RSS Devils Team Notes

[New Jersey Devils]

Officials Appear to Invent New Rules to Wave Off Game-Tying Goal as Sheldon Keefe and Jeremy Colliton’s No-Offense Devils Lose 4-1 to Senators

OTTAWA, CANADA - JANUARY 31: Dylan Cozens #24 of the Ottawa Senators scores his 100th career NHL goal as he puts the puck behind Jake Allen #34 of the New Jersey Devils during the third period at Canadian Tire Centre on January 31, 2026 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

In his first game in over a month, Linus Ullmark was finally tested four minutes into the game when Connor Brown redirected a hard pass from Timo Meier, who was near the corner at the wall. Ullmark made the initial save, but it bounced up and was trickling behind him when Brown whacked the puck again. Ullmark fell backwards onto the puck, keeping the game even. Jake Allen finally saw his first shot nearly a minute later when he gloved a long wrist shot from Cousins, as the New Jersey Devils had held most of the early possession. Cody Glass got a big chance on the next possession for New Jersey when Jake Sanderson had slipped in the corner. Glass took the pass from Connor Brown and ripped a high shot to the blocker side, but Ullmark squeezed it under his shoulder.

The Devils got the first power play of the game when Tyler Kleven high sticked Paul Cotter on an offensive zone entry six and a half minutes into the period. Keefe sent out Hischier, Meier, Brown, Bratt, and Hamilton for the first unit, and Timo Meier won the faceoff back before Ottawa fought for the puck and got it out of the zone. Dougie Hamilton then had to avert a potential two-on-one on the attempted re-entry, when it looked like Ottawa had a chance to work it back up the boards in the neutral zone. A good stick check stopped the chance before it developed and allowed the Devils to enter the offensive zone, but the first unit was unable to get a shot off. On the second unit, Evgenii Dadonov was beat to the puck in front of the crease, and they were unable to get a real scoring chance, as well. The Senators had a chance to make the Devils pay when Arseny Gritsyuk was back on defense with Simon Nemec with Kleven coming out of the box. Gritsyuk stayed on his assignment, but Nemec drifted into no-man’s land, allowing a passing lane to develop to Fabian Zetterlund, who was stuffed by Jake Allen all alone.

Not too much time had passed at five-on-five before Claude Giroux broke Cody Glass’s stick with a hard slash, sending the Devils back to the power play. This time, Nico Hischier was not kicked from the dot and the Devils kept possession off the draw, and Timo Meier fired a wrist shot into Ullmark’s glove. After the second draw, Hamilton fired a slap shot that was blocked down right in front and cleared, and it took two attempts to re-establish full possession on the offensive zone. Another shot from Hamilton was blocked, and Timo Meier sent a bad pass to Nico Hischier that was intercepted and cleared, bringing the second unit on. They were unable to get anything going as Brett Pesce was unable to hold the zone with a late chance to make something happen, with it looking like Sheldon Keefe was leaving a safety net for Nemec on the second unit.

After this failed power play, Brett Pesce took a tripping penalty on Claude Giroux away from the play. Pesce was unhappy with the call, as Giroux skated into him, but he was not being very attentive with his stick. On the penalty kill, Jonas Siegenthaler had an early clear for the Deivls from the wall, though Connor Brown failed to do so after the Senators came back with Giroux beating the kill at the line and getting a chance all alone on Allen. The Devils ended up stuck in the zone, and Brady Tkachuk sniped a low shot when Jake Allen gave up the far post to make it a 1-0 Senators lead.

The Devils had a chance to tie it up when Nico Hischier was sent ahead with a stretch pass. The Senators caught up to him, so he had to pass across on the rush to Lenni Hameenaho. The pass was deflected in the lane, but the trailer Dougie Hamilton got right on it and quickly fired a hard pass to Arseny Gritsyuk that was redirected on goal — right into Linus Ullmark’s right pad. The Devils looked cursed.

After a shot through traffic into the glove by Meier sent the game to the last TV timeout of the first period, the Glass line came back out for the next faceoff. Off a Hamilton shot from the point that was axed at by Connor Brown, Cody Glass was fighting for the puck outside the crease. Tied up, Glass trudged along and kicked the puck down low as Brown came in for support. With the teams crashing and Ullmark scrambling, Glass got up and passed out from behind the net to Timo Meier, who chipped the puck past Ullmark to tie the game with under two minutes to play!

Following the first period’s final horn, Timo gave a good answer to Rachel Herzog about the Devils’ pace of play and what they need to do to score goals:

“We got in a little trouble when we tried to play slow, so that’s kind of an example of how we gotta play more. Quick, stay on pucks and win battles and that will create chances.”

Second Period​

The second period moved along much more quickly, but the pace of scoring chances crawled to a near halt. Throughout the first half of the second, the Devils were very conservative on their breakouts, standing behind the net and waiting for changes. But standing still for so long led to multiple turnovers, and Jake Allen had to be sharp a few times because of slow puck movement.

Dylan Cozens was called for a high hit on Evgenii Dadonov with eight minutes and 30 seconds to play in the period. Chasing the puck in the corner, Dadonov had his back turned to the boards and Cousins seemed to jump up a bit with a shoulder to his face as Cousins was raising his arms. The Devils made no changes to the first unit of their power play again, and Hischier won this draw cleanly. The Devils cycled the perimeter, and Jesper Bratt lost the puck along the wall to the aggressive Ottawa kill. The puck trickled past the oncoming Senators to Nico Hischier, but he could not lift his shot enough and hit Ullmark’s glove. At the end of the first unit’s ice time, the Senators had Tim Stutzle on a long flip for a breakaway, but Allen made him shoot over the net.

After another failed power play, Johnny Kovacevic, fresh off the bench, took a slashing penalty when he was beat cleanly on the outside on the rush. Early on the kill, Jake Allen had to stick the pad out to deny Drake Batherson by the net. The Devils ended up getting it cleared out near the end of the first minute. They ended up getting another when Dougie Hamilton took his man out behind the net so he could wrap the puck around the boards, and the Devils successfully cleared their second penalty when Jesper Bratt came in to intercept a pass across the crease with seconds remaining.

Linus Ullmark had the save of the game when Dougie Hamilton was cutting down the high slot to the left faceoff circle with a high shot to the far corner, with Ullmark flashing the leather up behind his head for the stop. On the other end, Jake Sanderson glanced a hard one-timer off the iron and out of play with two and a half minutes left in the second. Throughout the end of the period, Jake Allen was on his game, making save after save as the Devils’ defense began to fall apart.

Third Period​

Jonas Siegenthaler started the period by taking a hooking penalty on Ridley Grieg. Grieg certainly did his best to pull it along. Jake Allen blockered an early shot from Tkachuk right to Dylan Cozens, who put it home past Brett Pesce. 2-1, Ottawa.

Max Tsyplakov drew a holding penalty a few minutes into the period, with the fourth line having an extended chance to cycle with the extra attacker before Kovacevic sent a terrible pass down low to bring the power play on. The first unit again struggled to create chances or traffic in front of the net after Bratt took one backhand chance down low that was easily padded away, though they stayed on for the second minute despite a faceoff off a long Hamilton shot. Tim Stutzle had a terrible turnover late in the power play, but the Devils could not make them pay as a pass to Hischier in the slot bounced over his stick.

The teams skated at four-on-four with 11:19 to play after Brenden Dillon and Dylan Cozens got into it in the crease. Nico Hischier went for the slap shot from the same spot as his recent overtime winner off a stretch pass from Bratt, but Ullmark padded it away as Hischier couldn’t get the same rise on the shot. Four-on-four came and went without anymore chances for the Devils.

With over seven minutes to play, Ottawa got too aggressive on offense and allowed a two-on-one for Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. Artem Zub did a great job of clogging the lane to Bratt, and Hischier shot another wrister into Ullmark’s glove. On the other end, Jake Allen made a breakaway save to keep the game within reach.

The Devils drew an interference penalty from Klevens with five minutes to play, when he knocked Nico Hischier down away from the play. The Devils were slow to get set up, but managed to keep possession for the most part. Connor Brown appeared to tie the game when he almost threw the puck into the net after a shot from Dougie Hamilton bounced high, but Linus Ullmark swung his stick back and hit the puck into the net. The call on the ice was a good goal, but it was overturned on a hand pass on review for what I believe was an unreviewable play.

The Senators made it 3-1 with two minutes to play when a shot by Tim Stutzle put home a two-on-one with a puck that chipped off of Brett Pesce’s stick and over Allen’s pads. Shane Pinto made it 4-1 on the empty net.

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

Time for One of Keefe or Colliton, or Both, to Go​

I’m not going to spend a lot of time hemming and hawing over the bizarre no-goal call on Connor Brown, because I have come to expect nothing less from Justin Kea. The NHL needs a strictly enforced, by the letter rulebook, and officials like Kea will make it up as they go along.

This loss is more on Sheldon Keefe and Jeremy Colliton’s no-offense Devils. In a must-win game, where only Jack Hughes ended up missing with an injury, the Devils only generated 1.22 expected goals at five-on-five. What’s that? Oh, no problem, they DREW FIVE PENALTIES.

Surely they could have generated a bit of offense in 10 minutes of five-on-four?

No. Jeremy Colliton’s power play had five shots for 0.44 expected goals, with the best chance coming off of Tim Stutzle’s stick in those minutes.

With tonight’s loss, the Devils remain 28th in total goals scored in the NHL with 142. Their five-on-five offense is tied for dead-last in the leaguer with Calgary, having scored 88 goals. Their five-on-five goals for percentage, 41.90%, is dead-last in the league by a wide margin. The power play that got off to a scorching hot start? They are now 20th in goals scored with 30.

Brad Shaw’s penalty kill hasn’t really been any better. They have given up 30 goals, which is 12th-best in the league, but with the rate they take penalties at (not that often), they have the 21st-ranked penalty kill by goals given up per 60 minutes played.

Tonight, only two Devils broke even or better in expected goals percentage. Luke Glendening, who only played 4:55 at five-on-five, had a 100.00 xGF%, though he looked as uncreative as ever in his minutes. Dougie Hamilton, who played 15:19 at full strength, led the rest of the Devils with a 53.69 xGF%. Johnny Kovacevic, who was badly beat leading to a penalty against, had the worst numbers on the defense with a 23.55 xGF%. Tonight, Dougie also accounted for 7 of the Devils’ 27 shots, 13 of their 54 shot attempts, and 3 of their 20 scoring chances. He should have had an 11-game point streak on the waved-off game-tying goal.

But the forwards are playing like garbage too, and not just because Nico Hischier was compromised with an illness. Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and Evgenii Dadonov created NOTHING in favorable third-line usage, and Keefe rewarded Bratt by giving him shifts in place of Lenni Hameenaho on the Hischier line. The Hischier line, which had a 41.99 xGF% with Hameenaho, had a 12.77 xGF% with Bratt. In over 20 minutes of ice time, Bratt mustered just four shot attempts. And Max Tsyplakov, who looked great every time he stepped on the ice and drew a penalty with his great puck protection, played just 7:55. Hameenaho, who had four points in his first six games, played 12:55.

Sheldon Keefe is clearly too conservative a coach to get the best out of these players, especially if he is unwilling to fire Jeremy Colliton, who has seen the power play go 4 for 43 since Jack Hughes initially returned from his injury on January 21. They are currently 0 for their last 22. But not only is Keefe’s style far too conservative to get goals out of these highly-skilled hockey players who enjoy playing at a fast pace (just ask Timo Meier, he will tell you straight up that this team plays too slow), he does not capitalize on players who are clearly feeling it. Where’s Lenni Hameenaho on the power play? Why not Cody Glass, who had six goals and nine points in nine games? The Devils’ lone goal came off of Dougie Hamilton’s aggressive shooting mentality with Glass’s hard work around the net, and they should have tied it off another point shot from Hamilton that rebounded to Brown in the third. Where’s Timo Meier in the one-timer spot for another shooting option? Where’s the net-front presence? As Jesper Bratt said, post-game:

We make the goalies look good by not being in the way there.

Oh well. Why try scoring with your skilled players’ ice time when you have Johnny Kovacevic and Jonas Siegenthaler to take penalties and continually fail to break the puck out in theirs?

The Columbus Blue Jackets are next. They are 8-1-0 since firing head coach Dean Evason for Rick Bowness.

Your Thoughts​

What did you think of tonight’s game? Do you think it’s time for Sheldon Keefe to go? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...litons-no-offense-devils-lose-4-1-to-senators

 

[New Jersey Devils]

2025-26 Gamethread #55: New Jersey Devils at Ottawa Senators

OTTAWA, CANADA - DECEMBER 9: Simon Nemec #17 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his first-period goal against Linus Ullmark #35 of the Ottawa Senators with teammate Connor Brown #16 on December 9, 2025 at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (28-24-2) at the Ottawa Senators (25-21-7)

The Time: 7:00 PM EST

The Broadcast: TV — MSG; Radio — Devils Hockey 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...hread-55-new-jersey-devils-at-ottawa-senators

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Nico Hischier Scores Overtime Winner In 3-2 Victory Over Nashville Predators

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 29: The New Jersey Devils celebrate the game-winning goal scored by Nico Hischier #13 during overtime against the Nashville Predators at Prudential Center on January 29, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. The New Jersey Devils won 3-2. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images

If the New Jersey Devils are going to salvage their season and actually make the playoffs, it would have needed to start with a win tonight. It wasn’t looking likely, and in fact they did not hold one lead all night long. But thanks to Nico Hischier’s heroics, the Devils did indeed get back in the win column with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Nashville Predators in Newark on Thursday night. Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt were the other goal scorers tonight, while Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 of 29 shots for the win.

Of course, it would not be a Devils game without some bad news, even in a win. And my goodness did we get some potentially devastating news this evening. Jack Hughes left tonight’s game in the first period. He played a few shifts, left for the locker room, came back and played one shift, then left immediately again and did not return. He only played 2:27 spread over three total shifts tonight. There is some good news though: head coach Sheldon Keefe “doesn’t believe it’s a serious injury”. That was his update to reporters after the game, also adding that he “tweaked” something and that it’s a lower-body injury. I don’t know whether to feel better or worse that it’s not a reinjury to his shoulder or bum hand, but either way, it appears the worst has been avoided for now. Hughes’ status for next game is unclear at this time, so check back in a couple days to see if he’ll play next time out.

