Rangers were targeting, which is Kiefer Sherwood of the Vancouver Canucks, is no longer a target given that they’re pivoting towards selling.” [TSN]

A look at the Calder Trophy race halfway through the season: [The Athletic ($)]

A bit of history for Lane Hutson:

Fewest Games to 100 Assists by a Defenceman – NHL History

Sergei Zubov 127
Lane Hutson 132
Mark Howe 135
Stefan Persson 135#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/QrEIm97SuJ

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) January 16, 2026

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...vils-in-the-details-1-16-26-tom-talks-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Don’t Rush Into a Mistake: Dougie Hamilton is Key to the Devils’ Playoff Hopes This Season

On Sunday afternoon, the New Jersey Devils scratched Dougie Hamilton from their lineup against the Winnipeg Jets after Johnny Kovacevic was returned from injured reserve. At the time, national hockey reporters began to report that Hamilton had blocked a trade over the summer, and that the Devils were still looking for a trade. This led to a spirited back-and-forth between Hamilton’s agent and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald through Pierre LeBrun. Hamilton’s agent, J.P. Barry, argued the benching was not due to his on-ice play, but it was a “business decision” to twist Hamilton’s arm into expanding his acceptable trade list so the Devils could shed his salary.

In a perfect world, the Devils would be able to move Dougie Hamilton while trusting Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey to step up into his role as the key right-handed offensive driver on the blueline.

The Devils do not live in a perfect world.

While Seamus Casey has been named an AHL All-Star for the second time, Simon Nemec has been improving in the NHL. Unfortunately, he has not improved enough to consistently take advantage of his easier deployment. Of qualified Devils defensemen, Simon Nemec has the worst expected goals percentage at 43.70%. The next-lowest number is Luke Hughes at 47.04%. On the other hand, Nemec has benefitted on offense from the highest on-ice shooting percentage on the team at 10.69%, with the next-highest coming with Brenden Dillon on the ice at 8.05%.

So, the more Nemec plays, the more his results reflect his underlying numbers. Currently sitting at 32 on-ice goals against at five-on-five, Nemec has the worst on-ice goals against per 60 minutes among right-handed Devils defensemen:

• Nemec: 3.22 GA/60
• Pesce: 2.73 GA/60
• Hamilton: 2.04 GA/60

By goals for percentage, Nemec fares a bit better, but is still behind Hamilton despite having easier deployment:

• Pesce: 35.71 GF%
• Nemec: 46.67 GF%
• Hamilton: 46.81 GF%

So, what’s the argument for trading Hamilton? How would trading him make the team better right now?

Hamilton’s Impacts Are Not Declining​

An understandable justification for trading Dougie Hamilton would be that he is getting too old for his cap hit. He might even invite comparisons to former Devil P.K. Subban, who was traded to the Devils by the time he had fallen off from a true top-pair option to someone who could only hold down third-pair minutes. But by the same models that showed P.K. Subban had gone into steep decline by the time he was a Devil, Dougie Hamilton has bounced back from his pectoral injury to being an off-the-charts top right-handed defenseman. From HockeyViz:

By comparison, Nemec is only marked as a low-end third pairing defenseman on the same model because of his defensive deficiencies. But HockeyViz is not the only analytic model that argues Hamilton is still a true top-pair defenseman. Rono of RonoHockey posted Hamilton’s card a couple days ago, which showed a very interesting trend. With Sheldon Keefe needing a shutdown defenseman in the absence of Johnny Kovacevic (and then when Brett Pesce was injured), Dougie Hamilton actually performed very well in such a role.

As stated earlier, Dougie has the best defensive numbers by goals against among Devils right-handed blueliners. And while Dougie brought almost all of his value on the offensive side in Rono’s model over the years, this has flipped to a defense-first impact this season. See it below:

The last request. I understand why the Devils want to trade Dougie Hamilton. And there should be at least ~5 teams that could try to acquire him for a relatively low return. https://t.co/JaEq7ig5Vq pic.twitter.com/9nnMihocx9

— Rono (@RonoAnalyst) January 15, 2026

The key here is that role difficulty. With the injuries the Devils have had, even a hobbled Hamilton has had to take on tougher minutes against tougher competition than he has in previous years. But who can say that 2.04 goals against per 60 minutes is bad for those minutes? It should be nobody, but Hamilton has droves of blind detractors that just see a guy that hasn’t been known for his defense throughout his career.

On the offensive side, the issues are all production-based. Both Rono’s model and HockeyViz show that the Devils create their best scoring chances with Dougie Hamilton on the ice, which is more impressive because of the quality of competition he has faced this season. But the Devils have not finished their chances with Hamilton on the ice, now sitting at a 5.60 on-ice shot percentage with him on the ice (only Pesce is lower at 5.38%). Over these last two games, this has flipped. The Devils are starting to finish. Jesper Bratt finished one of Dougie’s passes and tipped one of his shots into the net. Cody Glass tracked his shot for a perfect rebound (and Dougie is the best on our blueline at creating those rebounds). By getting more bodies to the net and getting away from the three-high offense that the Devils regressed to from October to the beginning of this month, the Devils will start finishing more of these chances that Dougie creates because they’re not letting goalies track the puck as easily.

Just like Nemec’s defensive results have begun to more accurately reflect his underlying numbers as the season has gone on, Dougie’s numbers won’t be forever dragged down by some of the worst finishing trends in modern league history. This team is too skilled for that. As it stands, the Devils have scored about 14 goals below expected with Hamilton on the ice at five-on-five. And that’s after he got three assists over the last two games.

The Devils Never Got to Face Carolina in the Playoffs With a Healthy Defense​

Let’s run down the injuries that plagued the Devils in the 2025 playoffs:

• Jack Hughes: out, shoulder surgery
• Dougie Hamilton: returned early from a knee injury to play all five games
• Jonas Siegenthaler: returned early from a lower-body injury in Game Three
• Brenden Dillon: departed Game One with a neck injury
• Luke Hughes: departed Game One with a shoulder injury
• Johnny Kovacevic: departed Game Three with a knee injury

Needless to say, the Devils had their work cut out for them in the playoffs against Carolina. If the Devils had just three of these players at full health, could they have won a playoff series last year? As it was, the Devils did okay for only having one scoring line. But if they had Jack Hughes and a healthy defense, it easily could have been a different ballgame in that series. If the Devils won one game and had the chance to miss more, they should have taken that series to six or seven games with a full squad.

We saw how perfectly that lineup works against Minnesota. Kovacevic and Siegenthaler handled tough defensive minutes. Dillon and Hamilton ran roughshod on the Wild in offensive deployment. And Hughes and Pesce did well with their all-situation deployment.

As it stands today, the Devils have enough cap flexibility from Stefan Noesen’s injury to make adds to their forward group. In my opinion, they already have enough forwards to run a good top six. The greatest improvement they could make to their roster is to replace Luke Glendening with a better fourth line center, allowing Hischier and Hughes more shifts off at five-on-five. Does Hamilton really need to be traded to get a fourth-line center? Otherwise, they can look for players on low-dollar deals and fit them under the cap with some salary retention.

It’d be one thing if Hamilton was tied to big top six scoring forward targets, and it’d be another thing if Nemec had shown more growth over the last two seasons. But if the Devils trade Hamilton to get some lumbering, heavy non-scoring forward and push Nemec into more minutes, they are not going far in the playoffs. If the playoffs are the goal, they need Hamilton at the helm.

Forward Targets the Devils Can Seek Out Without Trading Hamilton​

I have marked two obvious choices for trade targets that would massively improve the Devils: Morgan Barron from the Winnipeg Jets and Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators. Barron, a fourth-liner who has played a decent amount of center this year, would provide size to the team at 6’4” and 220 pounds while being a more reliable five-on-five player than Glendening. Adding his contract would mean the Devils would simply have to carry two extras instead of three.

Evangelista is a higher-end option. Making $3 million, the Devils would need the Predators to retain salary for the final year and a half of his deal to fit him under the Devils’ cap. But Evangelista is a true top six winger. If the Devils put up a package of picks and prospects for Evangelista, he would provide tons of playmaking value to the team for years to come at a low enough salary to keep the books open for more adds in the coming offseason.

The point is: just because Tom Fitzgerald had a spat with J.P. Barry does not mean that Dougie Hamilton should no longer be a Devil. The locker room loves him. He’s one of the faces of the team in the community. He’s their most talented right-handed defenseman. I would certainly understand trading him in the offseason in the context of larger moves, but the Devils should not take a low return on a still-great player who has done pretty well in a miscast role this season. Now that he’s in the right spot, expect those points to pile up. It’s not like we’re getting Quinn Hughes to replace him in the case of a trade.

If Tom Fitzgerald is that hellbent on moving Dougie because he already decided it’s what needs to happen, he’s blinded. This team will fall off the moment he pulls that rug out. There’s nothing wrong with admitting a mistake, and professionals should be able to patch up a little disagreement.

The benching still serves a purpose. It gave him a kick in the you-know-what, and Dougie responded in such a way that should be an example to the rest of the team that has been looking for that kind of “response” all season. Without Dougie in these last two games, fueled by that benching, the Devils would still be on a losing streak, and we would likely be down a head coach in that case. So what kind of a message would it send to bench Dougie again, or to trade him after he seemed to play a part in saving the season?

Keep Dougie a Devil.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...s-key-to-the-devils-playoff-hopes-this-season

 

[New Jersey Devils]

2025-26 Gamethread #48: New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes

The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (24-21-2) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (29-15-4)

The Time: 7:00pm ET

The Broadcast: MSGSN, Devils Radio Network

The Game Preview: Jackson wrote the preview this morning.

The Rules: If you have been a reader here, you already know the rules. But for the rest, a reminder: please do not swear in the comment section, and keep comments relevant to the hockey game going on. Beyond that, do not attack any other commenters, and do not ask for or pass along illegal streams on this board.

LGD!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...d-48-new-jersey-devils-vs-carolina-hurricanes

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Game Preview #48: New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes

The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (24-21-2) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (29-15-4)

The Time: 7:00pm ET

The Broadcast: MSGSN, Devils Radio Network

Last Devils Game​

The Devils returned home on Wednesday from a brutal road trip to host the Seattle Kraken. It took overtime, but the Devils won 3-2 to stretch their winning streak all the way to two. Nico Hischier scored twice, including the winner in OT.

Last Hurricanes Game​

Carolina was in action last night when they hosted the Florida Panthers. In a close, back-and-forth game, the Hurricanes won 9-1. Nikolaj Ehlers led the way with a hat trick.

