The New Jersey Devils will certainly be an interesting team to watch during the 2025-26 season. After getting back into the playoffs this past spring, the Devils will now look to take another step forward and cement themselves as true contenders.
If the Devils hope to be a more significant threat in the Eastern Conference next season, they will need some of their young players to hit new levels for them. With the Devils having many exciting youngsters in their system, they certainly have some clear breakout candidates heading the 2025-26 campaign.
In a recent article for The Hockey News' main site, Ryan Kennedy highlighted Devils defenseman Simon Nemec as the team's biggest breakout candidate for the 2025-26 season.
Nemec certainly has a real case as being a breakout candidate for the Devils, as he is one of their most promising young players. There is no question that he has plenty of upside, which is why he was selected by the Devils with the second-overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He has the potential to become a big part of the Devils' blueline, and it will be fascinating to see if he can cement himself as just that in 2025-26.
If Nemec can tap into his high potential next season, it would be significant for a Devils club that is looking to be one of the top teams in the league. We will need to wait and see if he has a much-needed breakout year for the Metropolitan Division from here.
Devils Forward Is Contract Extension Candidate To Watch
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils">New Jersey Devils</a> brought in multiple players this past off-season, and one of them was forward Paul Cotter. The Devils acquired Cotter and a 2025 third-round pick from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for forward Alexander Holtz and goaltender Akira Schmid. Overall, this is a move that the Devils must be happy about.