As far as the game itself, it didn’t begin very well, with Jacob Markstrom once again putting his team behind the 8-ball early on. Just over five minutes into the game, he allowed a Michael McCarron goal that he really, really should not have allowed. A Jonathan Marchessault wraparound attempt led to McCarron sweeping the loose puck home, and for the 30th time in 54 games this season, the Devils trailed first. But credit to Markstrom, who played reasonably well the rest of the way. He did allow a Filip Forsberg one-timer goal in the third period which was stoppable, but it certainly wasn’t the easiest shot to handle. As mentioned, he allowed those two goals on 29 shots, good for a .931 save percentage on the game. The advanced numbers were kind to him too, as according to Natural Stat Trick, he saved 1.1 Goals Above Expected. Tonight was a much better effort than we’re used to seeing out of Markstrom, and while I still absolutely do not trust him, he deserves some praise for his performance this evening.

After that first goal, the Devils did not find the equalizer until about halfway through the second period. That was when Lenni Hameenaho (more on him later) showed off some impressive vision to find an activating Hamilton on the weakside. Hamilton wired a shot past Nashville goaltender Justus Annunen to knot the game at one. It was Hamilton’s 10th consecutive game with a point, though the NHL only credits him with a nine-game point streak since he was healthy scratched after the first game in this streak. Nevertheless, Hamilton has finally been producing offense lately, which is such a breath of fresh air for this team.

Unfortunately it wasn’t all rosy for Hamilton tonight. He took a penalty later in the game that his teammates thankfully killed off, and then in the third period, his turnover behind his own net directly led to Forsberg’s goal that put the Predators up 2-1. It was a classic Hamilton night, where he did a lot of highly noticeable good things and highly noticeable bad things.

As for Jesper Bratt’s goal, it was a thing of beauty. As Nashville was trying to exit the zone, Dawson Mercer forced a turnover just inside the blueline. The puck went right to Bratt who was all alone in front. About 3,000 stickhandles later, Bratt scored one of the prettier goals of the season to tie the game 2-2. Bratt has struggled so mightily this season when it comes to scoring goals, but with two games in a row now with a tally, he might just be heating up.

And speaking of Mercer, he played a huge role in the overtime winner as well. He intercepted a cross-crease pass that could very well have ended the game, skated the puck out of harm’s way, then made a nice outlet pass to Hischier to set up the winning marker. It wasn’t a particularly great night for Mercer overall, who finished with a 5-on-5 Expected Goals For% around 40% according to NST. But he certainly made up for some lackluster underlying numbers by playing an indispensable role in two of the three goals this evening.

It wasn’t the prettiest game, but a win is a win. New Jersey needs to start banking points in bunches if they’re going to make the playoffs, and it’s not like letting a Western Conference team secure a loser point hurts them either. It’s very possible this season is finished already, but for at least one more night, the Devils have allowed us to hope.

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

Center Depth Stretched To The Limit​

Even before Hughes’ injury, the Devils’ center depth was already being tested thanks to Cody Glass missing tonight’s contest after blocking a shot on Tuesday. We still don’t have word on how long he’ll be out, but he did try to give it a go after he got injured on Tuesday, so it doesn’t appear that it’s something too serious.

But with Glass out tonight, that forced Mercer to once again play center. It also meant Luke Glendening drew back into the lineup, which is not ideal. If Glass remains out for next game, and if Hughes joins him, that would probably mean a center depth chart of Hischier, then Mercer, then some combination of Glendening, Cotter, and maybe Juho Lammikko. In other words…very, very bad. If you thought New Jersey was an offensively-challenged team before, wait until you see a lineup like that.

Please get well soon, Jack and Cody.

The Debut​

Yet another notable aspect of tonight’s contest was that this was the first game in the post-Ondrej Palat era. The ill-fated free agent signing was traded to the Islanders before the last game on Tuesday, in exchange for Maxim Tsyplakov. By now you know the details of who Tsyplakov is, what he brings, and what his contract details are, so I won’t go into that again here.

Instead, we’ll talk about his first game as a Devil. Frankly, I can see why he fell out of favor on Long Island. By my own personal eye test, he sort of just floated out there for much of the game, not really doing much of anything to help the Devils push the puck forward. The advanced numbers back this up, as per NST, he posted a horrific 5-on-5 xGF% of 15.00.

His play was also apparently so bad that Keefe decided to staple him to the bench early in the second period. Looking at the shift report, Tsyplakov played three shifts in the middle frame, with the last of those ending with about seven minutes gone in the period. He did not play again in the second, and in fact got exactly one shift the rest of the game, in the middle of the third. That would be notable enough, but it’s even more alarming that Keefe decided to do that considering he was already down a forward in Jack Hughes. So the Devils essentially played half this game with 10 forwards.

This still doesn’t make me regret the Palat trade. Not even close. If Tsyplakov isn’t a fit, then he seems very tradeable in the offseason. But for now, it was a lackluster debut for Tsyplakov.

Another Impressive Outing​

Lenni Hameenaho just continues to pump out stellar performances. He finished with a 5-on-5 xGF% of 61.65, good for fifth on the team (fourth if you don’t count Hughes and his three shifts). As mentioned above, he had a sweet primary assist on Hamilton’s goal. He also keeps showing a knack for intelligent positioning, constantly putting himself in positions to get high-danger looks at the net. This was most apparent on a shift in the second period when he found some open ice to the side of the slot and blasted a one-timer that Annunen had to make a strong save on. And as if that impressive look wasn’t enough, he also drew a penalty on that play.

Hameenaho is now up to four points (two goals, two assists) in six games thus far. His underlying metrics are sparkling, including leading the team in Game Score tonight. Six games is a microscopic sample size, but the kid is absolutely showing he belongs in The Show. He’s given the depth of this roster some desperately-needed scoring punch.

And by the way, his family was in attendance tonight to watch him play live for the first time at The Rock, so congratulations to them. Here’s to many, many more good nights for your boy.

Next Time Out​

The Devils are back at it on Saturday when they travel up to Ottawa to battle the Senators. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00pm.

Your Take​

What did you make of tonight’s game? How concerned are you with Jack Hughes’ injury status? What did you think of Maxim Tsyplakov’s debut? How impressed with Lenni Hameenaho are you? What do you expect next time out? As always, thanks for reading!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...inner-in-3-2-victory-over-nashville-predators

 

[New Jersey Devils]

The Early Returns On Lenni Hameenaho Have Been Terrific

VANCOUVER, CANADA - JANUARY 23: Lenni Hameenaho #29 of the New Jersey Devils is congratulated by teammates after scoring his first NHL goal during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on January 23, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

There is a lot to be negative about these days. Thanks to their loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, the New Jersey Devils’ season is sadly right on the precipice of being officially lost. Unless the team has a 2010-11 Jacques Lemaire-esque run in them (23-3-2 in one 28-game stretch after Lemaire took over), this will be another season that ends before the playoffs. I have no doubt that I, along with many other folks around these parts, will discuss all the negatives surrounding this team at length over the many months until next season begins. But for today, let’s talk about one of the few positives the Devils are offering us right now: Lenni Hameenaho.

It’s only been a couple weeks in the NHL for the 2023 second round pick, but Hameenaho has looked closer to a 10-year veteran than a rookie. He’s producing points, he’s driving play forward, and he’s giving us hope for the future. That last one is the most significant, as while this current Devils team has let us down in a huge way, perhaps next season’s iteration will actually live up to their potential. Hameenaho will be a huge part of that if he continues to play at the level he’s played at thus far.

Seriously, just look at these numbers. In addition to the two goals and two assists in seven games played, he’s also produced the following 5-on-5 metrics according to Natural Stat Trick:

Corsi For%: 52.47

Scoring Chances For%: 56.00

High Danger Corsi For%: 63.64

Expected Goals For%: 64.26

That’s pure domination across the board, which is pretty incredible for a player this young.

Today, we’re going to take a look at Hameenaho’s season thus far. Who he’s sharing the most ice time with, what sort of quality of competition he’s facing, how he’s faring on an individual level, and so on. We’ll use Natural Stat Trick and Game Score as our sources here, as those are some of the best and most accessible public evaluation models in the public sphere.

Let’s begin:

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January 19 @ Calgary Flames:

TOI	Most Common Linemates	Most Common Forward Opponents	Most Common Defensemen Opponents	XGF%	Game Score
12:38	Gritsyuk, Glass	Kadri, Zary, Gridin	Brzustewicz, Hanley	88.62	0.70

Hameenaho’s debut was a good one. In about 12-and-a-half minutes of ice time, he combined with Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass on the third line and dominated his opponents. This is even more impressive when you take into account that his most common forward opponent was Nazem Kadri, who Hameenaho got 7:00 exactly of his ice time against. Safe to say he won that matchup, posting an xGF% of 90.99 against the Flames’ top forward. It was a bit of an odd matchup for Hameenaho, as while he mostly lined up against one of the Flames’ top lines, he also got a steady diet of the Flames’ third pair on defense. So pretty strong quality of competition at forward, but not so much on the blue line. In all, an xGF% in the high-80’s and a Game score in the “B” range per Hockey Stat Cards (on a traditional grading scale of A to F) is impressive stuff in your NHL debut.

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January 20 @ Edmonton Oilers:

TOI	Most Common Linemates	Most Common Forward Opponents	Most Common Defensemen Opponents	XGF%	Game Score
8:32	Gritsyuk, Glass	Janmark, Mangiapane, Lazar	Nurse, Emberson	100.00	0.85

I couldn’t believe it when I first saw it, and I still can’t believe it now. Hameenaho posted an xGF% of 100 against the Oilers according to Natural Stat Trick. Yes, somehow, he blanked every single Oiler he shared the ice with on January 20. Not even one single, solitary bit of danger against in his minutes. Amazing stuff. Granted, it wasn’t the toughest of deployments, with the Oilers’ bottom line (not fourth line, as they rolled 11-7 this game) and the bottom-middle of the Oilers blueline serving as his most common opponents. Still, I don’t care if it’s the cushiest minutes in the world, an xGF% of 100 is remarkable. Hockey Stat Cards seems to agree that it was another strong game, as his 0.85 Game Score came in at another “B” according to the metric.

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January 23 @ Vancouver Canucks:

TOI	Most Common Linemates	Most Common Forward Opponents	Most Common Defensemen Opponents	XGF%	Game Score
10:03	Glass, Gritsyuk	O’Connor, Garland, Boeser, Chytil	E. Pettersson, Willander	79.15	4.27

Hameenaho looked solid in his first two games, but he looked utterly unstoppable in his third. His most common defensemen opponents was the Canucks’ third pair, but his most common forward matchup was Vancouver’s top line of Filip Chytil, Brock Boeser, and Drew O’Connor. And just for good measure, Conor Garland was mixed in as his second-most common individual forward opponent. So Hameenaho got fed to the wolves in his third game in the NHL, and thrived nonetheless. He posted a stellar 79.15 xGF%, and he also posted his first points in the NHL with an assist and his first career goal. Hockey Stat Cards had him notched at a breathtaking 4.27 Game Score, tops on the entire team and very, very, VERY firmly in “A” territory. This was Hameenaho’s true coming out party.

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January 25 @ Seattle Kraken:

TOI	Most Common Linemates	Most Common Forward Opponents	Most Common Defensemen Opponents	XGF%	Game Score
14:05	Glass, Gritsyuk	Schwartz, Wright, Kakko	Oleksiak, Montour	60.08	0.19

Hameenaho went back to being merely mortal in this contest. Once again on a line with Glass and Gritsyuk, he was matched up against the Kraken’s second line of Jaden Schwartz, Shane Wright, and Kaapo Kakko. He also drew Seattle’s top defenseman, Brandon Montour. So fairly tough deployment all around. He responded by posting a strong xGF% of 60, but no points in the Devils’ first loss with Hameenaho in the lineup. His 0.19 Game Score might look mediocre, but Hockey Stat Cards still had it graded as a “B”, though it was certainly on the very low end of the B spectrum. Not an awful game by any means, but not the greatest game either.

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January 27 vs. Winnipeg Jets:

TOI	Most Common Linemates	Most Common Forward Opponents	Most Common Defensemen Opponents	XGF%	Game Score
15:46	Gritsyuk, Glass	Vilardi, Scheifele, Connor	DeMelo, Morrissey	33.25	0.84

And here we come to Hameenaho’s first clunker, although even that is up for debate according to the numbers. By NST’s model, Hameenaho had a bad night against the Jets. It’s true that he scored his first goal at home in his career, a partial breakaway kickstarted by Gritsyuk, but otherwise he got smashed in the run of play. To be fair, he got Hischier-like deployment, drawing Winnipeg’s super line of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Gabe Vilardi, along with the Jets’ top pair of Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo. It doesn’t get any tougher than that, and I really question why Sheldon Keefe (with the benefit of last change, mind you) decided to throw Glass and two rookies against one of the best lines and best defenseman in the league. In any case, the NST numbers were bad, but according to Game Score, Hameenaho was actually quite effective. His 0.84 was fourth-best on the team (his linemates were two of the three ahead of him, along with Jesper Bratt), and qualified for a “B” grade per Hockey Stat Cards. If I had to guess, the Game Score model graded heavily on a curve when taking his quality of competition into account. So it’s nice to see that even if the raw numbers were poor, there was at least one other metric out there that thought relatively highly of Hameenaho’s effort against the Jets.

