Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
When I wrote the forwards portion of the season preview last year, I asked whether or not the Devils did enough to add more offense to a group that struggled to score goals. It’s a question that is so important, Tim asked it again last week.
As it turns out, the answer to that question last season was no. The Devils did not do enough.
The Devils took yet another step backwards in terms of goal scoring. After going from 3.52 goals per game in 2022-23 to 3.22 goals per game in 2023-24
to 2.93 in 2024-25, they sunk to a new low last season with 2.76 goals per game last season. That was good for 27th in the NHL. With the exception of the Los Angeles Kings, all of the teams in their vicinity on that list missed the playoffs, and the Kings weren’t in the tournament for very long themselves. It might be an oversimplification to say this, but teams that score a lot of goals (and don’t give up a lot of goals) generally make the playoffs and the ones that can’t score do not. Bold take, I know.
I’ve mentioned these stats a few times over the summer, but they bear repeating. According to Moneypuck, at 5v5, the Devils were dead last in the NHL last season in goals for above expected, and it wasn’t particularly close. They were dead last in terms of goal differential above expected. They were dead last in shooting percentage on shots on goal. Dead last in shooting percentage on unblocked shots. Dead last in rebound goals. And dead last in PDO, so they probably got unlucky to some extent. But one also creates their own luck and the Devils didn’t do nearly enough at 5v5 to create their own luck as they were a middle of the pack team in most other categories. They also took a step back on the power play, going from 3rd at 28.2% to 13th at 22.0%. That itself isn’t necessarily terrible, but it’s also not good enough to overcome their deficiencies at 5v5, particularly when the Devils were dead last at penalty minutes drawn per 60. In other words, they didn’t go on the power play enough to give themselves any chance of utilizing the power play to mask their glaring weaknesses at 5v5, and when they did go on the power play, they didn’t convert at a rate similar to the previous season.
That’s a long, elaborate way of stating the obvious….the Devils offense sucked in 2025-26, and was the biggest reason why they failed to make the playoffs last season.
So I ask again heading into this season, did the Devils do enough to add more offense to a group that has struggled to score goals?
Sunny Mehta has certainly been active in his first offseason as Devils general manager. Anthony Mantha, Luke Evangelista, Evan Rodrigues, and Jesper Boqvist, collectively, are better than the players they are replacing in Paul Cotter, Evgenii Dadonov, and Maxim Tsyplakov. Unlike last season when the Devils entered the season with question marks in Luke Glendening and Juho Lammikko on the roster, they actually have too many forwards for not enough spots. Younger players like Arseny Gritsyuk are no longer rookies and have experience at the NHL level. Shooting percentages should bounce back closer to career norms. And, knocks on wood, if the Devils ever got a healthy season out of Jack Hughes, that alone would make a huge difference.
But is all of that enough? And can the Devils put the puck in the back of the net frequently enough to where they should be a comfortable playoff team.
In this portion of our season preview, we will look at the forwards expected to be on the Opening Night roster. I will take a look at the lines that Sheldon Keefe has used at practice and/or in preseason games, as well as each player individually. Lines are subject to change of course, but the fact we’re seeing this now is a strong indicator of what direction they want to go in once the games count for real. I’ll also take a look at any extra forwards and whether or not the Devils may had any answers waiting in the wings in Utica.
Top Six Lines
Anthony Mantha – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt
To nobody’s surprise, Anthony Mantha got the first look as the running mate to the Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt pairing in the top six.
It’s a fit that makes a lot of sense on paper.
How many words have been written on this website about goal scoring opportunities created by either Hughes or Bratt, only to die on the stick of whatever winger has been with them and not find the back of the net?
Mantha is one of the few plus finishers on this team, so pairing him with the two playmakers in Hughes and Bratt is logical. Mantha is coming off of a 33 goal season, has topped at least 20 goals three of the last four seasons (2024-25 shortened due to injury), and has consistently shot over expected in that time frame. As Bryce Salvador pointed out the other night, Mantha has made his bread and butter setting up in the slot to get his shot off. That’s one area in particular where the Devils lacked offensively.
