The New Jersey Devils should be back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026-27, and my projection has them making a significant jump to 103 points and third place in the Metropolitan Division. I don’t see New Jersey as a clear-cut Stanley Cup favorite yet, but I do see a roster capable of winning a playoff round and becoming extremely dangerous if its biggest gamble pays off.
That gamble is goaltending.
New Jersey finished only 42-37-3 with 87 points last season, but the record masks some encouraging underlying numbers. The Devils controlled 52.0% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts yet finished with a 97.5 PDO and scored only 226 goals, 27th in the NHL. Jack Hughes also missed 21 games, and New Jersey went 8-13-0 without him.
Now Anthony Mantha arrives after a career-high 33-goal, 64-point season, the forward depth is significantly better, and the Devils have multiple candidates for positive shooting regression. But Jacob Markstrom is gone.
My read on this roster: if Jake Allen and Nico Daws can provide roughly league-average goaltending and Jack Hughes plays 70-plus games, New Jersey has the talent to push beyond 100 points.
Where the New Jersey Devils Stand Entering 2026-27
The most encouraging part of this Devils roster is its spine.
Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier give Sheldon Keefe two legitimate top-line centers. Jesper Bratt remains one of the league’s most consistent offensive wingers, Timo Meier still generates shots and high-danger opportunities at an elite rate, while Dawson Mercer gives the lineup versatility.
Hughes produced 77 points in only 61 games last season and finished at 1.26 points per game. Bratt followed with 71 points, Hischier scored 28 goals and 66 points, while Meier generated 269 shots despite his point production dropping to 44.
That last number is important.
Meier’s 24 goals came on only 8.9% shooting overall, and NHL EDGE found that his mid-range shooting percentage fell to 6.3% after sitting at 12.1% the previous season. He still ranked in the 97th percentile among forwards in high-danger shots on goal. That is exactly the profile I look for when identifying a potential bounce-back scorer.
The Devils were also inside the NHL’s top 10 in long-range, mid-range and high-danger shots on goal last season. They were creating enough opportunities; they simply did not finish nearly enough of them.
My biggest concern: goaltending
Moving Jacob Markstrom was not necessarily abandoning elite goaltending – Markstrom himself posted only an .883 save percentage and 3.07 goals-against average last season – but it removed the team’s most established high-volume starter.
Jake Allen, Nico Daws and David Rittich are now the options. Allen is expected to get the first opportunity, while management has publicly talked about finally giving Daws a meaningful runway.
The irony is that Allen had some excellent location-specific numbers last season. NHL EDGE reported that he led the NHL with a .991 save percentage on long-range shots and ranked fifth at .914 on mid-range attempts.
If those strengths hold and Daws develops into a credible 1B, the position could be adequate.
If not, goaltender immediately becomes the Devils’ most obvious trade-deadline need.
New Jersey Devils Offseason Changes for 2026-27
New general manager Sunny Mehta did not inherit the job and patiently wait for training camp.
Mehta replaced Tom Fitzgerald in April after spending six years with Florida, including three as assistant GM and head of analytics. New Jersey then reshaped both the forward group and organizational depth while retaining Sheldon Keefe as head coach. Ted Donato and AJ MacLean joined the NHL coaching staff as assistants, Dan Stewart became goaltending coach and Leo Luongo was named director of goaltending.
Players Added
Anthony Mantha – Free Agent
The biggest addition. Mantha signed a two-year, $9.5 million contract after scoring a career-high 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games for Pittsburgh. His size, finishing ability and net-front presence address exactly what New Jersey lacked.
Evan Rodrigues – Trade from Florida
New Jersey acquired Rodrigues along with Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves for Jacob Markstrom and Angus Crookshank. Rodrigues produced 31 points in 69 games last season and brings middle-six flexibility plus extensive playoff experience.
Jesper Boqvist – Trade from Florida
Boqvist returns to New Jersey as a defensively useful bottom-six forward who can play multiple positions and add physicality.