---

January 29 vs. Nashville:

TOI	Most Common Linemates	Most Common Forward Opponents	Most Common Defensemen Opponents	XGF%	Game Score
15:48	Gritsyuk, Hischier	Forsberg, Jost, Evangelista, O’Reilly	Josi, Skjei	61.65	1.83

As mentioned, Hameenaho got his first true taste of tough deployment against the Jets. It went poorly according to NST, and great according to Game Score. Well apparently Keefe agreed with Game Score, because he fed Hameenaho another tough assignment against the Nashville Predators. He started on a line with Dawson Mercer and Timo Meier (Cody Glass missed this game due to injury), but eventually played mostly with Gritsyuk and Hischier when new addition Maxim Tsyplakov got benched midway through the second period. Weirdly, two of his top forward opponents were Filip Forsberg and Luke Evangelista, the wingers on the Predators’ top line. But mixed into the top three for Hameenaho was Tyson Jost, a bottom six winger. Nashville 1C Ryan O’Reilly was fourth on the list, so it was essentially a top line assignment for Hameenaho with Jost sprinkled in quite a bit. I don’t know how that happened. Anyway, his numbers against Nashville’s top line weren’t good, with xGF% numbers around 30%. But his numbers against the top pair of Roman Josi and Brady Skjei were terrific, around 80% against each. That more than made up for his lackluster showing against the top forward trio for Nashville. In all, it was another game with a 5-on-5 xGF% over 60, and a Game Score that was tops on the entire club, well into “A” territory. Another strong performance against brutal competition for Hameenaho.

---

January 31 @ Ottawa Senators:

TOI	Most Common Linemates	Most Common Forward Opponents	Most Common Defensemen Opponents	XGF%	Game Score
12:56	Gritsyuk, Hischier	Giroux, Stützle, Batherson	Kleven, Spence	36.85	-0.78

And finally, Hameenaho’s most recent game was his worst yet. Then again, the Devils as a whole were absolutely terrible up in Ottawa over the weekend. Another deployment with Gritsyuk and Hischier, another date against a top line (with a mix of bottom-four defensemen), and this time, both NST and Game Score had him measured well in the red. I suppose it’s a little concerning that his worst game is his most recent one, as now there will be a question of whether this is the beginning of the downfall for Hameenaho. I don’t think that is going to be the case, but only time will tell.

---

Final Thoughts And Your Take​

Lenni Hameenaho has come up from the AHL and given this team a big boost. Unfortunately not a season-saving boost it seems, but the Devils’ season not being saved is absolutely not on Hameenaho. As mentioned, his most recent outing was by far his worst yet, which could prompt a little panic about if he’s coming back down to earth. I think it’s reasonable to have concerns, but I also think given his prior six games, how he’s looked based on the eye test, and his longer pedigree as a player/prospect, I do think that it’s also reasonable to think that’s more a bump in the road than an indicator of his downfall.

Going through each of his games individually has been an illuminating exercise, as it’s made it clear to me that Keefe is trusting Hameenaho more and more with each passing contest. He’s been getting fed difficult matchups lately, and while it hasn’t always gone according to plan, the fact that an ultra-conservative coach like Keefe is trusting a rookie with a single digit number of games under his belt with such deployment is telling. I don’t think Hameenaho is fully ready for matchup minutes, but he isn’t fully drowning in those minutes. That too, is telling.

In the end, I don’t expect Hameenaho to post numbers like these for the rest of the season. I do expect him to cool off a little bit. But I also don’t expect him to fall off a cliff, and I do expect him to use this season as a springboard to a potentially very strong sophomore campaign in 2026-27.

What do you make of Hameenaho’s start to his career? What has impressed you the most about his first seven games? Did any of the stats we went over today surprise you? As always, thanks for reading!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...returns-on-lenni-hameenaho-have-been-terrific

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils in the Details – 2/2/26: Not Anything Serious Edition

NEWARK, NJ - JANUARY 27: Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils skates during the first period of the game against the Winnipeg Jets on January 27, 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

The Devils went 0-for-5 on the power play and could only muster a single Timo Meier goal on Saturday as the Senators took a 4-1 win. [Devils NHL]

Jack Hughes missed the Senators game:

Jack Hughes is not ready to play versus Ottawa tonight. He's out.

But #NJDevils received positive news on his injury.

"Not anything serious." https://t.co/UNFYDT6a83

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) January 31, 2026

It’s time:

The #NJDevils are back down to 15th in the East in points and goal differential — ahead of only the Rangers — and have scored fewer goals than every team in the Conference.

They have played almost 70% of their schedule; it’s getting *very* late.

— Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell) February 1, 2026

Now the #NJDevils, who might be one more pre-Olympic loss away from a reckoning:

— 3 HD chances in Ottawa. Doesn't seem like a desperate team based on that number. And that includes 5 PP opportunities.

— Overturned tying goal is pretty clear rule-wise, so no arguing that.…

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNHL) February 1, 2026

“Put a pitchfork in the New Jersey Devils’ season. Well, most likely. Let’s not beat around the bush. This team is not good enough to make the playoffs, and the math shows that it’s increasingly unlikely to get back in the picture.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]

Hockey Links​

The Lightning took the Stadium Series game in dramatic fashion on Sunday:

The @TBLightning overcame a deficit of four-plus goals to win for the first time in franchise history. Tampa Bay also became the third team to register a four-goal comeback win this season. #StadiumSeries #NHLStats: https://t.co/4U2iQVK6Q0 pic.twitter.com/ms14JowZ79

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) February 2, 2026

Goalie fight!

GOALIE FIGHT AT THE #STADIUMSERIES

: @espn https://t.co/m0LyTCHYnH
: @Sportsnet & @TVASports https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/OSydD4j1cq

— NHL (@NHL) February 2, 2026

Well this seems good! Seems like the sort of guy a team should try to add:

Pre-Hughes: #mnwild's defensemen ranked 29th in the NHL in points.Post-Hughes: #mnwild's defensemen rank 1st in the NHL with 75 points (since Dec. 14)

— Michael Russo (@russohockey.bsky.social) 2026-02-01T04:32:45.305Z

Looking around the league at trade deadline needs for every NHL team: [The Athletic ($)]

“There are really no positives to point to. There are a lot of questions surrounding the Devils right now, but goaltending might be the biggest one. And as it stands, they are probably regretting the two-year extension they gave Markström in November.” Assessing Jacob Markstrom and the NHL’s 31 other starting goalies: [The Hockey Writers]

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

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...e-details-2-2-26-not-anything-serious-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

The Benefits of the New Jersey Devils Not Having to Retain on Ondrej Palat

Tuesday evening saw New Jersey Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald finally begin to correct a years old mistake now when it was announced that Ondrej Palat would be held out of the game for “roster related reasons” which usually means a trade is coming. By the time the first period came to an end on Johnny Mac night, the deal had been announced. Palat was going to the New York Islanders along with a 3rd and 6th round pick in exchange for Maxim Tysplakov. The biggest win coming out of the deal perhaps? No salary retention on Palat’s contract.

Now, anyone who’s reading this probably did the same thing and went to see how much of a cap savings this was upon the deal being announced. With Tsyplakov only counting for $2.25 million against the cap, the Devils already are saving $3.75 million. Not bad for a pair of picks that are lottery tickets at best. Additionally, moving one struggling, underachieving player for another gives both a chance to succeed with a change of scenery. Tsyplakov will get his chance to live up to his contract starting tonight. Each also has one more season on their deals after this one as well, so neither team took on extra contractual time commitment.

There are also a couple of additional benefits from this deal that might not be apparent right away which also had me excited when it was announced. I’m not sitting here expecting Tsyplakov to suddenly become a superstar player; he may have had a strong first NHL season last year, but 2025-26 has been more of a struggle for him than it has been for Palat. He could bounce back with the change of scenery though. If he doesn’t, the Devils are still presented with an interesting pair of opportunities that they did not possess by having Palat still on their books.

The first option for the Devils would be to just trade Tsyplakov. He has none of the trade protections on his contract that Palat did, so the Devils could recoup a draft pick, more cap space or both by moving Maxim either before the trade deadline or before the start of next season. While the Devils may not need the space by then, it’s good to have an easier route to clear it than they did before. The second option would be to buy him out this summer. The Devils could’ve done the same with Palat, but it will be a lot less money stretched over the next two years with Tsyplakov than it would’ve been with Ondrej.

There is also a third option here that relies upon Tsyplakov’s playing history and is seemingly the one of the three that did not exist in any way, shape or form when it came to Palat. Tsyplakov originally came up through the KHL, and decided to finally try playing in North America prior to last season. If he and the Devils are not happy with how that’s working, they can agree to mutually terminate the deal. If Maxim believes he could get a better opportunity back overseas, he and the team could go this route, which again would be a direct savings to the Devils’ cap. It may not be the primary option, but it’s a possibility and if Tsyplakov can find a deal and team that offers him more ice (if he falls out of favor in New Jersey as he did in New York) then I fail to see why both parties would not pursue this option.

I’m not going to completely absolve Tom Fitzgerald or let him off the hook for the Palat signing, but he did do well to get a more flexible contract at the expense of a couple of lesser draft picks. If Tysplakov works out, great! The Devils could certainly use someone, anyone who could provide them with a shot in the arm right now. But even if he doesn’t, there’s easier ways to get him off of the books and increase the salary cap space for the team to make improvements that will help the on ice product. Do we trust this current management team to use said cap space if it does get freed up though? That is a discussion for another time.

What are your thoughts on the Devils finally being free from the Palat contract; is your hope that Tsyplakov bounces back and becomes a useful player? Would you rather the Devils find a way to move him as well and maximize their cap space for this season and beyond? Are you just happy that Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt no longer have to carry Palat on the ice? Leave any and all comments down below and thanks as always for reading!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...y-devils-not-having-to-retain-on-ondrej-palat

 

[New Jersey Devils]

New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Is it time to recall Brian Halonen?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 1: Brian Halonen #48 of the New Jersey Devils skates before the game against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on November 1, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images

With ten goals in his last twelve games, it may be time to give Brian Halonen another look.

Halonen Hot​

This is not exactly breaking news for fans of this site, but the Devils have struggled scoring goals this season. One guy who is doing that in Utica lately is Brian Halonen. Is it time to recall him? Let’s take a look.

Brian Halonen has a team-leading 14 goals for the Comets in only 23 games. Earlier this season, the 27-year-old winger had a nine game stint with the big club, scoring his first NHL goal in nine games. Perhaps, most-encouraging is Halonen’s recent run of ten goals in his last dozen games.

Halonen remained hot this Saturday, joining Ethan Edwards and Cam Squires as Utica’s three goal scorers in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Hershey Bears. Nico Daws was in net, stopping only 14 of 18 shots. It was another loss for the Comets and another goal for the winger. At 27, it’s likely now or never for Halonen. The Devils should give him another opportunity.

Around the Pool:​

• Defenseman Sigge Holmgren is starting to pick up points after a year out of hockey recovering from injury and now has seven assists on the season for the Brynas IF U20.
• Congratulations are in order for winger Kasper Pikkarainen after his recall to TPS for scoring his first career goal in the Liiga. Pikkarainen has been hot since the World Juniors.

3-3| TPS – Pelicans

Kasper Pikkarainen tasoittaa Liiga-uran avausmaalillaan!

Päkkilä
Lauridsen#HCTPS #Turku #Liiga pic.twitter.com/XkrEyBjvPp

— HC TPS (@HCTPS) January 23, 2026

Your Take​

It was a mostly uneventful week for Devils prospects. What do you think? Post your comments below.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/p...ect-update-is-it-time-to-recall-brian-halonen

 

[New Jersey Devils]

The Devils Would Be Better Off Doing a Reset Than Buying At The Deadline

Today is the NHL “soft” trade deadline slash Olympic roster freeze, with the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline coming up in a little over a month.

The New Jersey Devils have had many issues this season, including but not limited to, poor management from the top down, poor coaching, poor goaltending, the regression and/or underperformance of several key skaters, an offense that can’t score, a defense that can’t keep the puck out of the net, and a wide variety of injuries.

Other than that, things are going great in Newark.

The result of all of the factors I listed above has caused the Devils to squander a good start to the season and fall out of the playoff race. They’ve shown since the middle of November that they’re incapable of stringing together a solid couple of weeks of hockey. Any progress that is made on the ice is almost immediately followed up by a four or five game losing streak, and they’re losing because of one or many of the reasons I pointed out above.

Tom Fitzgerald’s job as the general manager is to ultimately make whatever moves he can to put the Devils in a position to win. Fitzgerald is in a tricky spot where he might feel the proverbial hot seat is indeed warming up and that he might need to do something now to ensure that he continues to be employed as the general manager of the Devils next season and beyond.

But part of what comes with being a general manager is swallowing your pride and knowing when to cut your losses. Part of the job is not chasing short-term results, but looking at the bigger picture.

I don’t believe there is a move or moves out there that, at this point, can position the Devils to make the playoffs. Never mind winning a playoff series. Never mind winning a championship. We’re getting to the point of the season where the Devils are almost out of runway to make up the ground they’d need to make up and get in. With it looking like the Atlantic Division will get both wild card teams, the Devils would need to finish Top 3 in the Metropolitan just to get into the playoffs. And while I’m ever the eternal optimist that once you get in, anything can happen, I have to be a realist as well. The Penguins and Islanders might be “catchable” in that I think someone can chase them down and take their spot, but why would I think the Devils would be that team? Have the Devils done anything this season to show they can beat the Penguins or Islanders in a Best-of-Seven series, let alone a Carolina team that has owned them the last several years?

The answer to those questions is no.

Fitzgerald might want to buy at the deadline and give the Devils a slightly better chance in the here and now. But if the idea is to build a team that can sustain long-term success, he’d be better off taking a step back now, admitting defeat, cleaning up some of the mess that he created in the first place the best he can, and looking towards next season.

The Devils have already gotten a start on this by moving out Ondrej Palat for Maxim Tsyplakov. I don’t know what Tsyplakov will be as a Devil, but I do know moving off of the final season of Palat’s contract at $6M AAV is a much needed start. I do know that the Devils have a little more flexibility now than they did prior to this deal.

The Devils would be smart to continue to move out older players on unsavory contracts and give themselves more flexibility down the road, rather than double down on this particular group and buy.

Now, some might view this as calling for a rebuild. That’s not what I’m doing.