Last Devils-Hurricanes Game​

It happened on January 4, and it was a dismal 3-1 loss on home ice. This was the infamous game where Luke Hughes “scored” two own goals and many of the Devils fans in attendance that night responded by booing him every time he touched the puck after that.

Here We Go Again​

Just as things are kind of, sort of, maybe, perhaps looking up for the Devils with wins in their last two games, here comes their Achilles heel: The Carolina Hurricanes. They’ve lost both games they’ve played to them this season by a combined score of 9-4. They went 2-2 against them last regular season but of course lost in five games to the Canes in the playoffs. They lost in five to them in 2023 as well, meaning they are 2-8 in the postseason versus Carolina since 2023. For a multitude of reasons, the Devils simply cannot find a way to consistently win games against the Hurricanes.

The win over Minnesota at the end of the road trip was a nice change of pace from the constant losing, and the win against the Kraken has allowed a glimmer of hope to reenter the picture. But that can all be taken away if New Jersey loses tonight. Maybe if the Devils outshoot the Hurricanes something like 40-22, dominate them in all the advanced metrics, and overall look like the far superior team, but STILL lose, that might be the only defeat that New Jersey could feel good about. They could say that luck just wasn’t on their side tonight but if they continue playing like that they will win many more games than they will lose.

But even in that “best-case scenario”, it would sting. New Jersey is out of the playoff picture at the moment with several teams in front of them, many of which have a game or two in hand. There is still plenty of season left, but if we’re being honest, the hole New Jersey has dug themselves might even be too deep for the large amount of games they have left. They need points, and they need them in bunches. Now. Getting two of them against the team that has bullied them around the past few seasons would maybe send a message to the rest of the league that the Devils are back. We can only hope.

Dougie Domination​

Dougie Hamilton has now played two games since his unceremonious benching last weekend, and he has spent those two games making everyone who decided to bench him look like a complete stooge. In the win over Minnesota, Hamilton posted an utterly incredible Game Score (and the top mark on the team) according to Hockey Stat Cards, and posted a 5-on-5 Expected Goals For% around 70% according to Natural Stat Trick. Then last time out against the Kraken, Hamilton again led the team in Game Score while posting an absurd 81.65 xGF%. If the fancy stats aren’t your cup of tea, can I interest you in three points in those two games as well?

On Monday, I wrote what was essentially a long soliloquy on Hamilton’s time in New Jersey. I wrote that piece because I thought in the wake of his benching, the end was nigh and a trade was imminent. Hamilton might still very well be traded, but seeing him absolutely crush souls the last two games makes me look like a fool for writing about him as if he played his last game in a Devils sweater. And you know what, I’m happy to look foolish here! Hamilton has not produced at anywhere near the clip we expect of him this year. To be fair, a lot of this seems to do with his strange usage this season, in which he’s being deployed like a shutdown defenseman (and he’s even performing pretty well in that role anyway). If Keefe starts giving Hamilton some usage that actually fits his skillset, we might see the return of the real Dougie Hamilton, the one we saw in 2022-23. Perhaps that even starts tonight. And if that’s the case, that will make this whole saga look so bizarre in retrospect.

Hamilton has been absolutely dealing in his last two games. If the Devils are going to win tonight, Hamilton will need to make it three in a row. He is the most important Devils defenseman at the moment.

Luke On The Rise?​

Another big part of the blue line, Luke Hughes, is starting to show signs of life as well. Hughes’ season has of course been a big disappointment, as he hasn’t been able to rack up points or drive play to the level that any of us wanted.

Well much like Hamilton, Hughes has been quite good over the last two games. He posted excellent Game Scores against Minnesota and Seattle, and he racked up a 5-on-5 xGF% of 76% (Minnesota) and 55% (Seattle). As far as traditional stats, he registered a pair of assists against the Kraken. It’s only two games, which is obviously much too small of a sample size to say whether he’s arrived or not. But for now at least, he appears to be headed in the right direction again.

It’s also important to note that Hughes has been showing real growth offensively, as Todd Cordell notes over at Infernal Access. So while his defensive game is sorely lacking this season, Hughes is taking real steps as an offensive driver. He’s far from perfect, and the Devils certainly need more out of him now that he’s exited his ELC and is getting paid like a top-flight defenseman. Much like Hamilton, if Hughes can continue playing like a true number one, the Devils will start winning a lot more games going forward.

The Plan For The Blue Line​

So now that Johnny Kovacevic is finally back, New Jersey has their full complement of defenseman available for the first time all season long. That means that the Devils have seven blueliners for six spots. We’ve seen Hamilton healthy scratched. We’ve seen Kovacevic get some rest. And now it’s Simon Nemec’s turn to hit the press box:

Here's a look at today's #NJDevils lines and pairings.

Kovacevic is getting in regular rotations with Siegenthaler, and Dougie is paired with Dillon.

Everything up-front remains the same.

Colton White not on the ice. pic.twitter.com/HwGtvVH5kE

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) January 16, 2026

(As a quick aside, some minor news: The Devils waived Juho Lammikko and Colton White this week. So this might be the last time you see Lammikko’s name at a Devils practice).

Stein also quoted Keefe about the situation, and he was very noncommittal about it. He seemed to imply that Nemec will find his way back into the lineup soon, but that begs the question, for who? Is it just going to be a rotation between Hamilton, Kovacevic, and Nemec the rest of the way? Is Brett Pesce immune to coming out of the lineup if he’s healthy? Would any of the left-handed defensemen draw out with a righty playing on his off-hand? These are the questions we don’t have answers to yet, but will presumably get answers to soon.

But there is one more option…

Bench Glendening​

Please take a look at this:

Luke Glendening has also broken the sG chart in a way I have never seen since sG became a thing a few seasons ago. pic.twitter.com/2Rv053NrrP

— All About the Jersey (@AATJerseyBlog) January 10, 2026

Luke Glendening has been a gigantic net negative for the Devils this season. Every single time he steps on the ice, he immediately puts New Jersey on the defensive. According to Natural Stat Trick, Glendening is sporting some absolutely horrific 5-on-5 numbers:

Corsi For%: 40.22

Scoring Chances For%: 35.46

High Danger Corsi For%: 35.83

Expected Goals For%: 36.85

Even if you don’t believe in advanced metrics, Glendening surely isn’t impressing you with his zero goals and four assists in 47 games played so far. He has exactly two uses: penalty killing and faceoff acumen. I would argue that the juice isn’t worth the squeeze for either of those skills. No matter how you look at it, Glendening has been a huge drag on this team from day one.

So with that being the case, the solution to the sudden overflow of defensemen is simple: Go 11-7 and scratch Glendening. That way, none of the defensemen on the roster have to sit, Glendening doesn’t have to play, and it allows you to give some extra shifts to the top players. Seems like a win-win all around.

Will New Jersey actually do that? If they haven’t done it yet, I don’t have confidence they’ll do it anytime soon. I can only hope they come to this relatively obvious conclusion soon.

Your Take​

What do you make of this game? Will New Jersey finally get in the win column against the Hurricanes? Do you think Hamilton and/or Hughes will keep up their recent form? Do you agree that going 11-7 might be the best way to go for now? As always, thanks for reading!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...w-48-new-jersey-devils-vs-carolina-hurricanes

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Takeaways From Last Night’s 4-1 Loss to the Hurricanes

First Period​

The real story of the game came in the first period, dooming the Devils from there. I knew in my soul that we were in for a rough one when Frederik Andersen at one point batting the puck out of the air with his paddle. Despite having one of the worst save percentages in the league, Freddy was locked in early, which is par for the course for him against the Devils The Devils were given their first power play of the game when Sean Walker tripped Paul Cotter in the neutral zone. Nico Hischier won the faceoff, but the Devils were disturbed in the passing lanes, forcing them back to center early. After that, the first unit didn’t really get themselves re-established, and the Devils changed off for their second unit pretty early. They didn’t have any more luck, and the Devils failed to get a single shot in their two minute advantage.

Late in the period, Jack Hughes was unable to score on a short break against Andersen. This time, I thought Andersen gave him the five hole, but Jack just missed it. And to end the period a few minutes later, Keefe pulled Markstrom for an extra attacker on a faceoff draw in the offensive zone, but Andersen made a pad save on Dougie Hamilton. Still, outshooting the Hurricanes 9-4 in the first period gave me some hope that the Devils might be able to pull something off.

Second Period​

Sean Walker was called for another penalty for high sticking Timo Meier, sending the Devils to their second power play of the night. Like their first opportunity, they had trouble getting going early, leading to the Hurricanes clearing the puck multiple times. Around halfway through the power play, Timo Meier just missed with a shot before later dumping Aho by the benches. The Devils’ first unit just stayed on a little too long, almost giving up a two-on-one chance, but Nikolaj Ehlers couldn’t bat the lifted pass into the net.

After the penalty expired, Paul Cotter took a penalty of his own. The Devils did very well on this penalty kill in the first minute, with Luke Glendening getting himself a shorthanded break after whacking the puck to center. He backhanded a shot and then got the rebound, but Andersen stuffed him twice. On the other end, Markstrom padded a slap shot out of play. Siegenthaler cleared the puck around the halfway point, after the faceoff. The Hurricanes nearly scored at the end of their power play, though, with a chaotic sequence leading to the puck going through the crease after Markstrom stopped a big slap shot from the point.

Andrei Svechnikov put the Hurricanes up 1-0 when Aho dropped the puck back for him, as Luke Hughes had lost Svechnikov after a bad turnover in the neutral zone. Svechnikov beat Markstrom cleanly, and the Devils found themselves trailing with under seven minutes to play in the second. Luke made a big mistake of passing to the middle of the ice here, but it would have been nice to see Markstrom square up the shooter with both passing options for Svechnikov covered by Pesce and Meier.

It didn’t take long for Markstrom to let it get to 2-0. Again, Svechnikov got a little loose. This time, Markstrom should have had the shot, which went right through him. Siegenthaler and Jarvis might have screened the shot a bit, but there was no real excuse for Markstrom to not come up with the save there.

After a sweet play between Dougie Hamilton and Arseny Gritsyuk to beat the Carolina forecheck, Connor Brown backhanded a pass for Gritsyuk on the rush that led to a K’Andre Miller hooking penalty. The Devils were pushed to center to start their power play, and three re-entry tries failed before they dumped the puck in successfully. They only got one shot from a sharp angle before being pushed out again. With just too little time to work with, Cody Glass fired a shot from the slot that was ended up right outside the blue paint on the rebound. But Meier backhanded it wide just as time was about to expire in the period, leaving a bit of carryover time for the power play.

