Today marks the beginning of October. With our home opener coming down the gauntlet tonight, it is time for the final part of the All About the Jersey season preview for the 2026-27 New Jersey Devils season. Here, I have combined the usual parts five and six of the season preview into one article along with a special site announcement in between.
Read on!
The New Jersey Devils Front Office
General Manager Sunny Mehta
The New Jersey native, Sunny Mehta, was named the sixth General Manager in the history of the New Jersey Devils in April. Since then, his overhaul
of the team from the top-down has been the swift and vicious realization of many of the wants and desires of Devils fans. With former General Manager Tom Fitzgerald, Assistant GM Dan MacKinnon and senior advisor Chuck Fletcher also parted ways with the organization. Dave Rogalski, the controversial goaltending coach for several years running, was dismissed. And then came Mehta’s overhaul of the roster.
Simon Nemec was the first big move. The talented, young, but disgruntled right-handed defenseman was sent to Calgary with Maxim Tsyplakov for two first-round picks and a second-round pick. Days later, the Devils traded fourth round picks to Detroit and Washington for Amadeus Lombardi and Declan Chisholm. On the eve of free agency, though, Mehta came in with what may have been his most important move of all: the trade of Jacob Markstrom and Angus Crookshank to Florida for Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Ben Steeves. In this move, Mehta simultaneously removed a key component of the disappointing 2025-26 season in Markstrom along with his overpriced contract extension while gaining a great middle six forward in Evan Rodrigues and depth in Jesper Boqvist.
Aside from some tidy contract extensions for Arseny Gritsyuk and Nico Hischier, Sunny Mehta largely had a quiet free agency. He signed Barrett Hayton to an offer sheet that was matched by Utah. Two weeks later, he signed Anthony Mantha to a two-year deal, giving the top six a much-needed goal scorer. The eventual big splash came at the beginning of this month, when he traded for Luke Evangelista and signed him to a five-year extension two weeks later. With the pickup of Remi Poirier on waivers a few days ago, Mehta also gave his team much-needed goaltending insurance.
How will the first season go? It remains to be seen, but Mehta has already done a lot to endear himself to Devils fans by providing the deepest roster the team has had in years along with multiple goaltending options.
Assistant General Managers Braden Birch and Kate Madigan
Braden Birch was brought over from the Florida Panthers along with Sunny Mehta over the summer, as the two had a working relationship in Sunrise. Birch, with Florida, was the director of hockey operations and salary cap management. While he surely continues to assist Mehta in those areas, he is also now the General Manager of the Utica Comets. Under Birch’s direction, the Comets are are looking to turn around a rough string of seasons. With Mehta, Birch has brought in new players like Riley Tufte to boost team scoring while giving the Utica coaching staff a chance to prove themselves again with a good number of Devils prospects.
Kate Madigan is the only returning member of the trio (along with Tom Fitzgerald and Dan MacKinnon) that spearheaded the front office last season. Madigan has been with the Devils for nine years now, rising from a video assistant to pro scouting by 2019, and then hockey operations in 2020. She has been an assistant GM since 2022. With a history in several areas of hockey operations, Madigan appears to be something of a jack of all trades. As a Ray Shero hire, Madigan has reported to several different front office staff over the years, and I am interested to see how her relationship with Sunny Mehta takes shape.
Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Martin Brodeur
While Martin Brodeur was close to former GM Tom Fitzgerald, he has remained with the New Jersey Devils through this change. Under Fitzgerald, Brodeur was responsible for many of the broader goaltending decisions that faced the organization. Hiring Dave Rogalski and trading for Jacob Markstrom were big things that Brodeur influenced directly. Since Mehta was hired, Brodeur has been a bit less visible than prior years, and it remains to be seen how much his role has shifted in the new front office. When the Devils hired new goaltending director Leo Luongo from Florida, it was said that he would report directly to Brodeur — so it does seem that this has not changed much. But rather than bringing in his former colleagues, Brodeur will work with Florida’s brain drain brought over with Mehta.
