TEAM EDITORIAL

The Devils enter the 2026 offseason as a team trying to turn a disappointing 42-37-3 finish into a cleaner, deeper roster around an elite core. The biggest storyline is the organizational reset under Sunny Mehta, whose first months on the job have been defined less by a teardown than by targeted reshaping: the club moved on from Jacob Markstrom and Simon Nemec, then added Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, Ben Steeves, Anthony Mantha, David Rittich, Declan Chisholm, and Colton White to bolster scoring depth, puck movement, and goaltending competition. New Jersey also locked up several younger pieces, including Nico Daws, Topias Vilen, Xavier Parent, and Marc McLaughlin, signaling a desire to stabilize the pipeline while keeping cost control intact.

There is still work to do, though. Evgenii Dadonov remains among the notable unsigned or unresolved veteran names in the broader offseason picture, and the Devils’ camp battles in goal and on the blue line should be central themes once training camp opens. Brett Pesce’s healthy offseason is encouraging, while the top of the lineup remains built around Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and Dougie Hamilton. With a preseason opener set for Sept. 20 at home against the New York Islanders, New Jersey’s focus is on integrating the new pieces, sorting out the depth chart, and proving the summer changes can translate into a sturdier regular season.