The New Jersey Devils will play their fourth preseason game this afternoon with a split-squad setup. Half the roster will face the Washington Capitals at home, while the other half travels to Ottawa to take on the Senators. Both games are scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
One projected lineup has already drawn attention, particularly the first line:
Projected Lineup vs. Washington:
Gritsyuk – Hughes – Bratt
Palat – Hischier – Meier
Dadonov – Mercer – Brown
Cotter – Glass – Legare
Van de Leest – Pesce
Dillon – Nemec
Vilen – Osipov
Siegenthaler – Hamilton
Markstrom
Romanov
Brodeur
The buzz comes from the top line, where newly arrived prospect Arseny Gritsyuk is set to skate alongside Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt.
Although Gritsyuk has not spoken to media about the opportunity yet, he did share his thoughts earlier today on Telegram:
“Hey everyone 🤝 I haven't even gotten home from practice yet and the lineups are already online 😂 We're playing Washington at home tomorrow, and I skated today in a line with Hughes and Bratt. Most likely, I will play the next match in this combination. Of course, I am really looking forward to it—the guys are very interesting to play with. We did a couple of exercises today and seemed to be working well together 💪 We're recovering today, and Zhenya Dadonov invited me to dinner tonight, so I'll probably send you a photo this evening 😉 For now, have a nice day everyone—I’m off to play on my iPad 😂 Hug and lift.”
Gritsyuk joined the NHL this season after several years in the KHL. The 24-year-old winger has already impressed in preseason, posting a goal and an assist in his debut game. Since then, his strong play has earned him a promotion from the bottom of the lineup to the top line.
While nothing is finalized, the Devils had long anticipated Gritsyuk’s arrival because of his offensive skillset. Now, he’s quickly proving himself worthy of prime ice time.
Alongside Hughes and Bratt, the trio has the potential to be a dynamic, high-powered line. Tomorrow’s matchup will give fans their first real look at what could be the Devils’ top unit of the future.