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The New Jersey Devils were a huge disappointment last season.
They were widely considered a sneaky contender and Dom Luszczyszyn gave them the 9th best odds to win the Stanley Cup.
Fast forward and they finished 21st in the league while missing the playoffs by 12 points. Not great!
Let’s take a look at three reasons to be optimistic the Devils could have a much more successful campaign in 2026-27.
Improved scoring
The Devils struggled to put the puck in the net for large parts of the past two seasons, particularly at 5v5.
They finished tied for 29th in goals per 60 and 31st in shooting percentage, besting only the Calgary Flames in that regard.
While injuries to key players like Jack Hughes didn’t help the cause, it was crystal clear Sunny Mehta needed to bring in some help to give the offense a jolt.
He didn’t land any of the big fish on the market this summer but still looks to have meaningfully improved the attack.
Anthony Mantha potted 33 goals last season and leads the entire NHL in 5v5 shooting percentage over the last three years. He’ll move the needle, even if some regression sets in.
Evan Rodrigues chipped in 31 points over 69 games last season and has averaged more than 36 points per 82 over the past three years.
Amadeus Lombardi was an elite even-strength producer in the AHL and Jesper Boqvist, while coming off a down year, has scored more goals than expected in six of the last seven seasons.
There’s talent, production, and upside joining the organization, while very little departed.
Simon Nemec is the only departing player on last year’s team who recorded 10+ goals and/or 25+ points. Heck, nobody else leaving had more than 15 points.
The offensive depth is much improved, and the Devils should score more consistently as a result.