Declan Chisholm – Trade from Washington
Acquired for a 2027 fourth-round pick, Chisholm gives New Jersey another NHL-capable left-shot defenseman and insurance against injuries or prospect growing pains.
David Rittich – Free Agent
Rittich signed for one year at $1 million and becomes insurance behind Allen and Daws.
Etienne Morin – Trade from Calgary
Morin was part of the return for Simon Nemec and should initially be viewed more as a developmental asset than an immediate Nemec replacement.
Amadeus Lombardi – Trade from Detroit
Lombardi scored 42 points in 47 AHL games last season and gives New Jersey another skilled forward prospect capable of pushing for NHL work.
The Devils also added organizational depth including Riley Tufte and Vladislav Kolyachonok.
Players Who Left
Jacob Markstrom – Traded to Florida
Markstrom went to the Panthers in the Rodrigues-Boqvist-Steeves deal.
Simon Nemec – Traded to Calgary
This was the biggest long-term departure. Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov went to Calgary for Etienne Morin, a 2026 second-round selection and conditional first-round picks in 2027 and 2028.
Paul Cotter – Vancouver
Cotter signed a one-year deal with Vancouver after scoring nine goals and 15 points in 79 games.
Angus Crookshank – Florida
Included in the Markstrom trade.
Dennis Cholowski – New York Rangers
Cholowski departed in free agency, while several other depth players also exited or remained unsigned.
The Devils also attempted to sign Barrett Hayton to an offer sheet, but Utah matched it. That unsuccessful move tells me Mehta still sees room for another center who can play meaningful minutes when injuries hit.
Did the Devils actually improve?
Up front, yes.
Mantha gives New Jersey a legitimate finishing threat, Rodrigues brings lineup flexibility, and the collective depth is better equipped to survive injuries.
Defensively, the equation is more complicated because Nemec’s long-term ceiling is significant. For 2026-27 specifically, however, New Jersey can still ice Luke Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, Jonas Siegenthaler, Johnathan Kovacevic and Brenden Dillon, with Chisholm, Seamus Casey and Anton Silayev providing alternatives.
The short-term weakness created by the offseason is clearly in goal.
New Jersey Devils 2025-26 Top Five Scorers
Jack Hughes led New Jersey with 77 points despite playing only 61 games. Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier and Connor Brown rounded out the top five in team-specific regular-season scoring.
Data Behind the Rebound Case
New Jersey scored 226 goals and allowed 253 last season. Its power play finished at approximately 22%, while the penalty kill was just under 80%. More importantly, the Devils posted a 52.0% 5-on-5 Corsi share but only a 6.8% 5-on-5 shooting percentage, substantially below the league average listed by Hockey-Reference.
That is why I’m higher on this team than its 87-point finish suggests.
Possession without finishing does not guarantee future goals, but New Jersey’s combination of Hughes, Bratt, Hischier, Meier and Mantha gives it considerably more finishing talent than a bottom-five NHL offense should normally produce.
Mantha is particularly interesting because he ranked fifth in the NHL with 24 high-danger goals last season.
Regression can work in both directions, but I expect New Jersey’s offensive percentages to move upward.
What Will Define the New Jersey Devils 2026-27 Season?
Three things matter more than anything else.
1. Jack Hughes’ health
New Jersey went 8-13-0 without Hughes last season. He does not need to play every game, particularly now that the schedule has expanded to 84 games, but 70-plus healthy games would dramatically change the Devils’ ceiling.
2. The Allen-Daws experiment
This is the season’s largest variable. Average goaltending probably gets New Jersey into the playoffs. Above-average goaltending turns them into a legitimate Metro threat.
3. Whether the supporting offense actually finishes
Meier’s shooting profile screams bounce-back potential. Mantha gives Hughes or Hischier another finisher. Arseny Gritsyuk, who recorded 31 points as an NHL rookie, could also take a meaningful second-year step after signing a three-year, $9.75 million contract.