Third Period​

The Devils were not able to do anything with the half minute of carryover penalty time, putting the game back to five-on-five for a few minutes. Evgenii Dadonov drew a slashing call just before spinning out on a wraparound attempt, sending Sean Walker to the box for a third time in the game. This time, the second unit started the power play, but they had similar trouble getting started. On the fourth try, the Devils gained the zone, and they passed the puck around by the point. Timo Meier took a point shot that was blocked by Jarvis, but Meier followed it up with another quick shot that fooled Andersen, pulling the Devils to 2-1 with over 15 minutes to play!

The Hurricanes iced the puck with 14 minutes to play, giving the Devils a chance to get their top six to build on the momentum. However, Timo Meier’s one-timer was blocked by Sean Walker. Dawson Mercer skated ahead for a two-on-one with Timo Meier, but Meier could not convert, and Mercer flung the puck out from behind the net and just missed the trailer as Andersen was still out of the crease.

Nico Hischier took a holding penalty on Nikolaj Ehlers with over 11 and a half minutes to play, but the Hurricanes scored on the rush as Andersen was going to the bench. Ehlers came flying up the wing and beat Brett Pesce with the pass across to Jackson Blake as Dougie Hamilton was coming back behind the Canes’ line change, and the Canes made it a 3-1 game. I think some will be tempted to blame Dougie for this goal against, but I have no idea why Dawson Mercer stepped up in the neutral zone when he was back to cover Hamilton’s pinch. That put Mercer in no-man’s land, doing nothing to prevent this chance against.

Adding insult to injury, Svechnikov got a hat trick through the largest five hole ever seen from Jacob Markstrom, as he was unable to get across and stumbled, allowing Carolina to make it 4-1 with four minutes to play. This made it pointless for the Devils to pull the goalie, pretty much sealing the game right there.

Takeaway Number One: Jacob Markstrom Should Not Be Starting Big Games​

It is tough to win if you can’t score. It’s even tougher to win if you can’t score while your goaltender ends up behind the net after stumbling around on simple rush chances. That’s the kind of goaltending Jacob Markstrom gave the team tonight, flailing around on the few high-danger chances that Carolina got while letting some easy shots beat him.

Going down 1-0 to the Hurricanes was bad enough at the end of the second period. But Jacob Markstrom, continuing to have the terrible season he’s having, let another puck go right through him to make it 2-0 in short order. Forget the Devils having issues of their own coming back from deficits this season. What teams in the NHL are able to pull off multi-goal comebacks against the Carolina Hurricanes? By losing his composure, allowing a second goal on the 15th shot against of the game, towards the end of the second period, Jacob Markstrom all but killed the Devils with 26 minutes left to play.

Maybe, if it remained 1-0, and Timo Meier scored — maybe the Devils would have had a chance. But against Carolina, you cannot give up weak goals.

Nico Daws has NHL experience and has a .945 save percentage in his seven NHL appearances over the last two seasons. Jakub Malek has flipped his bad start around and now has two shutouts since being called back up to the AHL, with an .894 save percentage in 12 games. When was the last time a Devils goaltender gave them a shutout effort in a close game?

Lenni Hameenaho Should Be Playing Over Fourth Liners​

Before the game, it was widely reported that Lenni Hameenaho would be making his NHL debut against the Carolina Hurricanes after being called up in place of Colton White.

Then Juho Lammikko played instead.

Lammikko did not shoot the puck once. He had 0 individual expected goals. The team had a 17.52 expected goals against percentage with him on the ice, being outshot 8-2. He played just over six minutes.

I think Lenni Hameenaho could have done that. But where does this rot start on the fourth line?

I've had enough of this. It's every game, too. 4th line is always a disaster as a result. #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/jDEQXQDibE

— Alex Chauvancy (@AlexC_NJD) January 18, 2026

Luke Glendening is the worst five-on-five player I have ever seen in my life. I never thought I would have to write about a player who negatively impacts the game more than John Hayden. No penalty killing prowess — and Glendening doesn’t really have all too much of that left, either — is worth keeping him in the lineup. It sucks that his NHL career is coming to a close, but the Devils cannot continue to expect different results with him on the fourth line. It makes them too easy to beat, and it puts too much stress on the top two lines to play all situations. It’s time for Glendening to be waived, just as Lammikko and White were.

But perhaps, if Hameenaho played the game, the Devils might have had a trick up their sleeve. In the AHL, Hameenaho has been hot with 21 points in his last 24 games, playing for a Utica team that really does not score that often. Maybe Connor Brown could have been on the fourth line last night.

Onto the Next One​

The Devils will next play tomorrow against the Calgary Flames, kicking off their western Canada and Seattle road trip. It’s their last trip far west of the season, with their farthest opponent after the Olympic break being Dallas in late March. For what it’s worth, though, the schedule becomes very easy after this.

The problem is that the Devils are in 15th in the Eastern Conference without games in hand. They have played more games than the teams above them. This does not mean that the Devils can’t come back in the standings, though. But:

• Their skaters have to give the same efforts they gave over the last three games
• They cannot trust Markstrom to play
• They have to try new fourth liners

Over the next five games, I see one I expect to lose: on Tuesday against Edmonton, on the back-half of a back-to-back. It would be really nice if the Devils pulled a surprise off, like they did in a similar situation against Minnesota. But I think the Devils can beat Calgary, Vancouver, and Seattle on the road before facing Winnipeg at home. They also don’t have a choice. If they do not win seven of the nine games they play before the break, they will be in very poor position to make a playoff run after the Olympic break.

Still, the standings cannot be viewed in an extremist lens based off of single games. The Devils won’t be perfect for the next 33 games, though they probably need to win 22 of those games. And over the last three, they have two wins and one loss. So, roll with it, knowing the goalie didn’t give them a chance to win tonight, and start making corrections to the roster where the real faults lie.

If the Team Benches Hamilton…​

Dougie Hamilton has four points in three games since returning from his healthy scratching, while also having a total four-game point streak. Per Evolving-Hockey (Natural Stat Trick is down), Hamilton generated the most individual expected goals from the blueline with 0.44 last night, third among all Devils behind Mercer (0.47) and Meier (0.89). Before Markstrom’s stinkers killed the team’s effort down the stretch in the third period, Hamilton was the only Devil defenseman I saw making plays against the Carolina forecheck, and I only felt like they were a threat to score when he was out there. That’s reflected on the team’s impact card from last night, where Dougie is the only defenseman with a positive defensive play-driving impact (marked by the orange bars), which may have actually given them the time to get on the attack (remember how I said he was making plays against the forecheck? It’s a skill game). The rest, except Luke Hughes, were…extremely negative.

NHL GameScore Impact Card for New Jersey Devils on 2026-01-17: pic.twitter.com/PniKj738Xn

— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) January 18, 2026

If you’re looking for a way to improve the team’s performance, start with the guys who regularly have the lowest scores on here, like Luke Glendening. And with Pesce regularly at the bottom of these since returning from his injury — perhaps he wasn’t ready! Just a thought.

Your Thoughts​

How frustrated were you last night? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...s-from-last-nights-4-1-loss-to-the-hurricanes

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils in the Details – 1/19/26: It’s Bleak Edition

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

A familiar result! Andrei Svechnikov’s hat trick pushed the Hurricanes to a 4-1 win over the Devils on Saturday. [Devils NHL]

Roster move:

#NEWS: We’ve recalled F Lenni Hameenaho from Utica (AHL). After clearing waivers earlier today, we’ve assigned D Colton White to Utica. pic.twitter.com/DSb7Zz3CyA

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) January 17, 2026

“The New Jersey Devils and Dougie Hamilton are likely heading for a parting of the ways over the coming weeks. Pierre LeBrun hinted at as much on a recent edition of TSN Insider Trading. Contrary to LeBrun, Emily Kaplan said yesterday on ESPN that there’s no guarantee the Devils trade Hamilton. We know the Devils need cap space to improve the forward group, but trading Hamilton now will make a fragile blue line worse. Here are the cases for and against trading him before the trade deadline.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]

“This is just me spitballing, but I wonder if the New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars are a match. I know Dallas is looking for a right defenseman, and I’m not suggesting a one-for-one trade with Dougie Hamilton here, but I do see Jason Robertson on some NHL trade boards. The Stars haven’t nailed him down to an extension, and you wonder if there’s a way to make that work in New Jersey.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]

It’s bleak!

Playoff chances as of Sunday https://t.co/RbnckCLHNP pic.twitter.com/8budjktMS6

— MoneyPuck.com (@MoneyPuckdotcom) January 18, 2026

Hockey Links​

“New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury outlined in a letter to fans on Friday that his team will embark on a ‘retool’ this season, which might result in trading popular players. Before releasing the letter, sources said Drury had meetings with the team’s leadership group, the players and an individual meeting with star winger Artemi Panarin. Sources described the conversations as ‘extremely candid.’” [ESPN]

A trade:

Trade details:

To #VegasBorn:
D Rasmus Andersson (50% retained)

To #Flames:
D Zach Whitecloud
2027 VGK 1st Rd Pick (T10 Protected)
2028 VGK Cond. 2nd Rd Pick
Rights to D Abram Wiebe

Conditional can 2028 1st w Cup win. (Calgary owns VGK 2026 1st, could be 2026, 2027, 2028).

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 18, 2026

Report cards for each NHL team midway through the season: [The Athletic ($)]

“This uniquely tight standings picture will have a fascinating impact on the trade market in the lead-up to the March 6 deadline. Very few teams are willing to wave the white flag on their season, so there aren’t many sellers right now. However, as we get closer to the deadline, several NHL front offices will have to commit to a direction, whether it be buying, selling or standing pat.” A look at seven teams facing interesting dilemmas ahead of the trade deadline: [The Athletic ($)]

“San Jose Sharks youngster Macklin Celebrini is having a sophomore season for the ages. How has his campaign so far compared to the sophomore seasons of the all-time NHL greats?” [The Hockey News]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...vils-in-the-details-1-19-26-its-bleak-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

2025-26 Gamethread #49: New Jersey Devils at Calgary Flames

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (24-22-2) at the Calgary Flames (21-23-4)

The Time: 9:00pm ET

The Broadcast: MSGSN, ESPN+, Devils Radio Network

The Game Preview: I wrote the preview this morning.

The Rules: If you have been a reader here, you already know the rules. But for the rest, a reminder: please do not swear in the comment section, and keep comments relevant to the hockey game going on. Beyond that, do not attack any other commenters, and do not ask for or pass along illegal streams on this board.

