The New Jersey Devils believe that they will be an improved team in 2026-27, and so does The Hockey News.
In the 2026 edition of The Hockey News Yearbook, which you can get here, you will see that the New Jersey Devils are predicted to finish 4th in the Metropolitan Division. They are projected to finish behind the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, the Washington Capitals, and the Philadelphia Flyers.
That would be a bounce-back season for New Jersey, which failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2025-26, but it wouldn't be a top-three finish or a playoff lock in the division. They'd have to settle for a Wild Card if that were the case. Obviously, they have their sights set on a better finish.
After a front-office reset led by new General Manager Sunny Mehta, New Jersey is primed for a better year. How good will depend on certain injury situations. For one, Jack Hughes must play the whole year if they are going to be true contenders.
Last year, he only played in 61 games due to a cut finger while out to dinner. It is a positive that it was a non-hockey injury, because that decreases the likelihood of it happening again. The Devils were looking great before that injury, and it all went away when he missed a long stretch of games in the middle of the year.
In those 61 games, Hughes had 77 points. If he plays all 84 games, he should produce enough to put the Devils in contention. His supporting cast must play to their capabilities as well.
On defense, unless they get Quinn Hughes, they are banking on younger brother Luke Hughes taking another step. He is an incredible skater with a ton of skill, but they need him to round out into a true top-pair defenseman. The supporting cast beyond him, including Dougie Hamilton, is solid.
Goaltending is a big key for the Devils. They traded Jacob Markstrom during the off-season, and they are now going to run with Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich. As a trio, they may be just good enough to backstop what could be a lethal group of skaters.
Nico Hischier got his extension, as did Arseny Gritsyuk, and Anthony Mantha was signed after a 30-goal season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Evan Rodrigues was also brought in to be a complementary piece in the forward group.
Overall, the foundation of the team is much stronger than it was a year ago. Sunny Mehta has changed the mindset of the group for the better. If all of that translates to the ice, they will certainly match The Hockey News' prediction for them to be a playoff threat again, and possibly outperform that prediction.
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