Advisor to Hockey Operations Andy Greene
The former captain of the New Jersey Devils, Andy Greene, is the sole remaining front office staff member in an “advisor” role after the team parted ways with Chuck Fletcher in the summer. Greene recently did an interview with NJ.com’s Anthony Corona, where he explained that Mehta’s new data-driven style can create some spirited debates with “different hockey guys,” indicating that he is maintaining a particular role bridging the gap between the people on the ground (or the ice) and Mehta’s office.
The New Jersey Devils Coaching Staff
Head Coach Sheldon Keefe
Needless to say, Sheldon Keefe seemed like he was in a rut at times last season. From Tom Fitzgerald’s media spats with Dougie Hamilton’s agent to managing the complaints of Simon Nemec while dealing with the a slew of untimely and sometimes shocking injuries, it was like Keefe didn’t get the chance to focus on the game of hockey. But with a renewed roster and a clean bill of health for several of his most important players, it’s do or die time for the Devils’ head coach. Keefe does seem a lot happier working under Sunny Mehta, but this is a results-oriented business that is unlikely to tolerate another disappointing season from him.
Defensive Assistant Coach Brad Shaw
Brad Shaw did not have the best first season as the Devils’ defensive assistant and penalty kill coach. Compared to Ryan McGill, Shaw saw the penalty kill slip in effectiveness (albeit with injuries to Brett Pesce), while players like Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec still did not quite take the next step in their careers. Fortunately for Shaw, he will continue to work with many of the same players, with only Declan Chisholm joining the returning Devils veteran defensemen. Like Keefe, Shaw needs to have a big year through his defensemen.
Offensive Assistant Coach Ted Donato
I was honestly quite happy when the Devils announced that Jeremy Colliton had stepped away from the organization to pursue other opportunities. I was not very convinced by his coaching of the power play, and seeing him replaced by longtime Harvard head coach Ted Donato felt like a real shift. Donato brings far more experience than Colliton had (despite Colliton being a former NHL head coach) along with a ton of respect, and I am looking forward to seeing how well the power play functions under him. So far, the Devils are looking to use Luke Evangelista in the bumper with Nico Hischier netfront, while Luke Hughes quarterbacks the power play. If Donato can help Hughes become a true PP1 player, he will have earned his pay there alone.
Assistant Coach AJ MacLean
In AJ MacLean, the Devils brought in a former associate of Sheldon Keefe from his time with the Toronto Marlies and Soo Greyhounds. As Tim profiled back in July, MacLean previously coached the power play for the Marlies, so he can also help get the most out of the Devils there. While MacLean might not be one of the top assistants, I think it was important for Keefe to bring in someone who he has a personal history with. If Keefe can get more comfortable with the Devils, he could be here for a long time, but a lot hinges on these next few months.
Goaltending Coach Dan Stewart
Dan Stewart has the unenviable position of succeeding Dave Rogalski, who was widely maligned by Devils fans and bloggers over the last few years. Stewart had been with the Blues over the last several seasons as an organizational development coach and AHL goaltending coach, so he has plenty of experience working with young goalies. Now having Nico Daws and Remi Poirier in the mix with veteran Jake Allen, Dan Stewart is tasked with establishing a starter in time for the playoffs if the Devils prove to be on that path.
Introducing Kurt to the AATJ Staff
I would like to take this moment to introduce our new game writer for the 2026-27 season. Kurt, known to you as TheRealKubo, has agreed to join us. I am very excited to bring him on board, as he has a wide range of experience that made me quite interested in his perspective. See below for his personal introduction!
I’ve been a Devils fan ever since Game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, when I happened to turn on the game while babysitting my cousin. While watching, I was amazed by the young guy wearing #30 in the Devils net, and decided then and there that I wanted to be a goalie. I went on to play goal for my high school team in South Jersey, and then for Drexel University in Philadelphia and the College of New Jersey near Trenton (wearing #30 of course). In my day job, I am a college professor that specializes in quantitative (predictive) research, and I hope to bring a strong numbers game to his work here at AAtJ. Looking forward to contributing to this amazing community!