LGD!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...thread-49-new-jersey-devils-at-calgary-flames

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Game Preview #50: New Jersey Devils @ Edmonton Oilers

In an ideal world, I’d only have to see this man in net tonight and for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, I think we are stuck with his partner playing more games this season. | Photo by Rich Graessle/NHL via Getty Images

• The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (25-22-2) @ Edmonton Oilers (25-17-8)
• The Time: 10:00 pm EST
• The Broadcast: TNT, Devils Hockey Radio

Last Devils Game​

Late Monday night (on the East Coast) the Devils defeated the Calgary Flames 2-1. The teams went scoreless in the period until Dawson Mercer added his 13th goal of the season at 7:51 of the 2nd period. Dougie Hamilton continued showing why he should have been benched earlier this season, and put up another assist. Apparently accountability does make some people play better. Who knew?

In typical Devils fashion, Calgary tied the game up less than 2 minutes later on a goal from Nazem Kadri, his 9th of the season with a helper from our old pal Kevin Bahl. The teams would again go scoreless in the 3rd period. Simon “I’m the only clutch scorer on the team” Nemec did what he does best, and scored a goal when the team needed it to give the Devils the 2-1 win in OT.

Yes, it was the 28th place in the league Calgary Flames, but Jacob Markstrom did his job, so credit where credit is due. A win is a win, so the Devils will take the 2 points and move on.

Last Oilers Game​

On Sunday, the Oilers defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-0 at home. The win wrapped up a very successful weekend for the Oilers, which saw them win back to back games on Saturday and Sunday with back to back shut out wins; 6-0 against Vancouver and 5-0 against St. Louis. In their last 3 games, Edmonton has only allowed 1 goal, and scored 11. Yes, it’s not news to most NHL fans, but the Oilers can score goals. Must be nice.

The Oilers scored 3 goals in the first period, to pretty much wrap the game up early against St. Louis. Edmonton added 2 more “insurance” goals in the 2nd and 3rd, and pretty much coasted to a victory. Honestly, looking at the box score, I forgot teams can win with a shut out. Connor McDavid didn’t score, but the freak of nature had 2 assists on the night to bring his assist total for the season up to 55. Must be nice.

Connor Ingram got the win on Sunday, and I would assume that Tristan Jarry will get the start tonight. The shut out against St. Louis brings the season total for Edmonton to 5 shut outs on the season so far. Must be nice.

It would be nice if the Devils could have as many shutouts as the Oilers. However, considering the Devils have scored 41 less goals than the Oilers this season (170 vs 129), it doesn’t really matter if you get the shut out from your goalies, when you can’t put the puck in the other team’s net. You see what I did there? Because the Devils like to put the puck in their own net. Get it?

Injuries, Roster for Tonight, Yada, Yada, Yada.​

Last night, Jacob Markstrom started his 4th game in a row (yes, you read that right). One would assume that he got the start last night so that Jake Allen would get the back to back start tonight against Edmonton. As I’ve said before though, if this season has taught anyone anything, it’s that who knows what can happen. I HIGHLY doubt Markstrom starts his 5th game in a row and plays on back to back nights, but I also didn’t think in October that a game against the Flames in late January would be considered a “must win” game, yet, here we are.

It’s been a while since the Devils had an injury, but it looks like the bug is back folks. Luke Hughs left the game early last night and did not return. Per Amanda Stein, he will miss the rest of the road trip and possibly longer. One would assume that Johnathan Kovacevic will take his spot tonight.

Sheldon Keefe said that Luke Hughes will miss the remainder of the #NJDevils road trip, and sounded like potentially more, saying “he will miss some time”. https://t.co/Ql2f5QVEq8

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) January 20, 2026

Grimace’s Prediction and 2025-2026 Record Tracker​

Grimace has decided to throw his hat back in the ring tonight and make a prediction again. You’re not going to like it though. He has predicted a 5-0 Edmonton win tonight. You heard it here first.

Grimace’s 2025-2026 Season Prediction record currently stands at 12-10-0.

Your Take​

The Devils did defeat Edmonton back on October 18th, during the 8 game win streak (remember that?). However, the differences between THAT Devils team and THIS Devils team are so massive, they might as well have different names. As always, I would love for the Devils to win again tonight, and finally get their season back on track. Realistically, I think we’re going to be treated to a show by the best player in the NHL. Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below and thanks for reading!

In a shameless bit of non hockey related self promotion (approved by Chris – thanks Chris), I wanted to plug my brand new podcast on here, if any of you are interested in listening. We have a light hearted, fun discussion about any movies, music or video games mostly from the 1980s and 1990s. Please feel free to listen to us on any of the formats below and any feedback is welcome (positive and negative). Also, please follow us and subscribe, even if you think we stink.

YouTube

Apple Podcast

Spotify

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...-preview-50-new-jersey-devils-edmonton-oilers

 

[New Jersey Devils]

New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Jakub Malek Posts Back to Back Shutouts

Jakub Malek earned his second shutout in as many starts. Is it time to make him the number one goaltender in Utica? This posts takes a look at the situation in net for the Comets.

Malek Time​

Goaltender Jakub Malek stopped all 20 shots he faced on Saturday to shut down the Rochester Americans 3-0. Aided by goals from Angus Crookshank, Brian Halonen, and Ryan Schmelzer, Malek shut the door for his second shutout in a row after a 15 save effort last weekend.

Nico Daws earned the loss on Friday night 5-2 against the Syracuse Crunch, stopping 31 of 35. Malek has now improved over Daws with a 5-6-1 record, 2.75 GAA and .894 SV% in Utica, which elevates to 2.60 and .900% when his ECHL games are added into the mix. Daws is 6-11-7 with a 2.98 GAA and .885 SV% this year for the Comets as the number one starter.

After this article was written, Nico Daws stopped 25 of 29 in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Belleville Senators on Sunday. Daws did everything he could to keep the Comets in the game, but could not get the victory in the skills competition.

“No, Senator.” – Nico Tiberius* Daws, maybe.

*for fun pic.twitter.com/yEYlFQ04Jm

— Ben Birnell (@BB_URSentinel) January 19, 2026

Around the Pool:​

• Goaltender Mikhail Yegorov also earned his second shutout of the season Saturday night for Boston University. Yegorov has improved to 12-8-1 with a 2.77 GAA and .903 SV% on the year and made some history in the game.

Mikhail Yegorov is the first Terrier in program history to shut out UMass Amherst and UMass Lowell in the same season

— BU Hockey Stats (@BUHockeyStats) January 18, 2026

• Winger Conrad Fondrk earned an assist this week after moving up to Boston University’s top line, giving him 7 points in 16 games.
• Winger Kasper Pikkarainen scored two goals in his first game playing for the TPS U20 squad.
• Defensive defenseman Chase Cheslock continues to break out for the University of St. Thomas. The 6’3, 205 lb RHD now has 21 points in 24 games. Cheslock also had this choice quote about their last game.

“Playing Bemidji State is like one of those Revolutionary War battles where you line up in a field and shoot at each other, and the first one to drop goes down” what a quote from St Thomas defenseman Chase Cheslock https://t.co/r5Elb9xo0t

— Alex Micheletti (@AlexMicheletti) January 18, 2026

Your Take​

Post your thoughts below.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/u...pdate-jakub-malek-posts-back-to-back-shutouts

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils in the Details – 1/21/26: Back-to-Back Wins Edition

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

Simon Nemec played the hero again as he tallied the overtime game-winner to give the Devils a 2-1 win on Monday. Lenni Hameenaho made his NHL debut, and Luke Hughes left the game with an injury. [Devils NHL]

Truly a cursed season:

Sounds like initial diagnosis was #njdevils Luke Hughes dislocated his shoulder tonight in Calgary.

Will await word from Devils postgame and potential timeline as he continues to be evaluated.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 20, 2026

I'm told #NJDevils defenseman Luke Hughes is consulting with his Colorado doctor.

Earlier today, HC Sheldon Keefe told reporters in Edmonton it is going to take a bit to know the full extent of what he is dealing with.

— Kristy Flannery (@InStilettos_NHL) January 20, 2026

Then on Tuesday, the Devils scored twice and held on for dear life in the third period against Connor McDavid and the Oilers to take a 2-1 win. [Devils NHL]

What life is like on the bench for the Devils: “Obviously, the coach can help a little bit, which he does, just addressing some structural things. But if guys aren’t going, if everyone is kind of lagging behind, you have to drag each other into the fight.” [The Hockey News]

Could the Leafs be a potential fit for a Dougie Hamilton trade? [The Athletic ($)]

“Should the New Jersey Devils be buyers this season? That depends. Rentals are out of the equation unless they go on some insane Buffalo Sabres-like heater over the next few weeks. That seems unlikely, though, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be buyers. Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald should be looking to add pieces that will help the team beyond the 2025-26 season, but there is a certain type of player he should be targeting.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]

John MacLean talks about notable moments in his career, the late Pat Burns and plenty more ahead of his induction into the Devils Ring of Honor on Jan. 27: [NHL.com]

Hockey Links​

Where might Artemi Panarin end up in a trade? A look at a few potential destinations: [The Athletic ($)]

Linus Ullmark talks about his absence from the Senators: “The real reason is mental health. And there’s been a lot going on for a long time. I would say dating back to, ever since the trade, and a lot of things have been positive as well throughout the years or these times. But a lot of the things that I had gone through or worried about hasn’t really been dealt with in the right way. And so, things have been piling on – off the ice, on the ice, stuff like that. And it comes a time – and you never know when – where the cup starts to overflow.” [TSN]

Goalie fight!

GREATEST SPORT IN THE WORLD pic.twitter.com/EW7dmrub7f

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 20, 2026

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...the-details-1-21-26-back-to-back-wins-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Fifty Games Into the Season, What Are the New Jersey Devils?

After last night’s victory in Edmonton and the Devils pulling a rare feat in itself where they swept a back-t0-back, they currently sit in 6th place in the Metropolitan Division with a 26-22-2 record and 54 points. Technically, one could argue they are tied with Philadelphia and Washington, but the Flyers have two games in hand and the Capitals hold the regulation wins tiebreaker, so I consider that 6th place placement to be accurate.

Much has been written on this website about what this team isn’t. They’re not a true contender because they don’t do X, Y, and Z well. They’re not a true contender because they can’t beat Carolina. They’re not big enough, strong enough, fast enough, talented enough, or mentally tough enough. A lot of those critiques are valid complaints when it comes to this group.

But what is this team? What are they trying to be when they’re at their best?

The Devils Are a Team That Can’t Score​

You can use whatever metric you so choose but the bottom line is this….the Devils simply aren’t good enough when it comes to putting the puck in the back of the net.