It should also be mentioned he’s a big body. Listed at 6’5”, 240 lb, he’s easily the biggest winger that Hughes and Bratt will have played with. Why does that matter? Well, when you can park Mantha in front of the net like the Devils did late in the third period against the Rangers the other night, it can create additional space for Hughes to create something. Mantha has to be accounted for, and we saw that on the game winning goal.
I don’t want to directly compare Mantha to Tyler Toffoli, as I think stylistically they have some differences as players. But I do think it goes noted that Hughes and Bratt haven’t had a finisher of this potential since they had Toffoli on the roster three years ago. The Devils hadn’t really replaced Toffoli until now.
If there’s a deficiency in Mantha’s game, he’s not a great defensive winger. So there could be instances where this line has issues getting the puck out of the defensive zone. But the reason why you sign someone like Mantha isn’t for defense. You sign him because he can put the puck in the net and putting him with the two best point producers on the roster is how you accomplish that goal. So there’s no need to overthink this. I would expect a lot of instances where the Devils try to get that line out on the fly when they get a matchup they like.
As for Hughes, you know what you’re going to get with Jack. He’s a gamebreaking talent who has been a 1.2 PPG pace over the last five seasons. He’s an elite level playmaker with the puck on his stick, but he’s also more than capable of beating the goaltender himself with his shot. He’s a better defensive forward than he gets credit for who has shown a knack for stealing the puck and creating a scoring opportunity out of nothing. The only real question with Jack is whether or not this will finally be the year where he has no major injuries and plays something close to a full slate of games. If he can, he’s that special a talent where every Devils offensive single season record is in jeopardy of being broken. And considering Jack already holds the record for most points in a season as a Devil, that’s saying something.
After setting a career high in points (and franchise record in assists) in 2024-25, Jesper Bratt’s production took a bit of a dip for the first time in five seasons with “only 71 points”. Having Mantha finish some of those chances that weren’t being finished before should help him get back to a normal statline that we’ve come to expect, although I’ll add that once again, I’d like to see Bratt be a little more selfish and shoot the puck more. His shot attempts have declined from a career high two seasons ago, and while he’s a consistent 20 goal scorer, we know he has potential for something closer to 25-30 in a season.
One final note….when I previewed this line last year, who was the Hughes-Bratt running mate? None other than Evgenii Dadonov. The same Dadonov who suffered two significant injuries that derailed his season before it ever really had a chance to get off the ground and scored one measly goal in 24 otherwise uneventful games as a Devil.
I bring up Dadonov because you look at the Devils forward depth from last year and compare it to this year and its like trying to compare Andrea Bocelli to William Hung.
Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Luke Evangelista
The Timo Meier and Nico Hischier pairing that we have seen frequently in New Jersey looks to be getting another run at it this season, but instead of Dawson Mercer joining them, it would appear to be newcomer Luke Evangelista.
I’m bullish on Evangelista being paired with those two, as I think there is potential for him to help Meier get back to the player he was a few seasons ago.
Evangelista is a play-driver and playmaker, first and foremost. It’s an element that that line just wasn’t getting from Dawson Mercer the past couple seasons. He’s also a good defensive winger, which should help Nico Hischier in terms of making that the Devils shutdown line.
Evangelista should be able to make all sorts of tight window passes that Mercer was simply unable to do. He should also be able to help create chances off of the rush. Jackson wrote all about this a few weeks back. He also wrote about how guys like Steven Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly didn’t really take off last season until they were paired with Evangelista. I do hesitate to give Evangelista too much credit there, as Stamkos is on his way to the Hall of Fame and O’Reilly was the best forward on a Stanley Cup winning team. Both of these players have been in the NHL a long time and are (or were, depending on your point of view) great players in their own right. But they were both also older players who looked to be in decline until they were paired with a younger player in Evangelista who was able to put them in positions to succeed.