With that, we go to the staff predictions.
The All About the Jersey Staff Predictions for 2026-27
Season Thoughts
Jackson: I’m pretty sick of having my optimism around this team dashed every year. The Devils have disappointed all of us for three years running, although at least they made the postseason (briefly) in 2024-25. Still, they were supposed to be the league’s next superpower after their Tour de Force season in 2022-23, but for a myriad of reasons, it never came to pass.
And yet, despite being burned by this team so many times in recent years, here I am feeling genuine optimism once more. By far the biggest reason for that is new general manager Sunny Mehta. He comes with a sparkling resume and Jersey roots. And he made good on his reputation by having, in my opinion, an outstanding offseason. The forward group is totally rejuvenated, and the cap sheet has been mostly sorted out. The goaltending is a question mark, and I am still very concerned about the defense (specifically, the lack of offense from the defense), but it was always going to take more than one offseason to untangle the mess that former GM Tom Fitzgerald left behind. I don’t expect a President’s Trophy or even a division title. But I do think the forward group should be one of the best in the league, and if the goaltending can hold up and the defense can just avoid being bottom-of-the-league bad offensively, then I expect a return to the postseason for this team.
Gerard: To me, this is a do or die season for the Devils. This core group has technically been together since the addition of Timo Meier at the 2023 trade deadline. At this point that’s three full seasons plus the 2023 postseason, and the most success the Devils have had during that time was said 2023 postseason when the team made it to the second round before bowing out to Carolina. Since then, they have missed the playoffs, lost in the first round (again to Carolina) and most recently, missed the playoffs again. For a team that’s supposed to be a competitor, that’s beyond unacceptable, and it cost former GM Tom Fitzgerald his job
With new GM Sunny Mehta at the helm, the Devils have already been aggressively retooling the roster, sending Simon Nemec, Jacob Markstrom and some other minor pieces out, while also not re-signing some underachievers. In their place comes Evan Rodrigues, Luke Evangelista, Anthony Mantha, the return of Jesper Boqvist as well as some additional depth players who could have a shot at cracking the opening night roster. Expectations are rightfully high and the Devils need to execute on a nightly basis and stack as many points as possible; even if some teams in the Metro aren’t seen as “competitive” there are no easy games in the NHL and the more points the Devils accrue earlier, the better.
I think we’ll see our Devils back in the playoffs this year. As per the results of that, I’m not sure it will be to our liking unless a lot of players perform to or above what’s expected of them.
Jared: My biggest concern going into the season is what does another bad season mean for the short-term future of this team. We’ve seen this offseason that this is the era of player empowerment and players with years left on their contracts wanting out for a team where they have a better chance to win. That brings me to Jack Hughes and my concern that if the Devils can’t get their act together, he’ll be the next one looking to go elsewhere despite having three years left on his deal after this season. I get that the team itself is under new management and we generally trust the direction and vision that Sunny Mehta has for this group, but that’s not going to matter if the team can’t continue to get out of their own way on the ice. Add in the whole situation with Quinn Hughes’s pending free agency and uncertain future and it’s certainly possible that they decide to team up, but not in New Jersey. It’s all the more reason why the Devils need to get their own house in order and prove that they’re on the right track.
James: I feel hopeful going into this season. I like what Sunny’s done so far. We have some depth now to weather most injuries. (More on that below). I think we are playoff bound.
Tim: I have high expectations for this team, but I’ve had them the past 3 years. We are at the point where this group needs to prove it to us – no more fugazi win streaks, no more mid-season collapses, no more injuries, no more drama. Stay healthy, win games. I do think both the floor and ceiling of this team has been raised, we are better insulated from injury, and am a big fan of what Sunny has done with the group, particularly up front. However, if we get another year with an implosion or slow bleed out, burn it to the ground and start over.
