The New Jersey Devils are entering an important off-season. While they took a step forward and got back into the playoffs this year, Devils management has made it clear that they are not satisfied and that changes are on the way.
When looking at the Devils' current roster, it is clear that they have some areas that they should be looking to improve. Let's discuss three of them now.
Devils' No. 1 Need: Top-Six Winger
The Devils should seriously consider adding another legitimate top-six winger to their roster this summer. They need another scorer to become a more significant threat in the Eastern Conference, and bringing one in would allow them to move Ondrej Palat to a bottom-six role.
A few notable wingers who can become free agents on July 1 include Mitch Marner, Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Boeser, Patrick Kane, Brad Marchand, and Claude Giroux.
Devils' No. 2 Need: Third-Line Center
Another area where the Devils should aim to upgrade is their third-line center spot. They just did not get enough offense in that position this season, and it is why they were linked to so many centers leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
Brock Nelson, Pius Suter, Jack Roslovic, and Yanni Gourde are four intriguing centers who could hit the free-agent market this summer. It would also be understandable if they pursued deadline targets like Ryan O'Reilly and Brayden Schenn again.
Devils' No. 3 Need: Revamped Fourth Line
The Devils are entering the summer with a plethora of pending free-agent forwards. GM Tom Fitzgerald said the team's roster will be different next year, and it is fair to expect that multiple of the club's bottom-six pending UFAs will be gone.
Depth forwards Tomas Tatar, Nathan Bastian, Daniel Sprong, Curtiz Lazar, and Justin Dowling are among New Jersey's pending UFAs this summer. With this, the Devils should work to bring in a new, fresh fourth line.
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