The point is that I think Evangelista’s presence could have a similar effect on Meier, who has historically been a volume shooter. And while I don’t want to make too much about a Rangers game where they really didn’t play any NHL caliber players, it should be noted that this line was responsible for 2 of the Devils 3 goals. I also think Hischier’s game is well rounded enough where he can fit with just about anyone. I don’t know how realistic it is to expect Hischier to do much more than he is already doing, but there’s definitely room for Meier to be closer to the player he was towards the end of his run in San Jose.
Bottom Six Lines
Arseni Gritsyuk – Evan Rodrigues – Dawson Mercer
With the injury to Nick Bjugstad, it would appear that Evan Rodrigues is slated to play a significant role as a bottom six center for this team.
I would consider Rodrigues to be more of a natural winger than a center, but part of the beauty of Rodrigues as a player is that he can play anywhere on any of the forward lines and not be out of place. Heck, he was their top line winger on a Stanley Cup championship Panthers team despite having just over 30 points in the regular season. He has plenty of experience playing center, and even though he lacks the traditional counting stats, he’s a guy who has historically been active and done everything well.
Pairing him with two other well-rounded forwards in Gritsyuk and Mercer is interesting. We saw last year that Gritsyuk was probably ahead of schedule in terms of playing a well-rounded two-way game. After finishing his first NHL season, Gritsyuk probably still has another level to gain in terms of being more consistent offensively and finishing his chances. I do question between Rodrigues and Mercer whether or not they’ll be able to find him consistently to get his shot off, but I do think this has the makings of an underrated defensive line that can chip in some secondary offense.
Amadeus Lombardi – Cody Glass – Connor Brown
To me, the most intriguing development thus far in camp has been the pairing of Amadeus Lombardi with Cody Glass and Connor Brown. The chemistry has been there right off the bat and Lombardi found the back of the net during intrasquad scrimmages several times.
Granted, we’re talking about intrasquad scrimmages, not actual games. It remains to be seen how he potentially holds up over the course of an 84 game regular season. But the speed and skill are noticeable and pairing him with a couple NHL veterans down the depth chart is a good way to insulate him early in his career as he adjusts to the NHL. I won’t go as far as to say he’s wrapped up a roster spot already, but as I’ve said all offseason, I don’t think Sunny Mehta acquired him only to lose him on waivers three months later. And thus far in camp, Lombardi has not hurt his case to make the roster.
As we saw last year, Connor Brown was versatile to the point that he saw a lot of time with Jack and Bratt later in the season. We also saw Cody Glass set a career high in goals. I have my doubts that Brown repeats his performance last season tying a career high in points or that Glass shoots 18% again, but I do think they’re useful players who can help the Devils roll four lines and not have any dead weight further down the lineup.
Additional Lines & Injuries
Jesper Boqvist – Mark McLaughlin – Stefan Noesen
I would consider Boqvist and Noesen to be the leaders in the clubhouse when it comes to claiming the final roster spots at forward for this team.
Noesen, who is in a contract year, has to prove he’s healthy after having his 2025-26 season derailed by injuries. If he’s healthy, he could be a valuable player to work into the lineup here and there. We know that he can play in a Sheldon Keefe system, we know he can get to the front of the net and chip in goals, and we know that he can contribute on the power play. And while he has dealt with plenty of injuries in the past, he’s healthy now. He’ll eventually get his chance to contribute.
Boqvist, who is also in a contract year, is probably an ideal candidate for a 13th forward or next man up with this group. While I think he’s better on the wing, he does have the flexibility to pivot to center. He’s added a physical element to his game since leaving the Devils. He’s always had speed, he’s always had a little bit of skill, and he’s a decent defensive forward. He’s done a nice job carving out an NHL career for himself and I can see him being inserted onto the fourth line whenever he’s needed.
McLaughlin’s presence on this line is interesting to me in the sense that if the Devils need a center option in season, he’s probably getting the call before someone like Matyas Melovsky. McLaughlin hasn’t really shown much of anything when he has gotten a callup with the Devils the previous two seasons, but he has far more experience as a pro.
Riley Tufte – Colin White – Lenni Hameenaho
I don’t think any of these players has a realistic chance of making the 23 man roster.