For starters, trading a so-called core piece away from the Devils is a seismic move, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. I’ll touch more on why this is a bad idea next week, but it’s the type of move I’m not sure I would trust Tom Fitzgerald to even do in the first place. It’s the type of move where the Devils are probably losing said deal because you’re not getting equal value for said player. There’s a reason why those types of moves should be viewed as a last resort type of move. It’s the type of move that signals a full-blown rebuild.

Let’s put Nico Hischier aside as he’s entering a contract year next season. Suggesting the Devils tear it down to the studs, trade everyone, and commit to another prolonged multi-year rebuild is not only foolish, but it’s not necessary. And it’s certainly not the type of move that should be rushed into in the middle of what is shaping up to be a lost season.

But I do think looking up and down the rest of the roster, it makes sense to explore the market on veteran players that aren’t considered to be “core” pieces.

Brenden Dillon is 35 years old. He’s signed through next season at $4M AAV. He has a full NTC this season that becomes a 10-team list on July 1st. I like Dillon as a player, but let’s be realistic….even in the best case scenario where the Devils bounce back next season, is Dillon part of the long-term plans for the Devils? Probably not. Would you want to be in a position where we are giving Dillon another contract that approaches his age 40 season? Absolutely not.

Jonas Siegenthaler is 28 years old and signed for two more seasons at $3.4M AAV. He has a 10-team no trade list. I like Siegenthaler, but he like Dillon is very much a defensive defenseman who doesn’t move the puck. He’s also had a dreadful season. Wouldn’t the prudent move be to try to cash in on him rather than getting to a spot a year from now where we’re debating whether or not the Devils should hand him another contract? Some might say you’d be selling low on Siegenthaler, but I would’ve said the same thing a couple years ago with John Marino when he had a dreadful season and he fetched two 2nd round picks.

Stefan Noesen is currently sidelined after undergoing knee surgery, but he has a year left on his deal at $2.75M and fairly light trade protection (a 7-team no-trade list after July 1). If he’s healthy enough to play in the postseason (which is no guarantee as we don’t know his injury timeline), isn’t he the type of player a team would target as a depth forward? Evgenii Dadonov hasn’t really fit in with this group at all, and while he has a full NTC until March 1st, any team should be able to fit in his $1M AAV. He has enough of a track record of success elsewhere where someone should theoretically be interested, even though he’s literally done nothing as a Devil. Maybe the Devils aren’t all that enthralled with what Maxim Tsyplakov brings to the table either and would like to move on from the $2.25M AAV he’s slated to earn next season. Obviously that’s tough to say until we see a larger body of work. I doubt there would be much of a trade market for Jacob Markstrom given how he has played this season, but for what its worth, his no-trade list is 20-teams this upcoming season and 5 the following year.

Obviously, the Devils would need to replace all of these players on the roster. They’ve already begun that process with the recent callup of Lenni Hameenaho and the early returns there are promising. I don’t know if they’ll be able to fill all of those holes next season with internal options. I do know that for a team that is entirely too mediocre, there should probably be few so-called untouchables. I do know that for a team that is entirely too mediocre, guys like Paul Cotter, Juho Lammikko, or Luke Glendening shouldn’t have ironclad roster spots. We’ve seen enough where there’s no harm in giving someone else from Utica a chance.

I do know that for a team that is currently slated to have just under $14M in available cap space next season (according to PuckPedia), they should be more aggressive finding ways to create more space. Not because this team should go out there and try to buy their way out of this mess in a mediocre free agent class. They should do it because you have to have all options available to you. They should do it because you want to be in a position to reshape this roster on the fly. Moving out contracts now and picking up extra draft capital to use in potential deals will help with that.

I’m not saying there aren’t conversations that shouldn’t be had in regards to some of the bigger names on the Devils roster. When the team has been as average at best as they’ve been, they should at least keep an open mind. Dougie Hamilton’s $9M AAV is a big number and his recent hot streak and age aren’t enough to convince me the Devils shouldn’t look to move him if they get a good enough offer. Dawson Mercer being invisible for large stretches gives me pause when it comes to continuing to build around him. The same could be said for Timo Meier, who the Devils did pay. But I do think those are larger, big picture conversations that would probably be better off being had in the offseason, rather than making a knee-jerk reaction and selling low on players who aren’t easily replaceable and who are under contract for several more seasons.

The Palat trade has given the Devils some short-term maneuverability. Rather than rush out into the open market with money burning a hole in your pocket, the prudent move for now would be to sell off some of the obvious players you’d look to sell off on, give yourself even more maneuverability going into next season, and reevaluate everything else come summertime. That makes a lot more sense than doubling down on this particular group and trying to push for a playoff berth.

What concerns me is what Fitzgerald actually does.

As much as the team was a slog throughout the second half of last season, they managed to hold on to a playoff spot throughout. Fitzgerald didn’t go crazy at the deadline, but he did make some fairly minor moves on the margins to try to give the Devils a better chance. It didn’t work, but its not really worth getting mad at him for giving up a 2nd round pick for Brian Dumoulin. Or a future third round pick for Cody Glass when he’s been one of the bright spots with this team.

This season is different. The Devils are closer to being a last place team in the Eastern Conference than they are being a true contender. There’s enough of a body of work to know that there is no trade Fitzgerald can make that will move the needle enough to catapult this team to the top of the division. They shouldn’t trade premium picks, players, or prospects unless they’re getting a true difference maker with team control back, and even then, that’s probably not going to be enough for this season.

The “Should Jack Hughes Go To The Olympics” Debate​

Jack Hughes has missed the last two games for the Devils after sustaining a lower body injury last week against Nashville. He is currently day-to-day, and expressed a desire to return before the Olympic break. One game remains on the schedule prior to the break as the Devils are slated to host the Islanders tomorrow night.

Hughes may or may not play against the Islanders tomorrow. That remains to be seen. But as of this writing, he hasn’t been replaced on the Olympic roster. So there’s certainly a possibility that Jack misses the Devils last few games prior to the break before hopping on a plane, flying to Italy, and suiting up for the first Olympic game.

I get that playing in the Olympics and representing your country is very important to the players. I get that Jack Hughes has been one of the faces of USA Hockey since coming up through the National Team Development Program. I also get that I’ve made my viewpoint on this clear when I say that I’d rather see the Devils players stay home than play in the Olympics, so take that for what you will if you think I might be a bit biased on this particular topic.

With that out of the way, the optics on this situation are just dreadful.

Devils fans are already annoyed at how the season has gone. Whether or not you think the Devils still have a realistic shot at making the playoffs is up for debate, but the Devils are at a critical stretch of their schedule where they need every last point they can muster if they want any chance of playing playoff hockey later this season. And unfortunately, Jack Hughes isn’t available to play in these games because of the aforementioned lower body injury.

I don’t question Jack’s desire to play. The Devils are a better team with him than without. I’m also not questioning the legitimacy of this latest injury timeline. Jack has been skating on his own. He is indeed day-to-day. He’s doing what he can to get back as soon as he can. The problem is that with the way the calendar has fallen, there simply aren’t enough days between now and when the Olympics begin. I also don’t think its right or fair to expect Jack Hughes to pull himself out of the Olympics, even if it might be the wisest move of all and ultimately best for all parties involved. Players want to play and this matters to them.

There’s no way around it though. It’s a terrible look if Jack is missing key games for the Devils, but he’s all of a sudden good to go against Latvia next week. Even if that’s how the injury timeline worked out. It gives off the impression that the Olympics mean more to him than the Devils. Maybe the Olympics mean more to you than the Devils. They don’t for me. And as a reminder, USA Hockey isn’t paying Jack Hughes $8M a year. The Devils are.

I don’t blame Devils fans, who are already on edge given the current state of the team, for being livid if this happens.

This is where I wonder where USA Hockey stands with all of this.

It’s not like the US team is lacking center options, as Jack Eichel, Dylan Larkin, Auston Matthews, JT Miller, Brock Belson, and Vincent Trocheck are all on the roster and are options down the middle. It’s also not like the US team isn’t leaving some talented players at home who are healthier than Jack Hughes is at the moment. They could name Cole Caufield, Alex DeBrincat, Alex Tuch or Jason Robertson to the roster tomorrow and nobody would bat an eye.

If the goal of USA Hockey is to win a gold medal, and why wouldn’t it be, wouldn’t it be in their best interests to take healthy players? Wouldn’t it be in the best interests of the USA Hockey braintrust (of which Tom Fitzgerald is a part of, although Wild GM Bill Guerin is ultimately responsible for who is on the roster) to use the Olympic break to heal up and get ready for the stretch run? Especially when there has been plenty of debate as to whether or not Jack’s hand had been bothering him prior to this lower body injury?

Maybe this is much ado about nothing. It’s certainly possible that Jack isn’t ready to go this week, but he is next week because that’s how this particular injury timeline worked out. And if he is healthy, there’s really no reason why they should pull him off the roster other than “it looks bad” or “the optics are bad”.

That doesn’t change the fact that the optics are bad though. Especially if he doesn’t play tomorrow in a game the Devils “need”.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...oing-a-soft-reset-than-buying-at-the-deadline

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Grading the Trade: Devils Acquire Nick Bjugstad from St. Louis Blues for Thomas Bordeleau and Mid-Round Draft Pick

ST. LOUIS, MO - JANUARY 13: Nick Bjugstad #77 of the St. Louis Blues shoots and scores a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes on January 13, 2026 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Earlier today, the New Jersey Devils announced that, prior to the NHL roster freeze for the 2026 Olympics, they acquired center Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Thomas Bordeleau and one of their two 2026 fourth-round picks (Dallas or Winnipeg), whichever is later (Dallas).

My initial thought was: well, this would have been great three months ago.

My second thought was: I know Bjugstad doesn’t score as much as he used to…how much has age caught up with him in the rest of his game?

Don’t get me wrong. I like Nick Bjugstad. I have liked him as a hockey player for a very long time, in part because I used to watch a ton of Florida Panthers games to watch their Huberdeau-Barkov-Jagr line after Lou Lamoriello let Jagr move on following the dismissal of Pete DeBoer now over a decade ago. I wanted this guy on the Devils when Florida traded him to Pittsburg. I wanted him here when he moved on to Minnesota, and Arizona, and so on. This may be a few years too late, but it could still be something.

There are a lot of reasons to want a guy like Nick Bjugstad on your team. Throughout his career, his best trait has usually been that he generates a lot of offensive volume by the net, and he has scored 20 goals twice — in 2014-15, when he was 22, and in 2023-24, when he was 31. He developed into more of a defensive center in his late 20s, but the current analytic profile on him is that, now 33, he is slipping a bit. These days, Bjugstad’s situational use should be a bit more restricted. He still uses his size, at 6’6”, to win space in the scoring areas, though his finishing has been inconsistent throughout his career. Still, the Devils need players who can get to the middle of the ice and not lose the puck so easily, and also players who are willing to shoot from anywhere.

In HockeyViz’s Synthetic Goals model, which combines separate aspects of impact (goal-scoring, teammate finishing/passing, offensive shot impact, defensive shot impact, special teams impact, and penalty differential), Bjugstad’s impact this season is estimated at -5.1 sG, which is in upper-fourth line territory. For reference, an average, second-third line player, would be estimated around zero. This would be an improvement over Luke Glendening, who is currently estimated at a whopping (I’ve never seen it this low) -21.1 sG. For reference, Evgenii Dadonov is currently up to -15.9 (he was lower after his first few appearances), Juho Lammikko sits at -8.1, and Paul Cotter is at -7.8. Despite his aging, his analytical profile is still significantly better than others who have donned the Devils’ sweater this season.

What’s great about Bjugstad’s current profile is that his negative impacts are largely situational. He gets -0.4 for his power play impact and -0.9 for his shorthanded impact. Best solution: don’t play him there. Replacing Glendening with Bjugstad in the lineup is a great opportunity for a younger player in Cody Glass getting more of a role with the penalty killing unit, which he has shown promise in oddly limited use throughout his career.

Otherwise, he gets -2.o from his combined penalty impact, as he’s not drawing a ton of trips and hooks, but he takes his share of them. But I don’t care much about that — Bjugstad is a 6’6” center who makes his living creating rebounds and looking for the puck around the net. He’s not going to draw much other than the occasional cross-check, slash, or roughing there, most of the time. Considering this, he does not have a good setting/playmaking impact, at -1.6. It’s just not his game. If Tom Fitzgerald is tuned into what Bjugstad is good at, they want Bjugstad here to get shots on goal. Bjugstad is great at getting his shot attempts through to the net, he has become very good at generating rebounds, and he does not miss the net too often.

The New Jersey Devils have desperately needed this type of fourth-line center: one who won’t easily let his line get outshot 5-1, 7-3, or 8-2 on a consistent basis. The only other player they have with a similar shooting profile is Stefan Noesen. While the biggest issue with this deal is that it would have been best timed a few months ago (and may have had a real impact on their playoff hopes if it happened in November or December), I actually think it’s a good idea to get a head start on evaluating potential players who may be with the team next season. Both Maxim Tsyplakov and Nick Bjugstad are under contract next season, with Bjugstad making $1.75 million and Tsyplakov making $2.25 million. I’m not expecting Bjugstad to suddenly have a 40-point season like he had last season, but he can actually chip in 10 or 15 goals. I also think that they can use a bigger forward in their lineup, as most of the size on their roster is currently on the blueline. It’s a different element on the rush and in the offensive zone.

It is not like the expected options in free agency this year are stellar. And I do not think that Juho Lammikko has shown anything to make the organization think he might be a part of next season’s plans. There are no reasons why they should let the same players continue to have lineup spots, even if Lammikko was not the first player I would have suggested be sent down. It was simply most convenient for the team, as he already passed through waivers on January 16. If anything, I am most disappointed that they didn’t go a step further by waiving someone else to claim Sammy Blais off waivers, who has eight points in 21 games this season. I would have actually liked to watch a Blais-Bjugstad-Tsyplakov fourth line.

But this is a start. I am sympathetic to Jared for his piece earlier today on avoiding “buy” moves. But I actually think this is at least a start to his thesis of resetting the roster. Jared wrote,

I don’t know if they’ll be able to fill all of those holes next season with internal options. I do know that for a team that is entirely too mediocre, there should probably be few so-called untouchables. I do know that for a team that is entirely too mediocre, guys like Paul Cotter, Juho Lammikko, or Luke Glendening shouldn’t have ironclad roster spots. We’ve seen enough where there’s no harm in giving someone else from Utica a chance.