They’re 28th in goals scored, 29th in goals per game, 15th in power play percentage, and 32nd in shooting percentage. They’re 22nd in 5v5 expected goals for per 60 and 32nd in goals scored above expected. According to Moneypuck, they’re still 32nd in rebound goals despite being middle of the pack in rebound shots for.

I always like to say that your best players need to be your best players to ultimately raise the floor of the entire group. Unfortunately, the Devils best players haven’t been quite up to the task this season.

Jesper Bratt has 7 goals in his last 43 games. After scoring in his return from a hand injury, Jack Hughes has 0 goals in his last 14 games. Timo Meier has 5 goals in 22 games since Thanksgiving. Dougie Hamilton might have picked things up in terms of racking up assists, but he has 1 goal in his last 35 games. Even Nico Hischier, who leads the team in scoring, had a stretch where he basically went 0-for-most of the month of December.

Those are five of the highest paid players on the team. Those are the guys who are supposed to be driving the bus for the rest of the group. The fact that they’re not giving the Devils quite enough offensively is a big part of the reason why the Devils are where they are.

There has been a lot of piling on for guys like Ondrej Palat, Luke Glendening, and Juho Lammikko for not being very good. That’s fine, but they’re not the Devils best players (even though Palat is being paid like one). The Devils simply need more from their best players. All of them.

The Devils Do Defend. Sometimes.​

Sheldon Keefe mentioned after the win last night that from a defensive checking standpoint, the first two periods against Edmonton was about as well as the Devils had played in a long time, and maybe all season.

I don’t necessarily disagree with that. The fact the Devils held the Oilers to ten measly shots through two periods is a testament to how they are capable of defending well.

That said, there’s that, and then there’s whatever the third period was last night when they were more or less holding on for dear life and asking their goaltender, in this case Jake Allen, to win the game for them.

The Devils are 9th in shots blocked at 5v5, which is all well and good in the sense that you want players who are willing to get into lanes and do what needs to be done to keep the other team off of the scoreboard. But it’s also bad in the sense that you do not want to be a team that is getting bombarded. You don’t want to turtle. You don’t want to get caved in. Especially when you’re 3rd in the league in high danger shots at 5v5 against like the Devils also are.

For as much criticism that Jacob Markstrom has taken this season, and rightfully so, the Devils could stand to make things easier for both him and Jake Allen. A good start would be more periods like the first two in Edmonton last night where they’re not allowing the opposition to do much of anything with the puck. That does start with a good forecheck.

Some might say that’s boring hockey, but the Devils could use a little more boring given their offensive struggles.

The Devils Do Have a Grittiness Aspect That I Appreciate​

One of my guilty pleasures this season has been whenever the Devils post Sheldon Keefe giving the boys credit after a win on social media. It might be mostly cliche stuff and its not like the team is going to put stuff out there that they aren’t comfortable with the general public seeing, but when you get a chance to get a glimpse inside the room, it’s appreciated.

If there’s a common theme to those speeches, its usually how the team grinded, or battled through it, or whatever buzzword Keefe uses on any particular night.

I do appreciate that the Devils seem to have this quality. For all the talk about being able to play “playoff style” hockey, its something that you do need once you get there.

I simply wish the Devils didn’t need to grind as much as they apparently need to in the regular season.

Case in point, in the Devils last 13 wins, only three of those have been by multiple goals. The 5-0 win in Buffalo on the day after Thanksgiving, the 4-1 win vs. Anaheim, and the 5-2 win in Minnesota last week.

To borrow a gambling term, almost every Devils win is a “sweat” where its never easy. This goes back to what I said about their inability to score. Is it asking too much for this team to have a stretch where they win a bunch of games 4-1 and we’re not on the edge of our seats the entire time?

The Devils Have a Deceptively Good Penalty Kill With Brett Pesce Back​

If one were to take a quick glance at the stats, they would just assume the Devils with their 20th ranked penalty kill at 78% is mediocre at best and teetering towards not being very good.

I dove into the numbers a bit a few weeks ago when I said I was cautiously optimistic about the Devils, but to briefly recap, the Devils were killing penalties at a 90% rate pre-Pesce injury and a 66.6% rate while he was out. Since Pesce returned on December 17th, the Devils have killed 30 of 36 penalties (83.3%).

It’s not outlandish to suggest the Devils might’ve had a top 5 penalty killing unit had Pesce never gotten hurt. But when the team goes 10-13-1 without him in the lineup, those goals they’re allowing on the penalty kill add up. Conversely, the Devils are 16-9-1 with Brett Pesce in the lineup.

I don’t want to overrate Pesce’s contributions but he’s clearly an important piece to what the Devils are trying to do, and they’re better with him than without him.

Final Thoughts​

Fifty games in, I think what the Devils are trying to be is a team that wins because of their defense and goaltending. And they could actually potentially be dangerous if the guys who are being paid to puck in the net did their part and put the puck in the net.

I think you’re walking a tightrope trying to win in that manner.

For starters, it leaves little margin for error that you would have if the team was able to score goals more consistently. Yes, there will be playoff games where you need to win 2-1 but there’s plenty of playoff games where you need to be able to score four, five, even six goals consistently. It’s something all of the recent Cup champions from Florida to Vegas to Colorado to Tampa Bay have been able to do. They bludgeon teams in playoff games, and they do it consistently.

The Devils have scored five goals twice in a game since Thanksgiving….the aforementioned games in Buffalo and Minnesota.

Now, can the Devils get back to being that type of team? Perhaps. They showed an ability to score lots of goals during the 8 game win streak, and also defend. I don’t think that you necessarily just lose that ability overnight, although one might argue that they took advantage of some early season sleepwalking.

Maybe that’s the case, but now that we’re in the dog days of summer (or winter, whatever, you know what I’m trying to say), why can’t they get back to that?

Obviously, the Devils need more high end talent. Hopefully, Tom Fitzgerald finds a way to add some. But they also need the high end talent they have at home to start pulling their weight. Until they do, this feels like a fringe playoff team at best.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...nto-the-season-what-are-the-new-jersey-devils

 

[New Jersey Devils]

New Jersey Devils Grind Out 2-1 Win Over Edmonton Oilers

On the second half of a back-to-back, the New Jersey Devils went into Edmonton and came away with a 2-1 victory. Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass were the goal-scorers, while Jake Allen was terrific in net with 22 saves on 23 shots. It was a pretty low-event game overall, which is impressive considering the best player on the planet, Connor McDavid, was on the other side. The Edmonton Oilers did not have Leon Draisaitl available to them, as he is currently back home in Germany attending to a personal family matter. Still, shutting Edmonton down sans-Draisaitl isn’t easy, and credit must be given to New Jersey for finding a way.

Let’s go through it.

First Period​

Because tonight’s game was part of a TNT national doubleheader, and the first game (Boston vs. Dallas) ran long, the puck didn’t drop in Edmonton until 10:22pm ET. Kill me now.

Once the game finally began, the Devils were on the front foot through the first few minutes of the game, but didn’t have any shots to show for it. As a matter of fact, at the first media timeout, shots were 2-1 in favor of Edmonton. It was a sleepy start to this very, very late game.

Around the 10-minute mark, the Jack Hughes line put together a terrific shift where they put the Oilers in a blender for about a full minute. But despite all the zone time and crisp passes and battles won, they couldn’t actually put any shots on net. That was New Jersey’s problem through the first half of the opening frame: They were outskating and outplaying the Oilers, but Edmonton was blocking every shot the Devils mustered, rendering all that territorial domination moot.

That changed with about 8:30 left when Cody Glass gained the zone and drew Oilers defenders to him on the near wall. He found Brett Pesce darting toward the net on the weak side and fed a terrific pass his way for the first premium scoring chance of the night for New Jersey. Alas, Pesce couldn’t beat Tristan Jarry and we remained scoreless. Hey, at least it was a shot that actually made it to the net. Progress!

A minute and a half later, the Oilers had their first good shift of the evening when they pinned the Nico Hischier line in and registered a couple shots on net. They were reasonably dangerous, but Jake Allen answered the call on each of them to bail his team out.

With 2:49 left, the one and only Connor McDavid cut into the zone on a rush up ice, and Johnny Kovacevic laid a moderately big hit on him in the slot. Vasily Podkolzin IMMEDIATELY charged toward Kovacevic and dropped the gloves, which I thought was totally unnecessary. The officials apparently agreed with me, as they tagged Podkolzin with the two-minute instigator, as well as a 10-minute misconduct, in addition to the five for fighting he and Kovacevic got.

On the ensuing power play, the Devils continued their months-long embarrassment with the mad advantage, as they registered only one shot on goal, and it wasn’t all that dangerous either. Edmonton held almost as much zone time as New Jersey during the power play, and the Devils were held without a goal.

The period ended shortly after. It was a frame that started quite well for New Jersey, even if tons of zone time didn’t result in shots. The Oilers started getting their chances around midway through the period, and it was pretty even until the power play late in the first. Shots were even at 4-4 after a low-event 20 minutes.

Second Period​

The second period began with the Glass line putting together a good shift with a couple shots on net, but still no breakthrough. Lenni Hameenaho, playing on Glass’ wing, had not been as noticeable as he was against Calgary thus far, but he certainly was not looking out of place through a period-plus.

Then with 14:37 left, the Devils finally broke through. It was once again the Glass line, with Glass himself corralling a Dougie Hamilton pass in the corner to Jarry’s right. Glass found a streaking Arseny Gritsyuk in the slot, and Gritsyuk absolutely blasted a one-timer through Jarry for his ninth goal of the season. The secondary assist gave Hamilton points in his last six games.

The lead was short-lived though. With 12:58 left, Jake Walman ripped a slap shot from the point off a faceoff win. Matt Savoie redirected the shot down and past Allen to knot the game at one. It was very close to being a high stick, but Sheldon Keefe chose not to challenge.

But then exactly 90 seconds later, the Devils retook the lead! Connor Brown, back in Edmonton, collected a pass in the neutral zone and found a wide open Gritsyuk at the blue line on the right wing side. Gritsyuk gained the zone and feathered a wonderful pass to a cutting Glass on the far side. Glass ripped a one-timer past Jarry to restore New Jersey’s lead.

At 10:08, Brenden Dillon took a puck over glass delay of game penalty to send the league’s top-ranked power play to their first man advantage. Granted, this was a unit without the services of Leon Draisaitl, but it is still a lethal grouping without him. New Jersey actually did a great job killing the first minute and a half of the power play when Brown led a 2-on-1 with Glass. Brown found Glass to Jarry’s left, and Jarry made a really nice glove save to rob Glass from his second consecutive goal and third point on the night. After the glove-save, the Devils successfully killed off the rest of the penalty.

