The New Jersey Devils' latest game against the Utah Mammoth brought the realization to the fans, scouts, and anyone watching that the Devils are the less-talented team. The Mammoth had skill throughout their lineup and deserve credit for building a great team from the top down. “That’s not an easy team to play against,” head coach Sheldon Keefe admitted after the 5-3 loss. 

The talent gap was noticeable, and it’s not just against the Mammoth. The Devils don’t have the same level of skill to compete in today’s game. To win, teams have it on all four lines and on their defense. The Devils are only seeing bursts of it from a few players. 

The Devils have a great top six. Jack Hughes remains the star player who the offense revolves around, while Nico Hischier centers the second line. Jesper Bratt is the skilled winger who plays alongside Hughes, while Timo Meier, who has had an up-and-down tenure with the Devils, has been one of their best players so far this season. 

The problem is that the skill drops after the top six. It’s why the Devils are in trouble when Hischier or Bratt struggle, which they have so far. Hischier has yet to register a point in three games, and Bratt still hasn’t hit his stride this season. 

It’s also why the Devils run into issues if the injuries pile up, which they have in the past. If Hughes is hurt, the entire top line falls apart, and the lack of scoring costs them. While the injuries haven’t been an issue yet, the struggles have been, and it shows. 

The Devils have depth, or more accurately, a third and fourth line that checks and defends well. The problem is that they aren’t scoring and the Connor Brown injury is looming large as a result. The Jesper Boqvist goal in the third period of the latest game was the first goal from the bottom six this season.

The Evan Rodrigues, Dawson Mercer, and Arseny Gritsyuk line has yet to register a point, much less a goal, and Keefe finally broke it up at the end of the Mammoth game, swapping Gritsyuk with Anthony Mantha. “Just trying to shake that up and see what it looked like,” Keefe stated after the game, and it might be the lines moving forward. 

The Devils win with their speed. They were known as the team that would outskate opponents, especially once the Hughes and Bratt duo was clicking. The problem is that the rest of the league has caught up to them. Just like an elite shooter on the wing was once a rarity that not every team had, now everyone has speed. 

The New York Islanders, who beat the Devils 6-0, were a fast team with Matthew Schaefer and their young group setting the tone. The Mammoth are as well, with Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, and a deep blue line leading the way. These teams are keeping up with the Devils and, at times, forcing them to catch up.

The Philadelphia Flyers, whom the Devils beat 3-2 in overtime on opening night, were the slow team that they controlled the pace against. The problem is that the Flyers have lost all four of their games to start the season and look like a team the entire league can beat up on (certainly that’s how they’ve looked so far). 

The rest of the NHL is better, and specifically, it’s gotten faster. In 2022-23, the Devils had the edge because they had speed. That was four seasons ago, and a lot has changed since then (for one, that Mammoth team was playing with a different name and in a different state). It’s why the Devils are in a tough position. 

The Devils turning into a stale team is why, when Sunny Mehta took over as the general manager, he got to work. He not only made multiple trades and free-agent signings in the summer, but also emphasized adding skill. 

The Luke Evangelista trade highlights the offseason moves, as Mehta brought in a skilled winger who could set up scoring chances and find the back of the net. Fast forward three games into the season and he’s been one of the Devils’ best players. Mehta brought Evangelista to change the identity, but he also brought in other players with skill for the same reason, including Amadeus Lombardi, Boqvist, Mantha, and Rodrigues (plus Declan Chisholm on the defense). 

The offseason moves paired with the early-season struggles suggest that Mehta isn’t finished either. This summer was only the start, and he has plenty of moves in store to change the roster outlook for the Devils.