There are fewer than 50 days until the puck drops for the New Jersey Devils' 2025-26 season. Here is a list of what each player needs to work on for the Devils to make a deep playoff run.
Goaltenders
- Jacob Markström – Stay healthy for the full season.
- Jake Allen – Be ready to step up whenever the Devils call upon him and avoid injuries.
- Nico Daws – Step in if Allen or Markström go down and prove he deserves a spot on the NHL roster.
Defensemen
- Brett Pesce – Boost offensive production and solidify his role on defense.
- Dennis Cholowski – Prove he’s NHL-ready and capable of cracking the roster.
- Brendan Dillon – Grow his physicality and defensive presence on the ice.
- Dougie Hamilton – Stay healthy, mentor the next wave of blueliners, and continue his strong play.
- Johnathan Kovacevic – Recover from knee surgery and work his way back to form.
- Seamus Casey – Improve defensive play and add consistency on offense.
- Simon Nemec – Strengthen his defensive game and sustain his performance over a full season.
- Luke Hughes – Sign a new contract, solidify his role as a franchise defenseman, and build on last year’s success.
Forwards
- Jesper Bratt – Continue his growth and try to match last season’s production.
- Nico Hischier – Excel on the penalty kill and in faceoffs, strengthen defensive play, and lead the team to the playoffs.
- Jack Hughes – Stay healthy.
- Dawson Mercer – Stay consistent while increasing his scoring and overall production.
- Paul Cotter – Work his way up the lineup and sharpen offensive awareness.
- Thomas Bordeleau – Break onto the NHL roster.
- Cody Glass – Add strength and reliability to the bottom six.
- Angus Crookshank – Earn a roster spot and prove he belongs.
- Arseni Gritsyuk – Secure a full-time roster spot and avoid returning to the KHL.
- Brian Halonen – Make the roster.
- Timo Meier – Prove he’s worth the investment and show his full value to the organization.
- Ondrej Palat – Justify his contract by producing more offense.
- Evgenii Dadonov – Provide depth scoring and serve as a mentor to younger players.
- Connor Brown – Strengthen the bottom six.
- Kurtis MacDermid – Earn consistent playing time with the Devils.