The New Jersey Devils-New York Rangers rivalry is one of the best in the NHL. Unfortunately, the rivalry lost its luster over the years as both teams rebuilt or struggled. The 2023 playoff matchup in the First Round, which the Devils won in seven games, was a flash in the pan and never materialized into anything special.

The season is only six games old for the Devils and eight for the Rangers. Yet when these two teams meet on Thursday night, the game will suddenly feel like a reignited rivalry. The 3-3 Devils have a lot to prove, while the 6-2 Rangers have surprised everyone. 

Both teams will fight for position in the Metropolitan Division and could meet in the playoffs, or at least in consequential games. It starts with the upcoming game, which is fueled by a few burning questions about both teams. 

A 6-2 start doesn’t happen by accident. The Rangers have a lot working in their favor this season. The youth movement is ahead of schedule; the veteran leaders have returned to elite form, and they have elite goaltending. 

Speaking of goaltending, that brings up a lingering question about this team. Igor Shesterkin was playing at a Vezina Trophy-caliber level (and some would joke at a Rocket Richard level based on his goalie goal). He’s out for the season with a knee injury, and the Rangers are without their best player in a season where they had a good thing going. 

Will the Shesterkin injury catch up to the Rangers? Will they fall apart without their world-class goaltender? The assumption is yes, yet their latest 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning suggests they’ll be fine. Another win against the Devils will prove that the Rangers’ success goes beyond the play in the net. Likewise, if they play poorly, there will be a valid argument that goaltending propped them up and a drop in the standings is coming. 

A glance at the Devils' start suggests that they are an average team. They’ve won three games against three of the worst teams on their schedule and arguably in the NHL. The Philadelphia Flyers (3-2 in overtime), Vancouver Canucks (4-1), and Detroit Red Wings (5-4 in overtime) all sit at the bottom of their divisions. 

When the Devils have faced tougher competition, they’ve flailed and been outplayed. They lost to the New York Islanders (6-0), Utah Mammoth (5-3), and Ottawa Senators (4-1), and they looked like the worse team from the opening puck drop. They don’t look like they can compete against the top teams in the NHL. 

The divisional matchups will go a long way for the Devils. Sure, they don’t look like they’ll be in the same tier as the Carolina Hurricanes or the Washington Capitals but what about that second tier? Can they push their way past the Islanders, Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins to make the playoffs, or will they end up closer to the bottom of the division? 

The Rangers are a good measuring stick game. A win shows that the Devils are better than their average, even with a lackluster start. The Devils are hoping the new-look roster results in a successful season, and a win against the rivals is a good place to start.  

The Rangers struggled on defense last season and in 2024-25. They didn’t help Shesterkin, and their issues derailed both seasons. A lot went into the defensive woes, but in the big picture, the Rangers didn’t have enough talent to compete. 

Fast forward, and the unit looks like a strength. A move for Marcus Pettersson, another for Sean Durzi, and drafting Alberts Smits with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 draft changed all of that. It didn’t require much to fix the Rangers' defense, and it’s a blueprint any team can follow. 

The Devils are one of the teams that might take note. Their defense has let them down so far. Yet, all the pieces are in place for the unit to be great. Luke Hughes is more talented than his play suggests, and like Adam Fox, he must lean into the skills that made him a top-pair defenseman in the first place. Brenden Dillon and Johnathan Kovacevic, like Durzi and Pettersson, are shutdown defensemen who just need to put it all together. 

And if the Devils can’t solve their problems from within, they can always make a move or two to fix the defense. When general manager Sunny Mehta took over this summer, he added Declan Chisholm as a reinforcement. So, he can always make another trade to add the shutdown option that this team needs. 

One of the big differences between the Rangers from last season and this one is the buy-in they’ve gotten from the roster. Mike Sullivan is a great coach, and there wasn’t much doubt that he’d turn the Rangers around over time. The key was getting the buy-in from the room, especially the veterans. 

Through eight games, the Rangers have gotten some of their best play out of their leaders. J.T. Miller is playing some of his best hockey in years, while Mika Zibanejad is playing at a point-per-game pace. Their play and buy-in allowed the younger players to follow suit and give the Rangers a great team from the top down. Likewise, the strong play continuing under Sullivan will keep this team at the top of the division, even if there are questions in the net. 

The Devils can be a great team if they have a similar approach to their coaching staff. For Sheldon Keefe’s system and style to work, the players must believe it works, and their efforts must reflect that. So far they haven’t. 

It’s why the question about Keefe as the long-term coach is a legitimate one. The Devils haven’t looked like an energized group through six games and, on the contrary, have looked slow or sloppy so far. Things can change, and the players can buy in. They must if the Devils want to make the playoffs. If not, more change might be on the horizon.