With 5:50 left, the Hischier line was in the midst of putting together a nice shift with plenty of pressure and shot attempts. That all changed when Jonas Siegenthaler couldn’t handle a pass, and in the process of trying to recover the puck, he tripped Savoie to send the Oilers to their second consecutive power play. It was a really frustrating turn of events to INSTANTLY end the Devils’ attack.

About 30 seconds into the kill, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins slipped a great pass from the corner to an activating Jake Walman, but Walman was robbed by Allen sliding to his right. It looked like Allen got it with either his pad or the paddle of his stick. Either way, it was a big save.

Then, around 20 seconds after that, McDavid and Brown were called for coincidental minors after they got tangled up in the Oilers’ end. It remained a 5-on-4 PP for Edmonton, but without McDavid which is massive.

In the final moments of the power play, Hischier and Dawson Mercer were spring on a 2-on-1. Mercer took the shot, and because this is the 2025-26 New Jersey Devils, Mercer’s shot caught the shaft of Jarry’s stick and did not go in. This team is full of bad shooters, but their finishing woes are also the product of insanely bad luck. That Mercer chance was the perfect embodiment of that.

The period ended a few minutes later. The Hughes line put together another good shift that featured Timo Meier making a terrific play to steal a puck and set up Hughes in front, but Hughes couldn’t get a shot off. That was it until the horn sounded though. Aside from the penalties, it was another pretty good period for the Devils. The two goals were nice of course, and beyond that, New Jersey was starting to get some actual chances at the net. Shots 10-6 in favor of the Devils in the period.

Third Period​

The Oilers had the better of the play through the first few minutes of the third. Edmonton caught a massive break when Savoie blatantly clipped Meier up high with his stick, but the officials threw the dart at the dartboard and it landed on “keep the whistle in your pocket for no reason at all”, so we played on.

Then with about 14 minutes left in the period, Podkolzin (who had spent a large chunk of this game in the penalty box to this point) was sprung on a mini-breakaway. He tried to deke to his forehand, but Allen sprawled out and made a strong pad save. The Oilers buzzed for a while after that until Allen snatched an easy wrister from the point to get a much-needed stoppage. Edmonton was starting to tilt the ice, and New Jersey was hanging on for dear life.

As has been the case far, far, far too often this season, the Devils went an absurdly long time without registering a shot in the period. We reached eight minutes to go in the frame and New Jersey still hadn’t hit Jarry with a puck. Meanwhile the Oilers continued to pile up zone time, shot attempts, and quality looks at the net. It really seemed like the schedule was starting to factor in. Playing the third period of the second half of a back-to-back on the opposite end of the country very late at night was starting to take its toll.

Finally, almost exactly 15 minutes into the third, the Devils put a shot on goal, and it was a dangerous one. Brown was sprung on a partial breakaway, and he wired a wrist shot on target that Jarry made a glove save on.

Edmonton continued to apply pressure, but Allen continued to stand tall. With about two minutes left, Hamilton and the Hughes line combined to actually make Jarry work a little bit, but he turned aside both shots he faced on that shift.

Edmonton pulled Jarry with about two minutes on the clock. The Oilers sustained a lot of zone time and whistled a lot of shot attempts at the net, with some of them reaching Allen. But the Devils weathered the storm and the clock hit triple zeroes with New Jersey holding on for the 2-1 victory!

It was a tense third period, with the Devils seemingly running out of gas. Edmonton controlled play basically all period long. Shots were 13-3 in favor of the Oilers in the final frame. But Allen stood tall, the defense was structured enough, the team as a whole was lucky enough, and New Jersey held the fort to get a huge win.

The Game Stats: The NHL.com Game Summary | The NHL.com Event Summary | The NHL.com Play by Play Log | The NHL.com Shot Summary | The Natural Stat Trick Game Stats

The Game Highlights: Courtesy of NHL.com

Quick Hits​

• Tonight was Jack Hughes’ 400th career game in the NHL. Congratulations to the middle Hughes brother on an even 400.
• The Gritsyuk-Glass-Hameenaho line was terrific this evening. According to Natural Stat Trick, in 5:10 of ice time together, that line out-attempted their opponents 5-0, outshot them 3-0, and won the Scoring Chances and High Danger Corsi battles 3-0 and 1-0 respectively. And of course, they outscored Edmonton 1-0. They controlled play all night long.
• Speaking of that line, Hameenaho was less noticeable than the night before, but I thought he had another solid game. He continues to look poised, smart, and dangerous when given a little room. More of him and less of Glendening, please.
• I also thought Timo Meier was great tonight. He was a forechecking demon, and the Oilers did not have an answer for him through the first two periods. I do wish he could have hit the net more, as he registered three shots on seven shot attempts overall. That number led the team, by the way.
• Finally, Jake Allen was dynamite in this game, and he needed to be, especially in the third period. Per NST, Allen saved 1.8 Goals Above Expected, which is stellar work. He was arguably the best Devil on the ice, with only Glass or Gritsyuk or Meier serving as his only competition.
• Don’t look now, but the Devils have won the second half of a back-to-back, and have won four of their last five overall. They still have way more work to do to climb out of the deep hole they’ve dug themselves, but four of five is a good start.

Next Time Out​

The Devils continue their west coast swing on Friday, when they travel to Vancouver to battle the Canucks. Puck drop is slated for 10pm ET.

Your Take​

Leave your take in the comments section. Goodnight.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...devils-grind-out-2-1-win-over-edmonton-oilers

 

[New Jersey Devils]

2025-26 Gamethread #50: New Jersey Devils at Edmonton Oilers

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (25-22-2) at the Edmonton Oilers (25-17-8)

The Time: 10:00pm ET

The Broadcast: TV — TNT, Radio — Devils Radio Network

The Game Preview: Matt wrote the preview this morning.

The Song of the Day: Last night, the Calgary Flames’ DJ at the Scotiabank Saddledome played Bon Jovi for an extended stretch in the third period, when the game was tied. I’m not a huge Bon Jovi person, but we’ll roll with it. Tonight’s song of the game is Livin’ on a Prayer. The Devils have won three of their last four, but they’re going to have to continue winning at that level to get back into the playoff race.

The Rules: If you have been a reader here, you already know the rules. But for the rest, a reminder: please do not swear in the comment section, and keep comments relevant to the hockey game going on. Beyond that, do not attack any other commenters, and do not ask for or pass along illegal streams on this board.

LGD!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...hread-50-new-jersey-devils-at-edmonton-oilers

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Game Preview #51: New Jersey Devils @ Vancouver Canucks

The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (26-22-2) @ Vancouver Canucks (17-28-5)

The Broadcast: MSGSN, Devils Hockey Radio Network

The Time: 10:00pm ET

Last Devils Game​

Late Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils played the second half of a back-to-back in Edmonton against the Oilers. Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass scored goals, Jake Allen was great, and the Devils grinded out a 2-1 victory over the Leon Draisaitl-less Oilers.

Last Canucks Game​

Vancouver was in action on Wednesday when they hosted the Washington Capitals. Despite the Caps jumping out to an early 2-0 lead, the Canucks scored four straight and eventually held on for a 4-3 victory. The win snapped a losing streak that we will talk about shortly.

Last Devils-Canucks Game​

On December 14, the Canucks visited New Jersey having just traded their captain and one of the best players in the world, Quinn Hughes. It didn’t matter, as they defeated the Devils 2-1 despite being held to just 15 shots. It was an infuriating game all around.

Clarity On Luke​

As you all probably know by now, Luke Hughes injured his shoulder in the game in Calgary back on Monday. Tonight won’t be the Devils’ first game without him in the lineup, but it will be their first game after getting a little more clarity on the situation:

#NEWS: We've placed D Luke Hughes (shoulder) on Long-Term Injured Reserve, retroactive to January 19.

We've also recalled D Colton White from Utica (AHL). He's met the team in Vancouver. pic.twitter.com/bunILuNMph

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) January 21, 2026

Not that it was any surprise, but Luke Hughes is now officially on LTIR. Crucially, the initial reports seem to indicate that New Jersey is NOT declaring his season over. He is also choosing to forgo surgery, opting for rehab instead. This also seems to mean that the Devils will not have his full $9m cap hit available to them. If they had elected to place him on Season Ending LTIR, they would. But because they are (for now) going with regular LTIR, they will get a shade over $3m in cap relief at the moment. This is all subject to change of course, but as far as I can tell, this is the latest info.

All of that is also secondary to the young man’s health. What is it with the Hughes brothers and shoulder injuries? I for one am pretty concerned since it appears to be his right shoulder that was injured this time, whereas the one he injured prior to last season was his left. It also appeared to be his left shoulder that he injured against Carolina in the playoffs last April. So unless I’m missing something, and please correct me in the comments section if I am, this is a supposedly perfectly healthy shoulder that simply fell out of its socket thanks to some very light contact. On the surface, that is very, very troubling.

In the here and now, Hughes will miss some time. How much time remains to be seen. Hughes was in the midst of a very disappointing season, but he was actually starting to put together a quality stretch of hockey over the past couple weeks, which makes the timing of this injury sting so much more. Here’s to a speedy recovery for the youngest Hughes brother.

The Blueline in Hughes’ Absence​

The good news (well, not actually good, but you know what I mean) is that the Devils have plenty of experience this season playing with a shorthanded defense corps. If Hughes really is done for the year, they will have played less than one handful of games with all of their NHL-level defensemen available to them. Johnny Kovacevic was the final piece to return, and he only played a few contests before Hughes got hurt. Pretty unbelievable.

In any case, New Jersey knows how to handle injury adversity, and along those lines, here is how they lined up in practice yesterday:

No changes for #NJDevils at practice today, coming off of back-to-back wins.

Glendening is skating as the extra forward, while Lammikko is paired with Colton White as an extra defensive pairing today.

Devils play the Canucks tomorrow evening: pic.twitter.com/7Psx6YzQJ4

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) January 22, 2026

As Stein mentions in her tweet, this is how the Devils lined up against the Oilers as well. Their response to placing Hughes on LTIR was to call Colton White back up to the big club. He’s skating as an extra for now, but don’t be surprised to see him get back into a game soon if another defenseman gets hurt.

So how do we feel about these pairings? Personally, I think this is about as good as it’s going to get unless Hughes returns at some point. I know Keefe isn’t crazy about having a defenseman play on their off-side, but it looks like he’s decided that is the lesser of two evils between that or playing White.