Health remains worth monitoring heading into camp. Gritsyuk underwent shoulder surgery after last season, while Luke Hughes underwent an offseason procedure but was expected by NHL.com’s August preview to be ready for training camp.
Projected New Jersey Devils 2026-27 Lineup
This is a projection, not a confirmed opening-night roster. It assumes the primary players are healthy.
Forwards
Line 1: Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Dawson Mercer
Line 2: Jesper Bratt – Jack Hughes – Anthony Mantha
Line 3: Arseny Gritsyuk – Cody Glass – Evan Rodrigues
Line 4: Jesper Boqvist – Nick Bjugstad – Connor Brown
Stefan Noesen’s health and Lenni Hameenaho’s training camp could alter the bottom six.
Defence
Pair 1: Jonas Siegenthaler – Dougie Hamilton
Pair 2: Luke Hughes – Brett Pesce
Pair 3: Brenden Dillon – Johnathan Kovacevic
Extra competition: Declan Chisholm, Seamus Casey, Anton Silayev.
NHL.com identifies Silayev as New Jersey’s top prospect and believes he could challenge for an NHL job immediately, while Hameenaho and Casey are also candidates to push for roster spots.
Goalies
Starter: Jake Allen
Backup/1B: Nico Daws
Depth: David Rittich
New Jersey Devils 2026-27 Point Projection
Projected Record: 47-28-9
Projected Points: 103
The NHL moves to an 84-game schedule in 2026-27, so this projection totals 84 games rather than the traditional 82. The math is:
47 wins x 2 points = 94 points
9 overtime/shootout losses = 9 points
Total = 103 points
I project New Jersey to finish third in the Metropolitan Division and approximately sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Why the 16-point improvement?
The underlying possession numbers were already better than the final record. Hughes should produce at an elite level when available, Meier has a clear statistical rebound case, Mantha adds legitimate finishing, and the forward depth no longer collapses as quickly once injuries hit.
The reason I stop at 103 instead of projecting New Jersey closer to Carolina is goaltending.
2026-27 Metropolitan Division Standings Prediction
My complete Metropolitan Division projection:
Carolina remains my favorite after winning the Stanley Cup and finishing first in the division last season. Washington’s additions of Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner make the Capitals especially dangerous. Philadelphia is also coming off a second-round playoff appearance, while Pittsburgh still has enough high-end talent to remain relevant. Columbus added Valeri Nichushkin, and the Rangers made a major offensive bet on Pavel Dorofeyev.
I put New Jersey third because its top-end talent is superior to most of the division and its underlying 2025-26 performance suggests meaningful rebound potential.
I do not put the Devils ahead of Carolina because of the goaltending gap, and Washington’s aggressive offseason gives the Capitals the slightly safer projection.
New Jersey Devils Salary Cap Analysis
PuckPedia currently lists New Jersey with a $100.15 million projected cap hit and approximately $3.85 million in projected cap space under the $104 million ceiling, using a 23-player active roster. PuckPedia also projects approximately $17.78 million in deadline cap space if the current structure and accrual assumptions hold.
The Devils’ two largest 2026-27 cap hits on defense are Luke Hughes and Dougie Hamilton at $9 million each. Timo Meier carries an $8.8 million cap hit, Jack Hughes $8 million and Jesper Bratt $7.875 million.
Nico Hischier remains at $7.25 million this season before his new five-year, $58.5 million extension begins in 2027-28 at an $11.7 million AAV.
That future cap structure matters.
PuckPedia currently projects roughly $32.33 million in 2027-28 cap space, but only 14 active-roster players are presently under contract for that season. Dawson Mercer is scheduled to become an RFA, while Rodrigues, Dillon, Noesen, Glass, Boqvist, Bjugstad, Chisholm and Rittich are among the players currently positioned for unrestricted free agency after 2026-27.