You might be thinking: oh, but the Kings just got Panarin for a third-rounder and a prospect!

My response to that is two-fold: first, Artemi Panarin had a no-trade clause. He may have specifically requested Los Angeles. and as much is currently rumored. Second, Liam Greentree is a true prospect, and Thomas Bordeleau is a young AHLer. There is a big difference there. Liam Greentree is 20 years old and may be having a bit of a disappointing final juniors season, but has the size and goal-scoring profile to actually be a problem for the Devils and other teams in a couple years. Thomas Bordeleau is 24 years old and went from scoring 38 points in the AHL last year to just 8 points through 35 games this season. If the Devils were going to send Lammikko down and call up an AHLer, Bordeleau would not be close to the top of the list with how he has produced this season. Simply, players like Brian Halonen (18 points in 23 games), Xavier Parent (19 points in 33 games), Angus Crookshank (16 points in 30 games), and Shane Lachance (15 points in 36 games after a dreadfully slow start) would be the four AHLers worth giving an extended look for the rest of the season. If they had a prospect there of Liam Greentree’s caliber, he would likely already be up.

Do I think that the Devils need “reset” moves bigger than swapping Lammikko for Bjugstad on the NHL roster? Yes. I would not mind seeing someone making a bit more money than the league minimum moving on aside from Ondrej Palat. Do I think that they can replace more players by calling up their top scorers in Utica? Yes. I am not very hopeful about making the playoffs at this point, and there is little harm that can be done replacing guys who haven’t produced much of anything with players who haven’t gotten chances in the NHL yet.

But this is the crux of it, from Jared:

This season is different. The Devils are closer to being a last place team in the Eastern Conference than they are being a true contender. There’s enough of a body of work to know that there is no trade Fitzgerald can make that will move the needle enough to catapult this team to the top of the division. They shouldn’t trade premium picks, players, or prospects unless they’re getting a true difference maker with team control back, and even then, that’s probably not going to be enough for this season.

Bjugstad is a player with team control, but he is not a true difference maker. If used right and paired with offensively-minded players, he can create some goals. His play won’t hurt the team as much as several of the guys the Devils have had out there. But he’s probably not turning the season around. Did they give up too much for him? Thomas Bordeleau, to me, is not even a prospect anymore, and a late fourth-round pick (it will be Dallas’ pick, and they may go far in the playoffs) is not a premium pick. They have lost little of substance, and Lammikko should be much better for Utica than Bordeleau was.

The next biggest issue, aside from this trade being needed three months ago, is that Nick Bjugstad is 33 years old. He can still play decent five-on-five minutes on the fourth line, but he is having a worse season than last year, and that’s not a great trend. But Bjugstad has a name in the NHL, and if he does not look like he is going to work out at the end of the season here, they can probably still make up a mid-round pick in the offseason by trading him then. He’s not making a ton of money, and his 51.1% win rate in the dot (49.0% over career) can garner interest along with the mere facts that he is 6’6” with a right-shot.

In all, I would grade this one a B- for Tom Fitzgerald. I believe in replacing unproductive players earlier than later, and this one came too late. Bjugstad has not set the world on fire either, but his six goals would rank first among Devils currently used on the fourth line on a regular basis despite Bjugstad missing 21 games. I would have also preferred a younger fourth or third-line target, in a similar vein to how they acquired Cody Glass last season. With Bjugstad being 33 years old, I am wary. I think that the front office needs to pay close attention to how he plays and whether they can trust him in a regular role when he’s a year older. But Bjugstad fills the fourth-line center role better than Luke Glendening does for a team that needs a more consistent offensive approach, and it would not hurt to see a 6’6” fourth liner actually go and lead a forecheck for this team. Now get Brian Halonen on his wing and see what they can do. We really don’t need to see the Devils’ fourth liners play that many more games.

Your Thoughts​

But what do you think of this deal? Do you think that this was a good idea at this point of the season? How would you compare Bjugstad to the expected fourth line free agents in July in terms of their fit with the team next season? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...for-thomas-bordeleau-and-mid-round-draft-pick

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Game Preview #57: New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 10: Nico Hischier #13 of the New Jersey Devils heads for the net as Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders defends during the second period at Prudential Center on November 10, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (28-26-2) versus the New York Islanders (31-21-5)

The Time: 7:00 PM EST

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

Reinforcements?​

Yesterday afternoon, the New Jersey Devils acquired Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues for AHLer Thomas Bordeleau and a fourth-round pick (expected to be the Dallas pick). I actually had a positive take on the trade, but feel that it’s about two or three months too late. Still, Nick Bjugstad coming in means Juho Lammikko goes to Utica, and Sheldon Keefe is now free to keep one of Luke Glendening, Evgenii Dadonov, or Paul Cotter out of the lineup on a nightly basis.

With the Devils’ active roster, I expect Nick Bjugstad to play third-line center tonight. Jack Hughes is still out of the lineup, so the team has recently run Paul Cotter and Luke Glendening as their third and fourth-line centers. The team could certainly slide Dawson Mercer to center to use Bjugstad on the fourth line, but I am not expecting that. Until Jack returns from injury (after the Olympic break), I expected Bjugstad to be on the third line.

This season, Bjugstad has six goals and an assist in 35 games. There is a chance he could do a little better than that, but I do not expect him to regain his 20-goal scoring form that he showed a couple seasons ago. Still, the Devils needed another center who can handle five-on-five minutes without his line getting blown out of the water. On top of Jack’s injury, Nico Hischier is still fighting through an illness, which has reportedly caused him to lose 10 pounds. From the previously linked update on Jack:

Keefe on Hischier: “Nico is still recovering from the illness that he had. It hit him pretty hard. He’s down 10 pounds, so we’re trying to get that back on him. We felt keeping him off the ice was a prudent thing to do to let him build himself back up.”

From my look into what Bjugstad is still good at at age 33, it would be best to pair him with a playmaking winger and someone who can crash the net. If he’s on the third line, a winger duo like Bratt and Brown or Meier and Mercer could be good for him. Bjugstad will create rebounds and get into position to deflect shots, so he needs guys to finish his offensive volume and rebounds created. I would envision the lines something like the below:

Gritsyuk-Hischier-Hameenaho
Bratt-Glass-Brown
Meier-Bjugstad-Mercer
Dadonov-Cotter-Tsyplakov

Cody Glass has continued to play pretty well with Meier and Brown of late, but I think having a big third line, led in transition by Timo Meier, with Dawson Mercer hunting for rebounds created by Meier and Bjugstad, might actually be a productive venture. We will see.

It’s a Must-Win​

The Devils are far out of the playoffs now. With only 26 games to play, they are nine points behind the New York Islanders with a game in hand. Tonight is not just a must-win, but it would be brutal to get anything other than a regulation win, holding the Islanders back from gaining any points in the standings. They have to catch the Islanders if they want a chance to make the playoffs, as they are even farther (11 points) from the second Wild Card. The Islanders are only 5-5-0 in their last 10 games, so it’s not impossible to win today.

But the playoff hopes? They’re nearly dust at this point.

Your Thoughts​

What do you think of tonight’s game? How do you think the Bjugstad addition might affect the team? Do you think they can win tonight? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...ew-57-new-jersey-devils-vs-new-york-islanders

 

[New Jersey Devils]

The New Jersey Devils Might Have to Start Over…Again

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - FEBRUARY 3 : Erik Gudbranson #44 of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Timo Meier #28 of the New Jersey Devils fight for the puck during the second period of the NHL regular season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Prudential Center on February 3, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

A little less than a month ago, I wrote a piece discussing how the New Jersey Devils could still try to save the 2025-26 season. How if they could go on another run or two of games where they could string together a large number of wins akin to their early season eight game win streak, just maybe there was still a shot for this group, and for this season.

It’s roughly three weeks later, and things are looking a whole lot worse. The negativity has only (rightfully) amplified; Jack Hughes’ comments certainly didn’t help.

While a reset is at the very least in order, I’m just not sure it’s enough at this point. At the very least, ownership needs to start making some moves with changes to management. Hockey management, much like an on ice product, isn’t always perfect, but I think any good will that had been built by the current regime has been lost with the way this season has played out. Whether it truly was a failure to get Quinn Hughes, hurt feelings from failing to move players with contract clauses, or general incompetence (the real answer is probably a combination of factors) the Devils under no circumstances should be THIS bad.

What’s even more maddening is there are things that SHOULD have changed before this season that did not. And the fact that those changes did not occur means that there is some level of favoritism or cronyism within the management team that should result in a purge coming from ownership. Once that purge occurs, a coaching change is most certainly to follow, if that does not happen at some point within what remains of the season. If Sheldon Keefe’s tone after Tuesday’s game is indicative of anything, it’s that he knows he’s probably not long for sticking around at his position.

Even if these changes all get made (and I’m doubtful that they will), it’s not guaranteed that the Devils players bounce back and suddenly become an effective team again. Heck, some would argue this group has never truly been an effective team, and that’s what’s at the heart of this discussion today: what if management decides that this group isn’t going to get it done and they decide to start all over again?

On paper, it makes some sense. Nico Hischier has only one season left on his current deal, and while he’s due a raise, he’s going to be 29 years old and probably exiting his prime years. Timo Meier is already arguably beyond said prime. Half of the defense is on the wrong side of 30, and even the ones in that group who can actually defend and break up opposing rushes (Brett Pesce) are starting to be complained about. Jack Hughes may find his name in discussions, as he’s one of the few Devils without trade protection and I can’t imagine his attitude is making him popular right now. There are certainly other names that Devils fans wouldn’t mind hearing their names mentioned in trade discussions.

But where does this set the team and the fans? Do we wind up right smack back in the middle of the 2010s where things looked unbelievably bleak and the hope was to get a high draft selection and build a new core? If that’s the case, then I think the whole drafting department needs to be cleared out as well, since their previous results have had significant influence on the current on ice product. If not those drafting the players, then at least the ones developing them need to go, as there have been a lot more misses than hit. Just look at Utica’s record for at least a level of proof there.

I’m not going to close out by saying that the Devils need to start a rebuild again, or even that I want them to rebuild gain. I’m just trying to be realistic and say that the option needs to at least be on the table right now. For a group that was supposed to be elevating themselves and each other and making progress off of that 2023 postseason run, they’ve done nothing but be mediocre since. While the core players certainly need to own part of that blame, I can’t put all of the weight on them either, because it seems management has made boneheaded move after boneheaded move to try and move the team forward while only actually setting them back.

Things need to change in New Jersey – because right now, this is ugly, this isn’t fun and the future looks bleak.

What are your thoughts on the Devils’ current state of affairs as they play their final game before the Olympic break? Do you think management needs to change? Should this trigger another rebuild of the team? Is a scouting overhaul more important? Can this current player group be salvaged? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...w-jersey-devils-might-have-to-start-overagain

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils in the Details – 2/6/26: No Return Edition

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 05: Simon Nemec #17 of the New Jersey Devils during the second period of the game against the New York Islanders on February 5, 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

The Devils dropped Thursday night’s game against the Islanders by a 3-1 score. The Devils head into the Olympic break on a three-game losing streak, having scored a total of two goals in those games. [Devils NHL]

A trade:

#NEWS: We’ve acquired forward Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues for forward Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional 2026 fourth-round draft pick.

: https://t.co/tg3goXnl92 pic.twitter.com/EZMXoCbnlI

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) February 4, 2026

“On the surface, it is a little odd for a team well outside of a playoff spot – and a GM who may not be around much longer – to be trading futures, however minor they are, for a 33-year-old player. However, this deal does make some sense.” [Infernal Access ($)]

Jack Hughes does not return to the lineup ahead of the Olympics:

“Jack is just not improved enough to the point that our medical team will let him out there. He’s not going to be available tomorrow. They say he’s in the day to day category and we don’t have a lot of days left here.” – #NJDevils HC Sheldon Keefe https://t.co/zkOuaOd6UO

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) February 4, 2026

“However, with a week still before the United States’ first game, league sources say Hughes will travel to Milan and should be available at the start or near the beginning of the Olympics.” [The Athletic ($)]

Farewell to Juho Lammikko:

#NEWS: We've placed F Juho Lammikko on waivers for the purposes of terminating his contract. pic.twitter.com/VPIh8SfxEQ

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) February 5, 2026

Hockey Links​

Rangers send the Bread Man to the Kings:

ARTEMI PANARIN IS AN LA KING.

Full release https://t.co/2pUOAa8SPk pic.twitter.com/u5NwmyQ7m5

— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 4, 2026

Jonathan Huberdeau will miss the rest of the season:

General manager Craig Conroy says Jonathan Huberdeau has been managing his hip-related symptoms with injections throughout the season.

Says Huberdeau's season-ending hip resurfacing surgery is significant and doesn't want to put a definitive timeline on recovery. #Flames

— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) February 5, 2026

“So what do players want owners to spend more on? As part of our player poll this year, The Athletic asked 118 NHLers that question and left it open-ended. The majority of the answers fell under the umbrella of health, recovery and training. Here’s a sampling of the answers we received, split into general categories.” [The Athletic ($)]

Which teams will benefit most from the Olympic break? [NHL.com]

A 20-game suspension for Caleb Jones:

In other news, @penguins defenseman Caleb Jones has been suspended for 20 games, without pay, for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

His statement, via the NHLPA: pic.twitter.com/AiY1O9ywMM

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) February 4, 2026

“Penn State forward Gavin McKenna, the consensus first overall pick in this June’s NHL draft, has been charged with felony aggravated assault and other counts, according to Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court documents.” [ESPN]

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

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...evils-in-the-details-2-6-26-no-return-edition

 

[Zedster]

Honestly, reading through all of this just reinforces what a frustrating season this has been. The Bjugstad acquisition is fine for what it is - a minor move that addresses a depth issue - but the timing criticism is spot on. Three months ago this helps the playoff push. Now it's just... roster management for next year, I guess.