Lenni Looks Strong​

Lenni Hameenaho had his second consecutive strong game to begin his career on Tuesday. Skating on a line with Cody Glass and Arseny Gritsyuk, Hameenaho did not register a point, but he was on the ice to help create Gritsyuk’s goal. According to Natural Stat Trick, at 5-on-5, Hameenaho registered an unthinkable 100% Expected Goals For%. No, that’s not a typo. Perhaps it’s a bug in NST’s system, but it’s not a typo. Hameenaho somehow pitched a shutout in terms of xGF% against the Oilers, the only Devil to reach 100% xGF.

Unsurprisingly, his linemates were second and third on the club in xGF% on Tuesday, with Gritsyuk coming in around 87% and Glass getting to about 69%. In 5:10 together at 5-on-5, the trio out-attempted Edmonton 5-0, outshot them 3-0, outscored them 1-0, and yes, posted an xGF% of 100. It was an all around spectacular night from that line, and it already has folks around here calling for that line to be kept together for a while. It’s hard to argue against that when you see results like this.

Aside from the advanced metrics, Hameenaho just looks solid based on my own personal eye test. He does not look overwhelmed by the speed of this level, he has creativity and hockey IQ, and he’s putting himself in positions to help his team offensively and defensively. Hameenaho looks like he belongs. I think it’s only a matter of time before he gets his first NHL point.

Vancouver Blues​

Prior to Wednesday’s victory over the Washington Capitals, things were pretty bad in Vancouver.

How bad? How about 11 losses in a row bad.

Yes, the Canucks had lost 11 straight games before doing the Devils a solid and topping the Capitals 4-3 on Wednesday. The last time they had won a game before that was in another year entirely. 2025 to be exact. December 29, 2025 to be even more exact. Somehow, Vancouver went almost a full calendar month between victories.

Everyone except for Canucks ownership and management knew Vancouver was going to be bad this year. And while they weren’t awful to start the year, it’s mostly been straight down since they traded Quinn Hughes. This of course culminated in their 11-game losing streak, in which they allowed 50 goals. Overall, they were outscored 20-50 through those 11 games. It doesn’t get much worse than that.

The two remaining big-name players in Vancouver are Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. As you can imagine, both players have struggled this season. Pettersson has 13 goals and 29 points through 42 games, while Boeser is up to 11 goals and 24 points in 48 games. Way, way below what was expected out of either of them.

J.T. Miller is long gone. Quinn Hughes is gone. Kiefer Sherwood and his team-leading 17 goals is gone, traded to San Jose recently. There is such a dearth of talent in Vancouver these days. I know the Devils already lost to this team earlier this season, and I know they’re in the second half of a long west coast road trip. But I’m sorry, this is absolutely a must-win. You cannot lose to this team again, especially considering the Devils are trying to save their season at the moment. They’ve done a solid job of righting the ship with four wins in their last five games, but they absolutely need to make it five out of six tonight. Anything less than two points will be an abject failure.

Projected Lineup​

Here’s how the Canucks lined up in their last game:

Canucks taking on the Capitals.

Sportsnet Pacific
Sportsnet 650 pic.twitter.com/FvoeN2aYwi

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 22, 2026

Expect much the same tonight.

Your Take​

What do you think of tonight’s game? Do you agree that it is a must-win? How concerned are you about Luke Hughes’ long-term health? On the other hand, how impressed are you with Lenni Hameenaho? As always, thanks for reading!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...review-51-new-jersey-devils-vancouver-canucks

 

[New Jersey Devils]

2025-26 Gamethread #51: New Jersey Devils at Vancouver Canucks

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (26-22-2) at the Vancouver Canucks (17-28-5)

The Time: 10:00pm ET

The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN, Radio — Devils Radio Network

The Game Preview: Jackson wrote the preview this morning.

The Rules: If you have been a reader here, you already know the rules. But for the rest, a reminder: please do not swear in the comment section, and keep comments relevant to the hockey game going on. Beyond that, do not attack any other commenters, and do not ask for or pass along illegal streams on this board.

LGD!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...ead-51-new-jersey-devils-at-vancouver-canucks

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Late Night Nail Biter

They don’t ask how, they ask how many. That was a pretty ugly affair, but the game had to end sometime and fortunately after 60 minutes it ended in our favor, 5-4. Our new “4th line” led the way with Cody Glass potting two goals and Lenni Hameenaho added a goal and an assist.

1st Period​

The Devils got on the board early for a change, with rookie Hameenaho burying his first career goal just 1:41 into the game. This play started with a nice face-off win by Glass to Nemec who fired a shot that took a hard bounce off the end boards. Lenni poked the rebound home off the bounce and (I think) off Lankinen. I like this whole get the lead early thing, we should try that more.

View Link

The rest of the first was generally a sloppy affair with pushes both ways, and the Devils finishing with an 8-7 shot lead, 12-7 scoring chance advantage. The only other thing that was a thing was a pretty dumb offensive zone trip on Bratt, but the PK shut it down. So far so good for Markstrom after 1. Emphasis on the “after 1” part (it’s called foreshadowing, look it up).

2nd Period​

Sustaining good or at least reasonable play period to period has been a massive challenge for this team, but we got a power play early in the 2nd with Willander tripping Gritsyuk in the corner. After a few tries, they finally got a clean zone entry, got set up with Jack on the flank who found Nico in the bumper, and he buries it, 2-0 good guys at just 2:34 of the 2nd. I wanted to scream at them SEE!! SEE HOW EASY THAT IS!! DO THAT MORE! But since they are in my TV across the continent I don’t think they would’ve heard me.

View Link

Less than a minute later, our 4th line heroes would get on the board again, with Glass and Grits doing some strong board work and Lenni and Siegs with a nice give-and-go up top. Oops, Vancouver you forgot about Cody as he snuck in tipping it him. 3-0? in this economy? What is this offensive explosion, surely this one will be a cakewalk from here on out? PS, I think we should keep this line together.

View Link

Andddd Markstrom strikes. it can never be easy can it? He gives up an atrocious rebound on a muffin from the high slot. You are a professional goaltender, you need to catch that, man. Karlsson swooped in and banged home the rebound, closing the gap to 3-1.

We got another opportunity as Nico took a high stick to the face, drawing blood and giving us a 4 minute power play. The subsequent power play was the one we’ve come to know and hate as the zone entries were trash, and sure enough Bratt with an awful turnover at the blue line, leaving Dougie to defend a clean 3-1 on one. NJ’s finest Drew O’Connor floated a perfect pass to Blueger who buried it back across Marktrom. and its 3-2.

We got some more breathing room while still not the PP, as the second unit finally got in zone, and was able to work the puck around a bit. Gritsyuk with some good baiting work on the right flank allowing Brown to find a lane in the bumper – pass shoot score. and we are up 4-2 at 15:12 of the 2nd. Surely this time we can get to the room and lock it down in the 3rd, right?

Wrong. Mercer loses the draw cleanly, and Quinn Hughes Zeev Buium walked down the zone, cooked Cotter, floated a muffin on Markstrom, who left a nice juicy rebound sitting that Buium took care of himself. 4-3, heading to the 3rd.

3rd Period​

This was a bit lower event period, but was not without its… moments. I was certain the Canucks were going to tie it up on Dadonov’s totally unnecessary trip in the neutral zone at 7:28, but the PK came through.

Glass comes thorugh again at 11:03, off a nice chip play from Timo. Lankinen probably wants that one back, but it’s about time we got one of those.

View Link

After some sloppy play, Vancouver pulled Lankinen with about 2:30 left. I don’t really know how else to describe what happened with the empty net except that is was some of the dumbest sequences of hockey with an empty net I’ve ever seen. We had maybe 20-30 seconds of actual O-zone time, and could not bury the ENG. Bratt got stopped by Elias Petterson, then he was stripped trying to dance at the blue line, Jack and Brown tried to be cute passing back and forth, Nico had one form the blue line blocked. I was literally cackling on my couch at these.

Vancouver did get the 4th to make it 5-4 with 1:12 left, but the Devils shut the door and closed it out. Totally unnecessary stress for this one, but a win’s a win and that is now 5 of 6. On to Seattle.

Some Scattered Thoughts​

I thought Jack looked stronger on the puck than he has since his return – he was shooting a lot (5 attempts) and was more engaged physically. He’s still not right, but better.

Probably the worst game I’ve seen Bratt play. Not sure what his deal is, but he is generally sure handed, and just is fumbling the puck every where, had that brutal turnover and this is the longest scoring slump of his career.

I’m not convinced this top 6 works as constructed, and wouldn’t mind seeing some new combos up there. Don’t touch Lenni-Glass-Grits.

Dadonov, Fitz’s big scoring addition this summer, that he praised effusively in his recent press conference – what is it that this guy does exactly? Good thing I gambled on him to finally score.

Markstrom was pretty bad, he was leaving rebounds everywhere. He does this thing where he looks around/behind him on shots and he did that A LOT tonight. It’s a pretty good indicator he’s gonna be an adventure, and he finished .7 below expected on goals tonight.

Timo was 6/10 in the dot. lol. Guess he’s a center now?

That’s it! Stay warm, hope everyone survives the storm on the east coast (I’m not proud of the things I did at the grocery store earlier, sorry ma’am, wherever you are).

See you back here on Sunday and let us know your thoughts below!

LGD

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/devils-game-recaps/65916/late-night-nail-biter

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils in the Details – 1/23/26: No Surgery (For Now) Edition

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

Luke Hughes update:

After consulting with doctors, Luke Hughes will not get surgery for now and instead rehab his upper body injury.

The Devils placed Hughes on LTIR today; he’s expected to be sidelined through the Olympic break then TBD.

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) January 22, 2026

#NEWS: We've placed D Luke Hughes (shoulder) on Long-Term Injured Reserve, retroactive to January 19.

We've also recalled D Colton White from Utica (AHL). He's met the team in Vancouver. pic.twitter.com/bunILuNMph

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) January 21, 2026

It looks like Prudential Center renovations are coming soon: [NJ Spotlight News]

Hockey Links​

Notable dates:

Olympic Notes:

-Trade Freeze starts at 3 pm ET on Feb 4…to 11:59 pm ET on Feb 22

-Teams can not practice from Feb 6-16

-Teams can have full practices after 2 pm local on Feb 17

-Olympic Tournament is Feb 11-22

-NHL Schedule resumes Feb 25

— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) January 21, 2026

Josh Doan gets a seven-year deal:

SEVEN MORE YEARS OF DOANER

We have signed Josh Doan to a seven-year extension with an AAV of $6.95 million.

