Keeping stars healthy key to postseason success after 1st-round exit
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NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the New Jersey Devils.
The time is now for the New Jersey Devils to journey deeper into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“To put it succinctly, it’s time to take another step,” New Jersey assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon said. “I think those are the expectations from ownership on down, expectations of ourselves and the players in that room. We were a little bit derailed by some injuries last season but got into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and, I thought, played pretty competitive hockey against the Carolina Hurricanes (in a five-game series loss in the Eastern Conference First Round).
“There just wasn’t enough there to get through that series. This season, and you always have to count on some good fortune health wise, but the idea is we want to push further in the spring.”
While there’s growth expected from several young players looking to earn roles, having a healthy lineup is paramount if the Devils are to advance beyond the first round, something they have done just once (2022-23) in the past 13 seasons.
The Devils were without their most prolific offensive weapon to begin the playoffs when 24-year-old center Jack Hughes was ruled out for the remainder of the season after having shoulder surgery on March 5. Despite missing 20 games, he still finished second on the team with 70 points (27 goals, 43 assists) in 62 regular-season games.
He’s expected to be ready for training camp, as are his brother, Luke Hughes, and Brenden Dillon, each defenseman injured in Game 1 of the first-round loss to the Hurricanes.
Defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic, who sustained a knee injury in the first period of Game 3, had offseason surgery and is not expected to be ready for the start of the season.
Jesper Bratt, who underwent shoulder surgery on May 5, had three points (one goal, two assists) and averaged 23:23 of ice time in five playoff games after leading the Devils with an NHL career-high 88 points (21 goals, 67 assists) in 81 regular-season games. The 27-year-old forward is expected to be ready for training camp.
The Devils added depth forwards Connor Brown (signed a four-year, $12 million contract July 1) and Evgenii Dadonov (signed a one-year, $1 million contract July 1), re-signed forward Cody Glass (signed a two-year, $5 million contract July 2) and goalie Jake Allen (signed a five-year, $9 million contract July 1) as a solid backup to starter Jacob Markstrom, and acquired forward Thomas Bordeleau in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on July 2.
Jake Allen talks about his contract extension with the New Jersey Devils
There also are several young players looking to make an impact in training camp: forwards Arseniy Gritsyuk, Lenni Hameenaho, Shane Lachance and Brian Halonen. In the absence of Kovacevic, defensemen Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey will each earn careful consideration as a sixth/seventh defenseman.
“We’re excited,” general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. “I think we’re a faster team. We’ll move pucks quicker, attack quicker, counterattack quicker. I think the one thing we were looking for is better 5-on-5 play, and you look at the goal totals of Brown and Dadonov, a majority come at 5-on-5.
“We feel we’ve definitely added to what we felt we needed in depth. But, again, you want players to level out and be consistent with their play from October to the end of the season.”
Brown scored 12 of his 13 goals last season at even strength (one short-handed goal) for the Edmonton Oilers. The 31-year-old right wing has scored 90 of his 107 NHL goals at even strength since entering the League in 2015-16. Dadonov had 15 even-strength goals of the 20 scored with the Dallas Stars in 2024-25. The 36-year-old right wing has 126 even-strength goals (163 total) since 2009-10.
Each player offers plenty of playoff experience, particularly Brown, having gone to the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons.
“We wanted to add to the middle of our lineup,” Fitzgerald said. “Connor Brown’s a guy who can move around your lineup, gives you speed, is a fantastic penalty killer. He’s a guy who (coach) Sheldon Keefe will use at the end of games … kind of like a Swiss [Army knife]. Dadonov’s another guy that gives us flexibility, versatility, throughout the lineup.”
Consistency and depth scoring will be key for the Devils, who never celebrated more than three consecutive wins last season.
“I feel like we’ve got good young talent that is getting older, wiser, but the reality is their playoff experience is limited,” Fitzgerald said. “Getting a taste of it last year and knowing how hard it was to get into the playoffs … that’s what you want. I want this to become a habit.
“I’m really excited to see Sheldon build in his second season because players now know exactly what’s expected, day in and day out. Last season, they didn’t. There was some, ‘Wow, we’re practicing really hard.’ But that’s the standard and now they know. I think there’s going to be growth in that.”
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