The Hughes situation heading into the Olympics is going to be a PR nightmare if he ends up playing for Team USA while missing these critical games. I get that injury timelines don't care about optics, but Devils fans are already at their breaking point. Watching him suit up against Latvia while the team limps into the break on a losing streak is going to be rough.

What concerns me most is the bigger picture stuff in these articles. The talk about potentially needing to start over *again* hits hard. We finally got out of that 2010s wilderness, had that magical 2023 run, and now we're right back to questioning whether this core can actually win anything meaningful together. Nico entering a contract year, questions about Jack's attitude, Meier's production declining... it's a lot.

The Bjugstad trade grade of B- seems about right. Not a bad move in isolation, but it doesn't move the needle. And that's kind of the story of this front office lately - moves that make sense on paper but don't actually fix the underlying problems.

At least the Olympic break gives everyone a chance to step back and breathe. Going to be interesting to see what the roster looks like when play resumes. Wouldn't be shocked if we see more call-ups from Utica getting extended looks.

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils Exact Their Revenge, Only Lose 3-1 This Time.

Feb 5, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) makes a save against the New Jersey Devils during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

I’m numb to this at this point, I have never been more excited to have some time away from my favorite team in my life.

In a vacuum, this was a great defensive effort. Limited the Islanders to 14 shots on goal. Allen was there when we needed him for the most part. But the anemic offense rolls on as the Islanders drop the Devils 3-1 led by Bo Horvat with 1g and 1a.

1st Period​

There have been some pretty low event periods this season, but this one may take the cake. The only marginally exciting thing that happened was Mercer’s breakaway where he hit the cross bar. We only mustered 6 shots for, but really clamped down on the Isles allowing only two shots against. That is 4 straight periods unable to put the puck in tthe net.

Fun fact, The Devils have only scored 40 goals in the first period this season, good for 4th to last. I was kind of surprised there are teams below us (LA, Detroit and Seattle).

2nd Period​

The scoring drought was ended on a broken play, where Allen wrapped it up to noone as Cotter and Sieges covered the same guy. Shot, rebound and Cizikas was there to pick up the trash. 1-0 them, which is now 33 of 56 games this season (58.9%).

A little side rant on this goal: one of my biggest complaints is winger positioning in the D-zone. We reverse the puck A LOT, which is fine, I get it, it acts as a safety valve for the breakout. But there is NEVER a winger there on the weak side after the reverse for the zone exit. This happened on this goal as Allen swung the puck up the boards, where Cotter (or another wing) should’ve been, but noone was there.

We actually strung together some decent chances on the one PP we had in the second, Dougie had some vintage Dougie bombs, decent puck movement. Nico had a great chance, but just kinda tried to run Sorokin over? No idea what that was, but credit for trying something new I guess.

We finally got ourselves on the board after some really good connected shifts – resembling a marginally competent offensive team. But things just seem so so so hard for this team, it took multiple chances:

Lenni on a nice feed from Kovacevic, but Pelech was there for a kick save,

Dougie had a great chance on a stuff play off a Dadonov rush,

Bjugstad had a good short side shot that caught Sorokin in an awkward position,

Bratt had a great chance, where he had a mirror to his goal the other night where he pulled it out of the crease and waited but just missed,

UNTIL FINALLY. I honestly don’t know what to do with my hands now, we score so infrequently. Nice shot by Nico on a feed from Bratt. Allen picks up his first assist of the season.

View Link

Fun fact, the Devils have only scored 49 2nd period goals, good for 4th to last as well (NYR, CAL, LA).

3rd Period​

The Devils wilted again in the 3rd, just couldn’t generate anything and the nail int he coffin finally came at 16:33. Nico wins the draw but Kovacevic fumbles it and just falls. he falls. Horvat walks in all alone and slides under Allen’s pad. We literally didn’t generate a single fraction of an xG after this gaol. Just folded.

ENG and good night moon.

Some Scattered Thoughts​

Palat had a good game, multiple good chances, hit a post, but couldn’t finish. Good times. Nice tribute video.

Petition to have Cory in the booth a lot more moving forward, and it might be time to swap some personnel out up there. I know the team being this bad is exacerbating things, but I am really struggling with the current booth, it is a hard watch and listen.

There are only 3 guys have no gripe with and that is Lenni, Glass, and Gritsyuk. Everyone else, my feelings range from “get off my team” to “I’m questioning your presence moving forward.”

While he had a quiet game, I love watching Schaffer (Schneider according to some). One thing he really does well is activate from the Dzone with give and go’s. He is builds up speed as he moves the puck up, and gets it right back at top speed. Can’t wait to get stuffed in a locker by him for 20 years.

Bjugstad, here’s your 35% xGF and -1. Welcome to the party, pal.

Can’t score, wilted in the 3rd. Enjoy the break all, go (insert country of choice). What do you think? Are you into the Olympics or anti? Who do you like in the draft since we have to start looking?

We will have some ongoing Devils and Olympics coverage throughout the break, so be on the lookout!

LGD

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...s-exact-their-revenge-only-lose-3-1-this-time

 

[New Jersey Devils]

2025-26 Gamethread #57: New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 10: Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders controls the puck as Dawson Mercer #91 of the New Jersey Devils defends during the third period at Prudential Center on November 10, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. The New York Islanders defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (28-26-2) at the New York Islanders (31-21-5)

The Time: 7:00 PM EST

The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN; Radio — Devils Hockey 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...ad-57-new-jersey-devils-vs-new-york-islanders

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils 2025-2026 Season Prediction: Olympic Break Check In – Grimace Edition

Jan 31, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) plays the puck against the Ottawa Senators during the second period at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images | David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Olympic Break Check in with Matt and Grimace​

Way, way back, in the good old days of October 9, 2025, the AATJ writer’s team published their yearly season prediction. In case you missed it, each writer took the time to discuss their personal predictions for the season. This article will only be speaking for the prediction made by me, however, there is a little twist to it. I was able to score an exclusive interview with the elusive Grimace to discuss our feelings about the predictions, whether or not they are on track so far, and if they will end up being accurate by the time game 82 ends. Read below to find out more!

The Discussion​

Matt Pavlichko: First of all Grimace, thank you for taking the time to do this. I know you have a very busy schedule, especially with being unemployable and living rent free in my house.

Grimace: Thank you for having me, and letting me live for free in your house.

MP: No problem. I’d like to start with my season thoughts from back in October. One of the first things I said in my prediction for the season, was that “the bare minimum should be making the playoffs. Anything less, in my opinion, would be considered an epic failure…Players are going to get hurt. It’s not if, it’s when. The Devils, just like any other team, both good and bad, are going to need to figure out how to soldier on with the lineup they have at any point in the year.” Looking back at those comments, 56 games into the season, what are your thoughts?

G: On one hand you were spot on. In fact, you can’t make up how spot on you were. At one point, it seemed like everyone was getting hurt. Joe Pesce, Evgenii Dadanov, and of course Jack Hughes. I think everyone knew Jack Hughes would get hurt, but the ‘how’ of him getting hurt…you almost had to laugh. Again, you can’t make this stuff up. Jack was out from 11/13, and returned on 12/21. He missed 18 games and the Devils only had 8 wins in his absence. I would say the team did not really step up and ‘soldier on’ while he was out.

MP: His name is actually Brett Pesce, but moving on. I also spoke about how “The Metropolitan Division is not what it once was, in recent history. The Islanders, Flyers and Blue Jackets will continue to be non-factors that are perpetually irrelevant. The Penguins are hanging on by their finger nails to any last shred of not playing for lottery balls. Washington…well they surprised many naysayers last year, but Ovi is another year closer to 40 and father time is undefeated. The Rangers, hatred for them aside, are one Shesterkin injury away from being a .500 team. That really only leaves the Devils and Hurricanes (sigh, yet again) as the teams to beat in the Metro.” What are your thoughts on this so far?

G: It looks like this one is a mix of both. As far as the Flyers and Blue Jackets, they still appear to not be much of a factor in the Metro, though Columbus has also shown what a mid season coaching change can do for a team (cough, cough).

MP: Are you ok?

G: Yes, just something in my throat. (coughs, “fire Keefe” cough, cough). Anyway, getting back to it. Washington hasn’t faceplanted, and even though they are not doing as well as they did last season, they are in the WC mix. I think the biggest surprise OUTSIDE of the Devils, is that the Islanders and Penguins are in playoff positions. No one, especially you, seemed to predict that. I think the biggest surprise of the entire Metro division, is that the Devils and Rangers are currently in 7th and 8th place respectively. While I hoped for that for the Rangers, no one, including you, expected that. You were definitely wrong here.

MP: I next said “I don’t want to hear about how young the team is anymore. Jack is entering year 7, Nico and Bratt year 9. Their goalies are seasoned veterans. At some point, tomorrow, needs to become today. If half the team gets wiped out by injuries, sure, maybe you have an argument, but at some point, the excuses need to stop, and the team needs to find a way to win, and win consistently.” Thoughts?

G: You really were not even close here on this one. At one point, early in the season, it seemed like half the team DID get wiped out by injuries. They did not really weather the storm well at all during that time. To make matters worse, once the team became reasonably healthy again, they started playing even worse. Markstrom is a shell of his former self, and the team most definitely has NOT found a way to win and win consistently.

MP: For my “bold prediction” on the season, I said that I thought Jack Hughes would become the first player in Devils history to reach 100 points and also score 100 points for the first time in his career…(gets cut off).

G: I’m gonna stop you right there and say two things. One, you need to play games to be able to score 100 points and two, let’s move on.

MP: Fair enough. For my “X-factor” section, I predicted that Bratt would get close to 100 points (I said 95). I also said he would break his record of 34 points on the PP. What do we think here?

G: Hmmm. This is an interesting one. He currently has 40 points in 56 games, which puts him on pace for 58 points on the season. I know you’re not good at math, but 58 is not very close to 95, so I’d say you were wrong on that one. He currently has 13 points on the PP, which is a 19 point pace on the season. Again, a lot less than 34, or the 35 points he’d need to break his previous high. Sorry Matt, you were way off on this one. I will give you some credit though, you did say he would “lead the team offensively again this season” and he is in 2nd place on the team in scoring with 40 points, right behind Nico and his 41 points. Though, after 56 games, that’s not really the flex it sounds like it is.

MP: Ok, let’s start wrapping up here. For my official season prediction, I said “The Devils will go 48-24-10 and finish 2nd in the division and make the playoffs. The Devils will finally defeat the Hurricanes in the playoffs and lose in the conference finals.” Hit me with it. How close was I and how do you see the rest of the season going?

G: (uncontrollable laughter) I’m sorry….(laughs) do you really..(laughs) want me to comment here? (continues laughing).

MP: I’d appreciate it if you did…

G: Ok, ok….I’m sorry (wipes tears of laughter from his eyes). What was the question again?

MP: My prediction about their record this season up to this point and how the rest of this year will actually play out.

G: Well, numerically speaking the Devils are currently on pace for 41 wins, as they have 28 wins (as of this interview) at the moment. I suppose 41 wins isn’t that far off from 48 wins. However, I don’t see them getting 48 wins this season. Heck, at this rate, 38 wins might be a stretch. They are definitely not finishing 2nd in the division. If by some miracle they make the playoffs, they are not beating the Hurricanes nor sniffing the conference finals. So I’d say in general, horrible prediction on your part.

MP: I appreciate you being so honest, as always. Thanks for doing this. The readers all appreciate it.

G: Don’t mention it, now please put the TV on for me, I have no working hands.

That’s it folks. I hope you enjoyed the interview. Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below and if you have any questions for Grimace, drop them in the comments and I’ll pass them along and see if he feels like answering them. Sort of a AATJ Grimace AMA.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/g...iction-olympic-break-check-in-grimace-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Re-Signing Priorities for the New Jersey Devils Front Office This Year

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 22: Arseny Gritsyuk #81 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates with Nico Hischier #13 of the New Jersey Devils after scoring his first NHL goal during the third period of the NHL game against the Minnesota Wild at Prudential Center on October 22, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Getty Images) | Getty Images

When things go poorly, a natural response is to think of everything that needs to change. The New Jersey Devils are now not at all likely to make the playoffs this season: it would take a near-miraculous winning streak after the Olympic break to vault them back into the mix, especially after losing the four-point swing to the New York Islanders on Thursday. For us watching, it is pretty easy to start thinking up who needs to go from this team, whether it’s on the ice, behind the bench, or in the front office.

But the New Jersey Devils have to keep a certain core of players, as well as some supporting pieces, even through a reset or retooling venture. Whoever the Devils’ GM is in May, June, or July, they need to ask themselves: what should the New Jersey Devils look like?

Answering that question means starting with the core: Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and Luke Hughes. Depending on how the sitting GM feels about Dougie Hamilton, the other $9 million man might be in that mix, too. Those seven players have the longest, most lucrative, and most iron-clad contracts. Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt both have full no-move clauses. Dougie has a no-move clause with trade protection against the majority of the league. Nico Hischier and the Hughes brothers are the biggest three actually drawing fans to the team, though.

Between those six, the Devils have $49.93 million tied up in the salary cap, per PuckPedia. While the current salary cap is $95.50 million, meaning they make up over 50% of the space combined, next year’s cap will be $104 million. The Devils, however, do not shed a ton of salary this offseason. Currently, they have a total cap hit of $90.88 million on the books for next season, giving them just around $13 million to deal with six roster spots. Let’s start with the player who needs a new contract — and deserves one — soonest.

Arseny Gritsyuk — An Offer Should Be Made Today, if Not Yesterday​

As a 24-year old, Arseny Gritsyuk’s entry-level contract is only good for this season. After this, Gritsyuk goes immediately to the arbitration stage of restricted free agency, where he will be for two offseasons. This means the Devils really have two choices with Gritsyuk. They can give him one-year deal to save some space against the cap, followed by a longer-term extension in the 2027 offseason. Or, they can just get it out of the way now and give him somewhere between six and eight years, as this is the last offseason an eight-year contract can be given out.