New Jersey therefore has flexibility, but it is not blank-check flexibility.
NHLTradeRumor.com 2026-27 Team Outlook Model
This is an original NHLTradeRumor.com analytical model, not a third-party rating.
Each category is scored equally from 1-10 using roster quality, recent performance, underlying metrics, age, contracts, depth and expected role.
Overall Rating: 7.7/10
The player who could change everything: Jack Hughes
If Hughes plays 74 games instead of 61, a 90-plus point season is entirely realistic.
He scored 41 points in 25 games after the 2026 Winter Olympics and remains one of the NHL’s most productive players on a per-game basis.
The offseason move I like most: Anthony Mantha
Mantha does not need to repeat 64 points to make this signing work.
If he scores 25-30 goals, creates traffic around the net and gives the power play another legitimate finishing option, the effect reaches beyond his own scoring totals because it makes it harder for opponents to overload against Hughes, Bratt or Hischier.
My biggest concern: Nico Daws has to become more than a prospect
At 25, Daws is entering the stage where development has to turn into NHL reliability.
The Devils don’t need him to become Igor Shesterkin.
They need 30-35 credible starts, because asking a 36-year-old Allen to carry an elite starter’s workload would be asking for trouble.
New Jersey Devils Trade Value Analysis
This team should be buying rather than selling if my projection is correct.
However, if the season goes sideways, New Jersey has several veteran expiring contracts that could become valuable at the trade deadline.
Brenden Dillon carries a $4 million cap hit, becomes a UFA in 2027 and has a modified no-trade clause with a 10-team no-trade list in the final year of his contract. Nick Bjugstad carries a $1.75 million cap hit and has no listed trade protection.
The player I find most interesting is Evan Rodrigues.
Rodrigues enters the final year of his deal with a $3.075 million cap hit, is scheduled for unrestricted free agency and has no trade protection listed on his PuckPedia contract page. His ability to play center or wing, contribute defensively and bring playoff experience would create demand if New Jersey unexpectedly became a seller.
What Happened With Earlier New Jersey Devils Reports?
There are a few useful accountability checks from NHLTradeRumor.com’s earlier Devils coverage.
In March, the site covered reporting that New Jersey was listening to offers on Simon Nemec and examined San Jose as one possible trade partner. Nemec ultimately was traded, but not to San Jose – he went to Calgary in June. The broader premise that New Jersey was willing to move him proved accurate; the proposed destination did not.
On June 14, NHLTradeRumor.com covered Kevin Weekes’ report that New Jersey was gauging Jacob Markstrom’s market. Sixteen days later, Markstrom was traded to Florida.
More recently, the site has covered Quinn Hughes speculation. An August 26 follow-up emphasized that reporting was pushing back strongly against the idea that Minnesota and New Jersey were actively negotiating a trade. That distinction should remain clear: Quinn Hughes-to-New Jersey is currently a future possibility and rumor storyline, not a confirmed negotiation.
Final New Jersey Devils 2026-27 Prediction
Projected Record: 47-28-9
Projected Points: 103
Division Finish: 3rd Metropolitan
Projected Eastern Conference Finish: Approximately 6th
Playoff Prediction: Makes Stanley Cup Playoffs; capable of winning a first-round series
Stanley Cup Outlook: Dark-horse contender rather than front-line favorite
Biggest X-Factor: Nico Daws
My prediction is that the Devils return to the playoffs because the 2025-26 offense was too talented to remain 27th in goals, Meier has a legitimate rebound profile, Mantha adds finishing and the defense remains deep enough to survive the Nemec trade.
To outperform 103 points, two things need to happen simultaneously: Hughes has to stay healthy and the Allen-Daws tandem has to become a strength rather than something the rest of the roster is constantly trying to overcome.
If that happens, New Jersey’s ceiling is considerably higher than third in the Metropolitan Division.
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