Hameenaho would be the sentimental favorite of the three as he’s a former 2nd round pick and appeared in 33 games with the big club last season. I would not say that Hameenaho played poorly, but it was his first pro season in North America and I do think the could use a bit more seasoning. And the reality of the situation is that he doesn’t have to clear waivers to be sent down, so he’ll likely get sent down as the Devils opt to keep someone else.
Tufte is a massive winger who has mastered the AHL level but never has really shown enough at the NHL to stick in any one spot. He’s big, physical, and not a bad option to have if you have a rash of injuries and you just have to have someone in your lineup on any given night to punch Tom Wilson or Matt Rempe in the face. But if he makes the NHL roster, it probably means the Devils are in big trouble because a lot of players better than him are injured.
White (no relation to the former Devils defenseman of the same name) brings plenty of NHL experience to the organization, but most of that experience was between 2017-2023 when he was still in the young prospect, former first round pick afterglow portion of his career. He has a connection with Sunny Mehta from their time in Florida together in 2022-23, and frankly, he’s probably a better NHL option than McLaughlin if push comes to shove. He’s at the stage of his career where he’s an AHL lifer if he continues to play in North America. Maybe he gets a callup at some point, but like with anyone else, it would take things going wrong at the NHL level for that to happen.
Nick Bjugstad
The Devils announced last week that Nick Bjugstad suffered a torn left pectoral muscle while off-season training earlier in September. He underwent surgery with an approximate timeline of 4-6 months for recovery.
Torn pectoral muscles are no joke. They take a long time to rehab from. So it would be fair to suggest that this injury will cost Bjugstad most of the 2026-27 season, and perhaps all of it if he suffers any setback.
Bjugstad was a candidate for the 4C role and probably would’ve been on the roster had he been healthy. Instead, he will likely spend most of the season on regular IR.
A Prediction Of Sorts
With the injury to Bjugstad and a strong first impression by Lombardi, I think the Devils carry Lombardi on the 23 man roster. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be in the lineup every night, but I think he’ll be on the team to start, with Noesen and Boqvist as the extra skaters.
Final Thoughts
You may have noticed me use words like flexibility, depth, and option several times in this article, and that isn’t by accident. The biggest thing with the Devils forward group is they have the flexibility, depth, and several options at their disposal that they simply haven’t had in the past.
I think its the deepest group of forwards the Devils have assembled in years. Almost certainly since 2022-23 and perhaps dating as far back as the 2012 team as they rounded into playoff form? I look at a roster with Gritsyuk and Rodrigues on a third line and Glass and Brown on the 4th and its almost an embarrassment of riches in the sense that those guys would probably be on a second line on most other rosters.
The one “yeah, but” though is will they be able to score. Because there’s just no way the Devils shoot as poorly as they did a year ago, right?
Meier has had two of his worst shooting seasons of his career the last two years. For as much as we like Gritsyuk, he shot under 9%. Noesen had one of the worst seasons of his career when he did play. Mercer did not shoot well last season, and while he did get to 20 goals, six of those were into empty nets. Even the guys who the Devils rely on the most had stretches where they seemed snakebitten and it just wasn’t going in.
The Devils did not land a proven 40 goal scorer like Jason Robertson this offseason, which I think is something most people would have gladly signed up for. Instead, they took the approach of making sensible bets on Mantha being the finisher they lacked, Evangelista being the facilitator they lacked, and Lombardi, Rodrigues and Boqvist being massive upgrades over the players they’re replacing in the bottom six.
I say all that to say the Devils should be better offensively. They should be able to finish their chances. Of course, we’ve said that before only to be disappointed when it didn’t happen, and just because I keep saying it doesn’t mean it will come true this time. But I do think in his first offseason, Mehta has made moves to help the Devils get back to what their identity was in 2022-23. A deep roster that could roll four lines if things are going well. A roster that could skate. A roster that could play a responsible two-way game. A roster that can generate offense off the rush.
Whether it actually happens or not remains to be seen.