.@AFPAnalytics has Arseny Gritsyuk's most likely contract projections as:

5yrs – $6.58m AAV
2yrs – $3.55m AAV#NJDevils

— Devils Insiders (@DevilsInsiders) February 3, 2026

With Arseny Gritsyuk, I lean towards a longer extension. I think that with 23 points in 53 games, Gritsyuk’s long extension would not actually be that expensive, even though I think Gritsyuk has been unlucky this season and that he will have much more productive in the future. His shot has good rise and zip, but he’s only hitting the back of the net 7.6% of the time. He has good forechecking instincts, he transitions the puck well, and he does not really make mistakes with the puck. The biggest problem, to me, is that he only plays a bit over 15 minutes a game. Per All Three Zones’ tracking data, Arseny Gritsyuk is good at pretty much a bit of everything, generating a lot of offense with a great forechecking instinct while playing very well in the defensive zone.

He will be 25 next month, so a long-term deal would take Gritsyuk to his early 30s. These should be his prime scoring years, so I think it makes a lot of sense for the team. He brings a skilled game with a ton of shots, and he is more than capable of handling the physical game of the NHL.

My take would be to offer Gritsyuk a max-term eight years with an annual average value somewhere between $6 and $8 million, taking him to his age-33 offseason.

Simon Nemec — Sometime Before Summer Would Be Nice​

Nemec is second on the restricted free agent list, but he does not have arbitration rights yet. Turning 22 in just over a week, Nemec has 20 points in 43 games this season, which is a career high. However, it has not seemed like the defensive game has come very easy to him yet again this year. In his three-year career, he seemed most solid in 2023-24 under Lindy Ruff and Ryan McGill, when he actually had positive on-ice differentials in a consistently larger role than the one he has played under Keefe since. His contract projections, as a second-overall pick, are a bit higher despite his defensive struggles.

.@AFPAnalytics has Simon Nemec's most likely contract projections as:

7yrs – $8.3m AAV
2yrs – $4.3m AAV#NJDevils

— Devils Insiders (@DevilsInsiders) February 3, 2026

I do not think the Devils can afford to give either contract next season. Maybe if $4.3 million was the annual average value for six seasons, that would be a more acceptable deal with the way he has played for Sheldon Keefe’s team. For a defenseman who is not very big and possibly the slowest on the Devils’ blueline, Nemec drifts out of defensive position far too much. I think there is a long future for Nemec in New Jersey, but he cannot live on draft pedigree forever. He needs to make significant changes to his game to succeed in the NHL. Per HockeyViz below, Nemec has the worst defensive impact of any Devils defender by a wide margin.

Nemec has something very valuable going for him: the team finishes their shots a lot better when he is on the ice. But he does make the game very high-event, so for all of the goals he helps to create, he also helps to give back on the other end. My feeling on Simon Nemec is that he should get a one-year extension. I would not support the team trading Dougie Hamilton to give him top ice time (but I might support trading Dougie in an effort to get a new, younger 1D from outside the organization), but I would be okay with the front office trading one of the other defensemen (aside from Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce) to get Nemec more consistent usage.

Something to remember is that Nemec is still very young. It would be normal for a defenseman his age to be in college or the AHL. Me saying I wouldn’t give Nemec a long-term deal this offseason is not to say he will never earn one with the Devils, but he needs to make strides in his game, both physically and defensively, that may be tough to pull off already in the NHL.

My hope is a one year, $2 million contract. If the Devils can move on from one of their three second or third-pair defensemen, I might be intrigued to see a longer bridge. But with Nemec’s impact on the game, keeping his cap hit down in the near future should be a priority. They will need to build more around him to make him succeed, and money will dry up real quickly if everyone just gets a long-term extension.

Nico Hischier — Top Summer Priority​

Whoever the GM of the New Jersey Devils is on July 1, 2026 needs to make certain that he gets a contract extension to Nico Hischier immediately after handling his free agency business on the first day or two of the month. Coming off of a contract where he made $7.25 million, Nico Hischier is certainly due a raise. Over the course of his contract, Nico has 139 goals and 329 points in 375 games, which averages out to 30 goals and 72 points per 82 games played. As the Devils’ center handling the toughest matchups on the team, Hischier could see his scoring rise even higher if one of two things happened:

• Option A: The Devils’ next coach implements a more offense-friendly system
• Option B: The Devils realize they have a defensive third-line center in Cody Glass who can handle tough assignments

Few top players in the league play through as regularly tough assignments as Nico Hischier. When you look at the players in the league who have shot up to over 90 or 100 points per season, their teams have all designed their matchups and usage to be extremely offensive in nature, using third and fourth lines to handle more defensive situations, especially against opposing top lines. The Devils have never done this with Nico Hischier, opting to use him as the defensive matchup center throughout his career. This has certainly opened up easier competition for Jack Hughes to play against, but the Devils could do one better by having both of their offensive centers play in offensive situations. 70-point seasons will become 80 or 90-point seasons, and 90-point seasons can become 110-point seasons.

I care very little about the exact number Hischier ends up at: I just care that it gets done. With the cap ceiling currently projected to rise to $113.5 million in 2027-28, the Devils should have a ton of space to sign him. Currently, the Devils only have $66.38 million tied up for that season. Nemec and Gritsyuk will bring that total up a bit in addition to any outside players they bring in this offseason. But as of now, they have nearly $50 million for about 10 forward roster spots.

Nico Hischier will only be eligible for a seven-year contract due to the change in the CBA that goes into effect in September of this year. He will be 28 when he signs the deal, and he would be 35 when a max-term extension expires. Given the rise in the salary cap over these three seasons, with an expectation that it should keep rising beyond 2027, I think Nico Hischier is worth at least a seven-year, $70 million contract. This would be about the same percentage of the cap (8.88%) at the time of signing as his current deal ($7.25 million was 8.9% in 2020). I would not care much if it got up to $11 million. Nico has only gotten better with age, even if the team has gotten worse around him.

His tenure as Captain has not been marked by a lot of team success, but he is not the GM or the head coach. He cannot sign players, and he cannot design schemes or systems. Despite some…inefficiencies in those areas, Nico has remained a very good player since the highs of the 2022-23 season. Likewise, the Devils’ GM in July should make it clear that he should remain a leader and top player for the Devils for his entire NHL career. Get that deal done this summer.

Cody Glass — Second Summer Priority​

Like Nico Hischier, Cody Glass is an unrestricted free agent when his deal expires in July 2027. The former sixth-overall pick has been one of the better trade pickups Tom Fitzgerald has made over the last few years, even if the GM did not realize that when he very nearly did not qualify him in free agency coming into this season. With 13 goals and 19 points in 45 games this season, Glass has played respectably for a guy with the minutes played of a lower-end third-line center (13:40 per game).

The problem? Cody Glass is better than that.

Glass has only played under 22 minutes on the power play and a bit over 13 minutes shorthanded. For a guy shooting 16.5% since he got to New Jersey, it really seems like it might be a GOOD IDEA to put him in a shooting position on the power play. Maybe Jeremy Colliton could realize that before he is hopefully fired at the end of this season. On the other end of things, Cody Glass has the best defensive zone impacts of any Devils forward, per HockeyViz. This leads to HockeyViz estimating Glass’s true ability as that of a low-end first-liner. But with all of that defensive acumen, he does not play shorthanded.

In his entire career, Glass has played a tick under 109 shorthanded minutes (mostly in 2024-25 with Pittsburgh) and has been on the ice for only nine power play goals against. Those are elite shorthanded results. Maybe replacing Luke Glendening with Nick Bjugstad on the penalty kill is not the move to make. Give the minutes to Glass, and the team will do better for it.

Currently making $2.5 million, which was a deal he signed as a restricted free agent, I have no idea what Glass’s market will be in 2027. I look a bit to Pius Suter, who signed a two-year, $4.125 million deal with St. Louis in July after scoring 25 goals and 46 points in his age-28 season. Cody Glass will be turning 28 just a few months before hitting free agency, so they might be in similar boats. I would prefer to have Glass for longer, though.

After Nico Hischier hopefully signs a contract next summer, the Devils should give an offer to Cody Glass. With him not being as much of a scorer as Suter, perhaps he ends up at a similar AAV on a longer deal. I would think that $4 million per season for four would be good for both sides. Glass has true shutdown ability and is, I think, severely underutilized. He can also be that guy who frees Nico Hischier up to hunt for more goals. It just takes a good, flexible coach to make these kinds of matchups happen, and Glass is the perfect age to contribute as a third-line center for two more offensive top six lines.

Dawson Mercer — Third Summer Priority​

Unlike Nico Hischier and Cody Glass, Dawson Mercer is still a restricted free agent in 2027. That makes him a lower priority than them, but it would still be tidy work to get that done sooner rather than later. This will be Mercer’s final restricted free agency contract.

Unfortunately for Mercer, he has played himself out of a max-term, high-dollar extension. That may, however, keep him affordable for the New Jersey Devils. It is not like he hasn’t shown flashes. If he could score 27 goals and 56 points with excellent defensive results as a second-year player for a Lindy Ruff team, he should certainly be able to put up at least strong defensive numbers for Sheldon Keefe. Early this season, he had another offensive flash, scoring eight goals and 15 points in the first 14 games, when the Devils went 10-4-0. Since then, Mercer has five goals and 15 points in 43 games, when the team has gone 18-23-2. His ice time has dropped, and he is clearly struggling. What once looked like a season that should have easily resulted in career high scoring for Mercer has turned into another middling year where it is now a question of whether he can reach 40 points.

He still works best as a right wing for Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, with whom Mercer has his best shot rates, tilting the ice positively both on offense and defense. But Mercer is not signing to be a regular center for the Devils. He is playing there by necessity now, but should not do so after the Olympic Break. Here’s some breakdown of that, from Natural Stat Trick:

• Mercer with Hischier: 329:49, 140-146 shots, 10-12 goals, 50.13 xGF%, 45.04% offensive zone starts
• Mercer with Hughes: 73:00, 33-22 shots, 4-0 goals, 66.18 xGF%, 70.00% offensive zone starts
• Mercer at center: 381:25, 176-174 shots, 13-18 goals, 43.91 xGF%, 58.06% offensive zone starts

Mercer is tougher to project, but I do not think he has really earned a raise. I would be comfortable with something around the $4-5 million range across three to five seasons, which would set him up for another contract down the line while hopefully getting him to make the jump back to higher productivity as a winger. He showed it in 2022-23. He looked poised to do it this season. I just needed to see it for the whole year for me to say that I would want Mercer getting a max-term extension with a raise. As it is, Mercer seems like a fine second-line wing with disappointing scoring rates.

Others​

The Devils have a few more unrestricted free agents in the 2027 offseason who become eligible for extensions this July in Stefan Noesen, Maxim Tsyplakov, Nick Bjugstad, and Brenden Dillon. Given their ages, current roles, and current contracts, I would order them as most to least likely to re-sign with the team just like that.

Noesen, currently making $2.75 million and having a difficult season involving multiple surgeries, could certainly bounce back next year and play like a middle-six winger with special teams utility. Noesen, as one of the veterans on the team, is one of the few who also seems like a vocal leader. He will be 33 when he signs his next contract, so it should be another short one. I am usually a fan of players who make a living around the net and below the goal line, but I do not expect the Devils will be in a position where they can move on from someone like Noesen with that skillset within the next year or so. He just needs to stay healthy next season, and my current stance is to evaluate him for an extension offer (or not) around January 2027.

Tsyplakov, as a younger player, could stick around. He will still be in his 20s when he’s due a new contract, and he has shown signs of being productive in the NHL during his career. I am not sure that I really view him as a true fourth liner, but it seems like he has puck skills, especially protecting it against contact to make passing plays work around the walls. Currently making $2.25 million, I think Tsyplakov is playing towards making less money, but he could still turn it around in the next year or so. If he does not turn it around, I do not expect him to stay, even on fourth-line money.

I do not think Nick Bjugstad will be a Devil beyond the 2026-27 season, and that is mostly due to age. I like what he brings to the table, but he will be 35 years old when he gets his next contract. With his scoring rates already declining, Bjugstad is going to need to show some sort of bounceback ability in New Jersey over the next year for me to say that I want him signed into his later 30s. For now, I like him as a fourth-line center, but nothing really more than that. Like Noesen, though, it is hard to move on from players who have ability around the net, and Bjugstad will create chaos on the fourth line if paired with a competent net crasher.

Brenden Dillon started this season great. To date, he has the second-best expected results on the team, only behind Dougie Hamilton. He is capable of being a thunderous physical presence. I do not think he will be a Devil beyond next season, and he may not even make it through to the end of his contract. Let’s look at Dillon’s on-ice stats month-by-month, rating him among defensemen on the team by month.

• October: 155:24 (5th), 11-12 goals (3rd), 53.70 CF% (2nd), 54.21 xGF% (1st), 51.69% offensive zone starts (4th)
• November: 228:37 (4th), 6-12 goals (6th), 50.47 CF% (3rd), 52.44 xGF% (1st), 52.14% offensive zone starts (2nd)
• December: 226:19 (4th), 6-8 goals (4th), 50.12 CF% (6th), 50.22 xGF% (5th), 47.06% offensive zone starts (7th)
• Jan/Feb: 256:55 (4th), 4-13 goals (7th), 50.78 CF% (5th), 48.48 xGF% (5th), 48.92% offensive zone starts (5th)

Like Noesen, Dillon is one of the few vocal presences on the bench for the Devils. I would have a bit of a hard time seeing him go. But the defensive situation is much more stacked on the prospect pipeline side of things than up at forward. The Utica Comets currently have two left-handed defensemen who I think should get the next NHL call-up: Topias Vilen (10 points, +1 in 37 GP) and Ethan Edwards (14 points, -11 in 40 GP). In his three AHL seasons, Vilen has 63 points in 149 games and has not yet registered a minus season. He is just 22 years old, and previously played professionally in Finland. I would actually be interested in seeing him this season, assuming the Devils don’t come out of the break firing off 10 wins in a row.