Matt: In what now seems like an annual tradition, the Devils are a very different team heading into this season, than they were at the start of last season. Their “big-game” goalie, Jacob Markstrom? Gone. Replaced (for now) by Jake Allen and Nico Daws. Their GM Tom Fitzgerald? Gone. Replaced with lifelong Devils fan and poker expert, Sunny Mehta (insert your preferred joke about sunny days ahead or the metaverse here). Also no longer with the Devils, Ondrej Palat, his replacement Maxim Tsyplakov, Paul Cotter, and former #2 overall draft pick, Simon “I definitely don’t hold a grudge against the Devils” Nemec.
Mehta wasted no time both undoing the mistakes of his predecessor and putting his own stamp on the team. Proving himself to be the David Copperfield of NHL GM’s, he found a way to get rid of Markstrom and bring back NHL level players in return in Evan Rodrigues and former Devil Jesper Boquist. He signed Anthony Mantha to a new deal and fleeced Nashville for Luke Evangelista. Not content to stop there, he signed “the Captain” (Nico, in case you didn’t know, since they never call him that on a game broadcast) to a contract extension along with an extension for Arseni “Telegram” Gritsyuk. These are not all of the changes that have taken place during the short time Mehta has been in charge, but they are the most significant moves.
With all of that being said, will any of this actually matter? It has been said that the Devils have “won the offseason” many times over the past decade or so. Going back to the days of Ray Shero when they signed Subban and Gusev, to the days of Fitzgerald signing Dougie Hamilton or Tyler “one end of the ice” Toffoli. As we all know however, the season is not won on paper. It’s also not won in July or August. The games are won on the ice. Night in. Night out. There are many reasons to be optimistic as a Devils fan this year. There’s a new man in charge, with a new vision, and he seems to be proactive in making moves to improve his team, rather than sitting on his hands for months at a time, like Fitzgerald was often accused of doing. Well fellow Devils nation members, we will now have 84 regular season games to see if all the changes that have been made will lead to the results we all want to see, both on the ice and in the standings.
Kurt: Let me start with the obvious. At this point, with this roster, the only real measure of success for the Devils is not only reaching the playoffs, but making a bit of noise once they get there. I know many of The People Who Matter think the team is still pretty far from reaching this level, but I’m a bit more bullish. As long as JH can stay healthy and the three-headed goalie can give us something resembling competent goaltending, I think the Devils are one of the better teams in the East. Of course, this has been the chorus of the same song for the last several seasons. Still, this team feels different to me.
The addition of Sunny and all the supportive pieces that he has added to the cast has me optimistic. I expect that finally… FINALLY… the Devils will get some secondary scoring and free up the centerpieces of the team to really do some damage.
I think we get the same song this season: playoffs or bust. I think the difference this year is that the Devils finally change the way the chorus sounds.
A Bold Prediction
Jackson: Luke Evangelista will struggle out of the gate, both at 5-on-5 and on the power play. He won’t be a trainwreck, but he will disappoint relative to our expectations for him. However, upon returning from the Christmas break, Evangelista will explode. The chemistry will take hold on a line with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier, as well as on the power play, and 2026-27 becomes his first point-per-game season. Bonus bold prediction: Evangelista finishes top-10 league-wide in points scored from Christmas until the end of the regular season.
Gerard: The Devils encase Jack Hughes in bubble wrap when he’s not on the ice, resulting in him playing all 82
84 games for the Devils this season.
Jared: Luke Hughes finished T-43rd last season in points by a defenseman with 35. I expect Luke to take a leap next season, so my bold prediction is that he is a Top 10 NHL defenseman in terms of scoring with 62 points and he earns some Norris votes.
James: Luke Hughes takes a big leap this year and ends up with over 60 points.
Tim: Devils win the Metro (also see my below about Dougie).
