Devils, Isles Rookie Grudge Match | PREVIEW

NEW JERSEY DEVILS vs. NEW YORK ISLANDERS

New Jersey prospects finish their two-game Rookie Showcase against the Islanders at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, NY on Tuesday night. Puck drop is 6 p.m. ET.

Read below for your game preview.

THE SCOOP

The Devils and Islanders meet for the second and final contest of their two-game home-and-home Rookie Showcase. The game is available to stream live on the Devils' official website.

The Islanders pulled off the late come-from-behind victory in overtime, 5-4, on Sunday at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House inside Prudential Center.

Matyas Melovsky (2 goals) and Mikael Diotte (1 goal, 1 assist) stood out for the Devils. Meanwhile, New York received two goals each from Daniil Prokhorov and Cole Eiserman, who tallied the late game-tying and overtime goals.

PRE-GAME STORY

The Devils prospects hit the ice for their morning skate ahead of traveling to Long Island. Below is the workflow...

Filmo-re Confident

Devils forward prospect Josh Filmon is participating in his fifth Rookie Showcase with New Jersey. After three-plus years in the Western Hockey League with Swift Current, he made the jump to pro hockey late in 2023.

Filmon, 22, has gone back-and-forth between the American Hockey League (Utica) and ECHL (Adirondack). In 2024-25 he played 65 games in the ECHL. Last year he had a career-high 31 AHL games.

“This year I feel like I’m a lot more confident in my own spacing and finding my way through the game, not being out of rhythm with my linemates,” Filmon said. “Another two summers of training under my belt. I’m just a lot more confident in myself.”

This season, his goal is to take the next step and stick in the AHL.

“I haven’t played a full season of AHL hockey yet. That would be ideal to be up there and be a contributor,” he said. “Be a guy that’s in the lineup every day. A little more of an attack mentality for myself rather than fend for myself and stay in the lineup. More trying to do damage against the other team.”

Rookie Rookies

Some players are veterans of rookie camp, while other guys are, well, rookies to rookie camp. Two of those are 2026 draft picks Luke Wilfley and Quinn McKenzie.

Wilfley was a sixth-round pick (172^nd overall) while McKenzie was a seventh-round selection (222^nd overall). Both forwards are enjoying their first time in the camp setting.

“It’s amazing. It’s so special here. Everyone has been so great,” Wilfley said. “You dream about wearing an NHL jersey when you’re a little kid. To be able to do that was so special. I’m very grateful.”

“It’s been amazing,” McKenzie said. “A lot of nerves. Everyone is super old, super skilled and good. It’s a lot of fun being out there and competing.”

PROSPECTS TO WATCH

Devils - Seamus Casey

It had been nearly eight months since defenseman Seamus Casey played a competitive hockey game. He spent his summer rehabbing lower-body surgery and hadn’t competed since Jan. 25 with Utica.

In his return on Sunday afternoon in the opening Showcase contest, Casey looked every bit himself. His skating was smooth, his decision-making was crisp, his puck movement was on point and vision was on full display.

For all intents and purposes, the 2025-26 season was a lost year for Casey, who suffered an injury during the Prospects Challenge and never really was right. He spent most of the year dealing with an issue that eventually shutdown his season prematurely.

Now, he’s the healthiest he’s been in his entire career. And with the Devils having some open competition for a seventh (and possibly eighth) blueliner, this may be Casey’s biggest opportunity to stick in the NHL.  

Islanders - Kashawn Aitcheson

While everyone remembers Matthew Schaefer being selected first overall by the Islanders in the 2025 NHL Draft, they also picked up another stellar defenseman in the first round. With the 17^th-overall pick, the Islanders took Barrie blueliner Kashawn Aitcheson.

The left-shot defenseman posted 28 goals, 42 assists, 70 points and a plus-46 with Barrie during the 2025-26 campaign. For good measure, he added 15 power-play goals. He was named to the 2026 OHL First All-Star Team.

Aitcheson, 19, added an eye-popping eight goals and 27 points in 19 playoff games for the Colts last year.