Beyond those two, Anton Silayev looms. Silayev’s contract in the KHL expires this season, and he will likely sign an entry-level contract with the Devils. The Torpedo have, well, torpedoed his ice time this season because they know that. But the big man is only 19 years old, and he has still been strong on defense while taking only three minor penalties in 48 games this season. I expect Silayev should play a year or two in the AHL, but there is a chance that he shows NHL-ready ability when he signs his ELC. If he does so, it will not make sense to keep Brenden Dillon in 2026-27. Either way, it would only make sense to give Dillon a new contract at 36 years old if he is both willing to take a steep paycut and play in a seventh defenseman role. I do not know how he would feel about that, but I assume there will be at least a handful of teams willing to give Dillon more money to play more consistent minutes.

Your Thoughts​

What do you think of the players whose contracts will need to be figured out over the next few months or the next year? How many of these guys do you think will still be Devils in 2027-28? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...-the-new-jersey-devils-front-office-this-year

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils in the Details – 2/4/26: Falling Flat Edition

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - FEBRUARY 3 : Sean Monahan #23 of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Connor Brown #16 of the New Jersey Devils fight for the puck during the second period of the NHL regular season game at the Prudential Center on February 3, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

Jack remains out:

"He's trying to do everything that he can to get to that point but it's really up to the medical team at this point. They're not confident with where he's at but we'll just see what tomorrow brings." – #NJDevils HC Sheldon Keefe on Jack Hughes https://t.co/8Hg0AYHZrU

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) February 3, 2026

It’s over. As with every time the Devils have tried to build some momentum as of late, the team fell flat on Tuesday night. The Blue Jackets took a 3-0 win. [Devils NHL]

“To recap, Fitzgerald either wouldn’t part with the pieces necessary to land the league’s 2nd best defenseman, couldn’t move money to make room, or couldn’t best a package built around players he passed on with higher selections. I don’t know which is worse. Whatever the case, Hughes is excelling in Minnesota and it seems possible – perhaps even likely – he decides to stay long-term. Meanwhile, the Devils sit 15th in the Eastern Conference and very much lack a true No. 1 defenseman.” [Infernal Access ($)]

Hockey Links​

“(Barry) Trotz announced his plans to step down as the Predators’ GM in a news conference on Monday, confirming earlier reports that he’ll remain in place until his successor is found. The 63-year-old was adamant the decision wasn’t due to health reasons or because he was (pursuing) another opportunity in coaching — something Trotz did for more than 1,800 NHL games prior to joining Nashville’s front office as former GM David Poile’s replacement in 2023.” [ESPN]

Strong viewership for the Stadium Series game:

This past weekend's '26 NHL #StadiumSeries DELIVERED!

Most-viewed #NHL reg. season game EVER on cable
Most-viewed Stadium Series on cable
ESPN's most-viewed NHL reg. season game on record

More: https://t.co/bs6qcloQVa pic.twitter.com/iRPxuk6KB1

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 3, 2026

With Olympic hockey starting soon, a look at the schedules for both the men’s and women’s tournaments: [The Hockey News]

Some bold Olympic hockey predictions: [The Athletic ($)]

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

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...ls-in-the-details-2-4-26-falling-flat-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils in the Details – 2/9/26: Full Go Edition

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 08: Jack Hughes #86 of Team United States takes part during training on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

Jack Hughes update from Italy:

Sullivan says Jack Hughes is not limited in practice. A full go at this point

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 8, 2026

“(Jack) showed no signs of injury during a brisk, 30-minute practice at Santagiulia Arena. ‘Feel good. Feel good,’ Jack said. ‘Body feels in a good spot.’” [NHL.com]

Mike Rupp with some thoughts on Jack and his injury situation leading up to the Olympics:

"It's bad luck…"#NYR Panarin Trade + #Isles winning Ways + #NJDevils Jack Hughes Missing In Action.

Tri-State Hockey Podcast Episode 25 LIVE NOW!@JLazzy23 | @Rupper17 | @StapeNHL

Presented by @Novig

: https://t.co/HmbshTKzKh
: https://t.co/kq6YPRzF6N pic.twitter.com/GewxRCbg3F

— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) February 6, 2026

“Sheldon Keefe said his Devils have found ‘the recipe’ after their latest loss — and just in the nick of time, too! The ingredients are rotting in the fridge. The dinner guests have all gone home. The china is collecting dust in the cabinet. The silver is tarnishing in the buffet. But it’s good to know that this team has found the formula for winning games, even if it is, you know, not actually doing that.” [NJ.com]

Hockey Links​

“It’s finally time. We’ve patiently waited 12 years for an elite best-on-best international men’s hockey tournament, our appetites whetted by the 2016 World Cup and 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics are upon us, with NHL players taking part for the first time since 2014.” [Daily Faceoff]

“We’ll never know how Russia would have fared in Milan because the nation is still banned from Olympic competition, a sanction from the IOC due to its invasion of Ukraine. But as part of The Athletic’s player poll, in which 118 players participated (though didn’t all answer every question), we asked where they think Russia would have finished.” [The Athletic ($)]

Some NHL power rankings heading into the Olympic break: [ESPN]

“Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna will have his felony aggravated assault charge dropped, the Centre County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.” [ESPN]

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

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d.../devils-in-the-details-2-9-26-full-go-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

In Retrospect, Sheldon Keefe Was Not The Right Coach For This Team

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 12: Head coach Sheldon Keefe of the New Jersey Devils looks on against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at the United Center on November 12, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Before I get into it, let me just say right off the top that I am not absolving others of blame for this New Jersey Devils season spiraling into despair. The general manager, Tom Fitzgerald, deserves an enormous amount of blame and should have been relieved of his duties a long time ago. The players deserve tons of blame for performing so woefully to this point. The ownership group deserves massive blame for leading this disaster and letting their franchise (and their arena, by the way) fall into disrepair. Everyone is to blame, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I write about the shortcomings of any of the people I just mentioned at some point down the road.

But for today, let’s just focus on the head coach.

Sheldon Keefe came to New Jersey with a pretty impressive track record. He had never missed the playoffs in any year of his professional coaching career, whether that be with the AHL Toronto Marlies or the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs. Barring an act of providence, that streak will end in approximately two months. He also led the Maple Leafs to their first playoff series victory in a couple of decades, which was a major feat for that cursed franchise. He took superstars like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to another level defensively, while not completely neutering them offensively.

When Keefe was hired by Tom Fitzgerald to be the new Devils bench boss in 2024, it was mostly lauded as a solid move. Maybe not a home run hire, but a well-struck double up the alley. And for about three months in 2024, it looked like the absolute right hire. The common complaints about the Devils under former coach Lindy Ruff was that the team was a mess defensively and that they were too reliant on rush-based offense. Keefe came in and drilled an emphasis on defense into his players. This peaked in mid-December, when the Devils went seven straight games without allowing more than 20 shots. They weren’t producing tons of offense during this time, but they didn’t need to with such incredible defensive play. Meanwhile the rush-based attack morphed into an offense more focused on slowing things down. Less rush, more cycle. Fewer controlled zone entries, more dump and chases. Again, the offense wasn’t a top unit, but it got the job done.

But once teams got a couple months of tape on the Devils, they figured out how to counter what they were doing. The winning stopped almost immediately after Christmas of 2024, and the number one reason for this was the offense. When diagnosing the problem, it can be hard to know how much is players underperforming and how much is coaches putting them in positions to fail. But while I do think a lot of New Jersey’s offensive struggles in the second half of 2024-25 can be attributed to the roster’s lack of talent, I think a lot of it came back to Keefe’s system.

The core of the team was built to play in a system that emphasizes their speed, skill, and offensive creativity. It’s no coincidence that players like Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Dougie Hamilton had the best seasons of their careers playing in Ruff’s high-octane scheme. I’m not here to tell you that Ruff’s system was actually right all along and Fitzgerald never should have fired him. Believe me, I do think it was Ruff’s time to go. But I will say that for all his flaws, he did develop a system that complimented the strengths of both his best players and the roster as a whole. The Devils were building Avalanche East, a team that would win games by overwhelming opponents with speed and skill, constantly applying pressure by turning defense into offense in the blink of an eye. In a way, it’s not totally dissimilar to what the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes do. Both those teams play a system that emphasizes aggression and applies pressure, mostly in the form of relentless forechecking. The Devils played aggressively and applied pressure through a swarming defensive zone concept combined with a rush-oriented offense. Again, it had it’s flaws. But the important thing was that when it worked, it fit the roster like a glove.

I don’t doubt that there are teams out there that Sheldon Keefe would fit extremely well. But the Devils, sadly, are not one of them. I give credit to Keefe for getting this team to play better defense, but it has come at too high a cost on offense. One of the defining traits of the Keefe system is a concept called “fight the panic”. This is a philosophy for breaking pucks out of the defensive zone, where players are taught to take extremely safe routes out of the zone, and if there is even a little danger ahead, they should circle back and wait for a better opportunity. Hence, fight the panic. I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with this, but I really do think it’s an ill-fitting system for this team. The Devils thrived on stretch passes and rush offense before Keefe arrived, and Keefe took that huge strength away. Again, this is where it becomes hard to separate blame properly, as the counterargument to this would be that the team no longer had the puck-movers on the backend to properly execute a stretch-pass and rush-based attack, meaning Keefe was wise to alter the club’s tactics. I think there’s merit to that. Damon Severson and John Marino (and Ryan Graves to a lesser degree) were quite good at moving the puck, and their replacements, a combo of Johnny Kovacevic, Brenden Dillon, and Brett Pesce, were far inferior in this regard.

But if the point of sacrificing a little offense was to create a stellar defense, that only worked for a few months. From Christmas until the end of the season in 2024-25, the Devils were still good defensively, but nowhere close to the heights they achieved pre-Christmas. This made their offensive struggles that much more of a problem, and they barely squeaked into the postseason as a result.

And then came this season, in which the Devils have been even worse offensively, and don’t even have a top defense to show for it anymore.

This is where Keefe has completely lost me. As much as I have complained about Fitzgerald’s roster management, I will give him credit for recognizing that he went a little too far with the whole “grit and toughness” thing. Over the summer, he brought in more speed and skill, in the form of Connor Brown, Evgenii Dadonov, Arseny Gritsyuk, and Cody Glass as a re-signing. The only one of those that hasn’t worked out is Dadonov, but I don’t fault Fitzgerald that much for it. Dadonov played well for the Dallas Stars a season ago, he came very cheap, and it would’ve been unreasonable to expect his play to fall off as much as it has. In any case, Fitzgerald course-corrected a little bit, and yet the offense is as bad as ever. Yes that’s on Fitzgerald, but that’s also on Keefe. He got an upgraded forward corps and still couldn’t improve or adjust. Remember when I said he got top-level defense out of Matthews and Marner in Toronto without completely neutering them offensively? Well for whatever reason, he has been completely unable to do that with this group’s top guys. Ever since Keefe started calling the shots, Hughes, Hischier, and Bratt have all seen their production drop significantly:

pic.twitter.com/UgkzEROm7p

— Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell) February 5, 2026

Actually, it hasn’t just been the top guys. Keefe hasn’t been able to squeeze one ounce of offense out of anyone on this roster. In his end of season press conference last spring, when asked about why the team struggled offensively so much after Christmas, Keefe said he was unsure and that it was going to be a big project for him over the summer. Well clearly this project of his was an utter failure.

Recently, the Devils lost 3-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was a loss that, effectively, ended their season. Aside from the result, something else that really bothered me was Keefe’s response after the game. He basically laid all the blame on his players, going out of his way to make the case that he wasn’t the problem, and that it was everyone else around him:

#NJDevils coach Sheldon Keefe when asked if he is considering any shakeups to his systems, planning, ect. pic.twitter.com/Y8NAAKQyWL

— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) February 4, 2026

"We just wilt in the third period. That's just not good enough. We're not mentally tough enough, clearly. These are critical moments in our season." – #NJDevils HC Sheldon Keefe after tonight's 3-0 loss to Columbus.

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) February 4, 2026

Now look, I don’t necessarily have a problem with coaches being hard on their players and calling them out in public. As a matter of fact, I think that can be a great weapon for a coach to use when implemented properly. But to shirk accountability for yourself is completely unacceptable. And no, I don’t count his throwaway line of “That’s on me to get them going” as sufficiently taking accountability.

As mentioned before, Keefe came to New Jersey with a solid resume. But that’s it, only solid. He hasn’t experienced major success as a coach, and he certainly never did as a player. When Larry Robinson famously threw a trash can in the locker room and publicly ripped his team to shreds during the 2000 Eastern Conference Final, he had the clout to do that because he was a Hall of Fame player and an accomplished assistant coach with Stanley Cup rings coming out of his ears. And guess what…it worked. The Devils erased a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games. They would go on to win the Cup a couple weeks later. When Larry Robinson rips his team, players listen because Robinson is accomplished enough to do that, and because the team was good enough to make it to the Eastern Conference Final, so clearly something was working up to that point. When Keefe does it, it rings so hollow because he hasn’t accomplished anything of significance in his coaching career, and because he’s doing it while his team languishes near the bottom of the league. If his only answer is the blame his players and say that his system is fine, then he’s arrogant and delusional and he needs to go.

So in the end, while Keefe might be a fit for some teams, he was not a fit for this one. I will admit that I liked the hire at the time, though Keefe wasn’t my first choice. No, my top guy was former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft, who was fired early in the 2024-25 campaign by Edmonton and was available at the time. I still wouldn’t mind Woodcroft being brought on this offseason after Keefe (presumably) gets his pink slip, as I think Woodcroft did good work with a similar roster in Edmonton, albeit a much more talented one at the very top. But either way, while I wanted Woodcroft, I was fine with Keefe, and I have to admit I was wrong. Keefe was not the guy. And I think the lesson here is to hire a coach who is willing and able to adapt his systems and philosophies to the roster he has, instead of trying to shoehorn his roster into whatever system he stubbornly wants to run.

What do you all think of Sheldon Keefe? Do you agree that he was simply not the right coach for this team? Do you disagree and instead put the blame on the front office and/or players? Assuming Keefe is not the head coach next season, who do you want the Devils to bring in to replace him? As always, thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/d...n-keefe-was-not-the-right-coach-for-this-team