The Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils matchup will make a hockey fan from a certain generation nostalgic. For Devils fans, it’s a bit of bitterness from the 2001 Final, where they had a 3-2 series lead and couldn’t seal the deal in the dynasty run. For Avalanche fans and hockey fans at large, it provided one of the most iconic hockey moments of the 2000s, with Ray Bourque hoisting the Cup to put a bow on a Hall of Fame career. 

Fast forward 25 years, and the Avalanche and Devils play both of their season series matchups in October. On Tuesday night, both teams are looking for a bounce-back, with the Avalanche eager to rebound from a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers and the Devils hoping to shrug off the 4-2 defeat to the Washington Capitals. 

The Devils don’t have the star power to go up against the Avalanche. Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier are great players, but they aren’t the game-changers that Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are. MacKinnon and Makar have combined for a Hart Trophy, two Norris Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and two Stanley Cup titles while establishing themselves as two of the top five players in the NHL. That said, the Devils have the depth to beat elite teams like the Avalanche, or at least they should have enough. 

All the moves that general manager Sunny Mehta made this offseason give the Devils a complete roster. Specifically, the forward unit has improved, with multiple new faces making an impact, whether it’s Luke Evangelista, Anthony Mantha, or Evan Rodrigues. 

Through eight games, it’s clear that the Devils have the depth to go up against the best teams in the league. Sure, the loss to the Capitals showed the gap between a good and great team, but the 7-1 win over the New York Rangers put their ability to come at teams in waves on full display. 

Even the defense and goaltending have new faces. Declan Chisholm is the extra piece for the defense, while Rémi Poirier was claimed off waivers to help the goaltending. While they haven’t made much of an impact so far, especially Poirier, who has yet to play for the Devils, both should be valued reinforcements at some point. 

The Mikko Rantanen trade halfway through the 2024-25 season was a sliding-doors moment, a defining moment for the Avalanche and how they’d build their roster moving forward. It showed a shift in their team-building process. Yes, they traded away a star, but they focused on depth and now have plenty of it. 

The Avalanche also added depth players over the years. Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri were acquired at the 2025 and 2026 trade deadlines, giving the forward unit two centers who can move up in the lineup. Brent Burns was signed in the 2025 offseason to help the defense.  

Plus, the handful of players the Avalanche have developed in the American Hockey League with the Colorado Eagles have rounded out the roster. TJ Hughes was a pleasant surprise in training camp and is suddenly a bottom-six forward who adds a scoring touch. By all means, this is a different Avalanche team, not the top-heavy group fans got used to over the years. 

After missing three games, Evangelista was back at practice and is expected to return for Tuesday’s game. The question is how he’ll look after missing a week of action. Ideally, he’s the difference-maker on the wing that he was in the first five games of the season. 

The Devils have also battled a handful of injuries to start the season. Johnathan Kovacevic returned to the defense last week, and it forced Sheldon Keefe to leave Brenden Dillon out of the lineup. With the way Chisholm progresses, Dillon has become the seventh defenseman or the odd one out. 

The Avalanche are playing the second of a back-to-back, driving up the New Jersey Turnpike after a 3-2 loss to the Flyers. It helps the Devils, who have three days off and will face a tired Avalanche team. It doesn’t help that they face a team eager to return to the win column. 

Speaking of the back-to-back, the Avalanche started MacKenzie Blackwood against the Flyers. So Scott Wedgewood is the expected starter against the Devils. He played three seasons with the Devils, and his .908 save percentage and 2.77 goals-against average were underwhelming, but in hindsight, something this team would love to have. Wedgewood has been a much-improved goaltender since joining the Avalanche, with a .920 SV% and a 2.03 GAA in his three seasons with the team. Sometimes, a great defense in front helps.