Matt: I made this prediction last season, and that didn’t turn out so well. However, I am a glutton for punishment (or an eternal optimist?) so I am going to predict that finally, someone will score 100 points in a season for the Devils. That’s right folks, Jack Hughes will become the first player in franchise history to hit the century mark in points. As long as he avoids Windy City stake houses of course.
Kurt: I made these predictions in the discussion on the August 7th Devils in the Details, and I’m gonna stick to my guns. I think Luke Hughes takes the next step in his progression and becomes a beast on defense, contributing close to 24 minutes per game. With his increased role, Dougie steps up his scoring and pots between 15-20 goals.
X-Factor
Jackson: Declan Chisholm. As I mentioned, I am very concerned with the blue line. Specifically, how much offense the blue line will be able to generate this season. Enter Declan Chisholm, who Sunny Mehta has raved about since he acquired him over the summer. Mehta went as far as to say that Chisholm has been “dynamic” offensively at times. New Jersey desperately needs more dynamic defensemen. If Chisholm can live up to Mehta’s expectations, or even come close to them, then all of a sudden this defense corps looks MUCH different. Chisholm earning a spot as a regular and filling the 2022-23 Damon Severson role of destroying depth competition in a third-pair role would be huge for this club.
Gerard: Goaltending: no matter who is in net for the Devils, the team will only go as far as the net minders take them.
Jared: It’s Jack. It’s always been Jack. Just stay healthy.
James: Jack’s health. It’s always Jack’s health. Even with the depth. Jack needs to play at least 70 games for us to have a good season.
Tim: Dougie Hamilton – I think he bounces back to a 15-18G, 45-50A offensive force and gets Norris votes.
Matt: Nico Daws is going to be the x-factor this season. If Allen and Daws end up being the duo for this entire upcoming season, then Daws will need to prove he is a legit, full time, NHL goalie. I’m not going to use this space to debate the goaltending issues from last season, but there’s a reason Markstrom is no longer here, and it’s not because the goaltending got the job done last season.
Kurt: Availability of wine glasses and steak knives at team dinners. Kidding. Kind of.
My real answer: Arseny Gritsyuk. I have loved his game since I first saw him play. He is what I was hoping Nikita Gusev would become.
I played goal in college, and Grits has the exact kind of shot that terrified me (and other goalies): quick release with deceptive velocity. We used to call it a “heavy shot.” There is virtually no wind-up on it, and the puck is on net before the goalie has a chance to get his feet set. Even better, he’s not afraid to let it rip, averaging about nine shots per 60 minutes of play.
I think Grits takes a step forward this season and becomes a dangerous source of secondary scoring.
2026-27 Season Prediction
Jackson: The Devils will go 45-30-9 and finish third in the division and make the playoffs.
Gerard: The Devils will go 44-30-10 for 98 points, finish 4th in the division and squeak into the playoffs as a wild card. Unfortunately, that will line them up against Carolina in the first round; they will not advance beyond the Canes and Sunny will have some big decisions to make this summer as a result.
Jared: The Devils will go 46-26-12, good for 104 points and 3rd in the Metropolitan Division. They make the playoffs, where they defeat the Washington Capitals in the first round before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Semifinal.
Tim: The Devils will go 52-25-7 and finish 1st in the division and make the ECF (Carolina loses to the Caps in round 1).
Matt: The Devils will go 46-28-10 for 102 points this season and make the playoffs as the 3rd place team in the Metro. They will lose in the second round to the Hurricanes, as they will still not have the answer for Rod “look at my random streak of perfectly placed gray hair” Brind’Amour. I really want to be wrong on this last part.
Kurt: The Devils will go 46-31-7, finish 3rd in the Metro behind Carolina and Washington, and make the playoffs. In the playoffs, they will win at least one round.
Your Thoughts
But what do you think about the upcoming season? What do you think of the coaching staff and front office? What do you think of our predictions? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