Details → https://t.co/zc05oBo2cE pic.twitter.com/XVhj1KQJFh

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 21, 2026

Could we get a new form of reviews around penalties? [TSN]

A look around the league at potential trade fits for the Rangers and Artemi Panarin: [The Athletic ($)]

Pete DeBoer: “I’m ready to get behind a bench again. I’m ready to dust my skates off and start to coach. You realize how much you miss it, especially as the playoff races heat up. That’s just how you’re wired. I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason, and I know I’ll look back and be thankful that this happened, as painful as it was.” [The Athletic ($)]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...he-details-1-23-26-no-surgery-for-now-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Game Preview #52: New Jersey Devils at Seattle Kraken

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (27-22-2) at the Seattle Kraken (22-19-9)

The Time: 3:00 PM EST

The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN, Radio — Devils Hockey Network

3 Points Out​

Since the New York Islanders lost yesterday to the Buffalo Sabres, who are now fourth in the Eastern Conference with their outstanding offense under Lindy Ruff, the New Jersey Devils are now only three points out of eighth place.

Yes, four teams have 57 points, in limbo on the bubble, between the Devils and Islanders. But no, the Devils should not care. A win will pull them to within one point of a playoff spot today.

The Devils are also on a three-game win streak for the first time since late November, when they beat the Red Wings, Blues, and Sabres from November 24 to 28. Perhaps more notably, their wins against the Oilers and Canucks this week are the first time they have had consecutive regulation wins since October, when they won eight straight in regulation during their nine-game winning streak, which ended with the overtime win over Colorado that featured Brett Pesce’s untimely hand injury. Truly, I am most concerned by the team’s reliance on overtime for wins while not forcing enough of their losses to the three-on-three for an extra point. But still, they are three points out.

Kraken With Similar Offensive Troubles​

Do not expect a high-scoring affair today. The Seattle Kraken have scored just 138 goals, which is five more than the Devils have scored to this point despite Seattle having played one fewer game. On the other hand, Seattle has allowed among the fewest goals against in the league, with just 148 against to date. By comparison, the Devils are -22 in goals scored. This is unacceptable for the Devils one way or another, as they have so much money invested into defense and goaltending that anything other than a top-10 defense should be considered an abject failure.

To their advantage, the Devils’ core is still built to score more than Seattle. Matty Beniers leads the Kraken in points with 33, while Jordan Eberle leads them in goals with 17 (also with 32 points…35 year olds are allowed to score?). Jared McCann, however, who missed 24 games with an injury, is already up to 12 goals — so he will be dangerous on the ice. That trio of McCann, Beniers, and Eberle is likely to be Nico Hischier’s task for the afternoon, as the Devils’ top scorer continues to play in a shutdown role because of the difficulty of finding a defensive fourth line center. On the other side, Chandler Stephenson and Frederick Gaudreau eat up defensive minutes so Beniers and Shane Wright don’t have to, though neither have been that good at it this season. Stephenson, in particular, is playing a far cry from his earlier days in Vegas, though he is still a legitimate power play threat playing around 20 minutes a night.

Ace Up the Sleeve​

The Devils’ third line of Arseny Gritsyuk, Cody Glass, and Lenni Hameenaho need to play more minutes. In three games together, they have created multiple goals and have had an impossibly high expected goals percentage, which has trended towards literal perfect levels when Hameenaho is on the ice. Between Gritsyuk’s measurable ability to tilt the ice, Cody Glass’s unsung goal scoring ability, and Hameenaho’s youthful skill and professional intensity, the Devils have a real third scoring line on their hands.

Whether this line ends up against Wright or Gaudreau today, they need to win their matchup, just as Hischier or Hughes need to win their matchup against Stephenson (though I expect Hischier to be going up against Beniers). Until this team shows it can combine a shutdown effort with a serious, NHL-level offensive attack, it will be up to this fast, skilled, young line to make up for what the veterans are not doing. I hope for another great game from them.

Note on The Storm​

I hope that everyone is home by now, if you are within the path of the winter storm enveloping the eastern United States today. Thankfully, the Devils are out west, or this would have likely been a postponed match. On our end at All About the Jersey, we will try to make sure that a game recap gets up today, but I am unsure about the power impacts. To the south, ice will threaten to cause multi-day power outages, while I expect to have about a foot of snow or more by the time this game ends, with snow falling at over two inches per hour for a decent stretch of the early afternoon. I will make sure the gamethread gets up, but in the case of widespread outages, the recap may just be a highlight-based discussion page. Hopefully, my internet is still on by 3:00.

Your Thoughts​

What do you think of today’s game? Will you be able to watch? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...review-52-new-jersey-devils-at-seattle-kraken

 

[New Jersey Devils]

2025-26 Gamethread #52: New Jersey Devils at Seattle Kraken

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (27-22-2) at the Seattle Kraken (22-19-9)

The Time: 3:00pm ET

The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN, Radio — Devils Radio Network

The Game Preview: I wrote the preview this morning.

The Rules: If you have been a reader here, you already know the rules. But for the rest, a reminder: please do not swear in the comment section, and keep comments relevant to the hockey game going on. Beyond that, do not attack any other commenters, and do not ask for or pass along illegal streams on this board.

LGD!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...thread-52-new-jersey-devils-at-seattle-kraken

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Cryptid Cup Returned to Seattle

The Devils finished their West Coast trip with a Sunday matinee in Seattle, dropping a tough one to the Kraken. Joey Daccord headlined this win, stopping 27 of 29 shots, including 12 of 13 in the final frame to send the Devils home with a 3-1 record on their northwest road trip. This one would feel better if they didn’t punt so many points early in the season, and it would’ve put us within 1 pt of the Isles in 3rd place. We need these games, and have very little margin for error.

1st period​

The first was mostly disjointed, save for a few shifts from Jack/Bratt/Timo, as penalties really defined the period. At 6:51 of the first, Shane Wright went off for high sticking on Glass (although was that friendly fire by Kovacevic?), and the power play got to work. After a few attempts to hit the bumper one-timer, they finally got a good look with Jack circling behind and finding Dougie who buried it far side through a screen. Seattle was clearly trying to shut down that bumper shot, which left Dougie wide open. That is now 3 PP goals in the last 4 chances.

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Don’t let Dougie get hot! That is 10 points in their last 8 games since the benching a few weeks ago. Also, I really think we should investigate getting on the board first, it seems to work for us as we were 18-4-1 coming into today’s game.

As mentioned, penalties were abound, and the biggest one was from Palat getting popped by Lindgren, which Mercer objected to. With the auto-instigator in place, he got a two and ten for some wrestling. After killing that one off, the Devils would go on the power play again at 15:28, but it would be short lived as Dougie picked Winterton on a zone entry and got 2 for being big. After killing the short PK off, and with time winding down, Cotter went off for a careless high stick at 18:56. Nearing the end of the period the Kraken got a glorious cross slot opportunity but Nico had a strong stick on the back door, shutting it down.

On to the 2nd.

2nd Period​

They started the period with 56 seconds to kill off in Cotter’s high sticking penalty, which they did with relative ease. Cotter got a good chance coming out of the box, but he got closed out and got a contested shot off that didn’t go. The rest of the 2nd was tilted to the Devils, in particular the Jack/Bratt/Timo line was buzzing, but couldn’t find the net. The Devils went back to the PP again, and got close but couldn’t squeeze it through Daccord on a split that his grandkids grandkids will feel. Timo also had a glorious chance blocked.

The Kraken tied it up 1-1 on an innocuous wrister from Ryker Evans at the point that pinballed through Markstrom. Your mileage may vary ascribing blame on this one, but it really started with a high flip from Timo that didn’t go anywhere and him subsequently getting pinned on a long shift. Add in a Kovacevic tip, Marky letting it leak through him and its 1-1.

3rd Period​

The wheels feel off for 17 seconds in the 3rd and that was basically all it took. at 7:04 Bratt and Nemo had a bad miscommunication, and Beniers roofs a backhand over a sprawling Markstrom after cutting across the crease. Shortly after they got another off a weird sequence. Nico lost the draw, and a shot from the top of the left circle found its way to Stephenson who fed it cross crease and to Catton who whiffed on it but it had enough momentum to have Kovacevic’s skate guide it in.

We did put another on the board as Jack gets a nice bounce off Larrson’s knee on the PP to make it 3-2. This new look powerplay has been cashing in as of late (25% since the new year / 11th in the league), with Brown moved onto the unit, and Dougie back where he belongs.

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But that was all we have as the hockey gods were not on our side – a bad bounce up at the point over Dougie’s stick sprung Eberle with 1:12 left, and he buried the empty netter, and that was that.

Some Scattered Thoughts​

I hate to continue harping on someone, but we really need more from Bratt. Since he scored twice against Minnesota, he has 1 assist in 6 games to go along with a -6.

I would really would love some analytics site to develop a strike zone or spray chart for where guys shoot the puck to. Timo, again, with multiple clean grade-A looks only to launch them high and wide, or right into the goalie’s logo. in his last 15 games he has 2 goals and 2 assists. We cannot wait until March every year for this guy.

The PK has been great, in their last 16 games (basically since Pesce’s return) they have gone 26/30 in the kill or 86.7% and are 4th in the league in 2026. It would be a lot of fun if we could have more than 1-2 things working at once.

Seattle blocked 20 shots, and while not a crazy number, they do a very good job of collapsing to the slot/netfront. Every pass we tried to get in there, it seemed like there were 3-4 Kraken around it at all times.

Pesce had a scary moment toward the end of the 2nd period, after being upended by Tolvanen and landing face first. His forehead was leaking blood, and it took about half way through the 3rd for his return. He had a gorgeous “hockey guy” gash in his eyeborw.

I wouldn’t necessarily say any of the goals were 100% on Markstrom, but his general sloppiness probably contributed to all three. The first one he needs to close off, the second he was way out and couldn’t recover, and over committed on the 3rd. Not his fault though when all we can muster is 2 PP goals, one of which went off the other team.

Again, it sucks that we need almost every game here on out, and psychologically getting within one point of the Isles would’ve done wonders. But 3-1 on this trip vaulted them back into the mix, and they have a stretch of winnable games coming up.

These D Pairs need some mixing, no idea why they are forcing Nemec to his off hand when Pesce is great on his off hand. Am I crazy thinking it should look like this:

Dillon-Dougie

Pesce – Nemec

Siegs – Kovacevic

Let me know your thoughts! Hope everyone stays safe and warm, and damage from the storm was minimal.

LGD

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/devils-game-recaps/65941/cryptid-cup-returned-to-seattle