Devils Hold Locker Room Clean Out Day for 25-26 | NOTEBOOK

The Devils are holding their locker clean out and breakup day on Wednesday. The players are having meetings with head coach Sheldon Keefe, individual coaches, development coaches, trainers, etc. throughout the morning to evaluate the past season and put together a plan of action for moving forward into the offseason.

We will talk to a handful of players. Read below and check back regularly for some insights, updates, interviews, videos and more!

Injury Updates

As the Devils pack up their lockers and head into a longer-than-expected off-season, health and recovery are the primary focus for several key players. Both Jacob Markstrom and Stefan Noesen addressed the media, offering clarity on the nagging injuries that ultimately sidelined them during the final stretch of the campaign.
For Markstrom, the season was bookended by lower-body troubles.

"At the end here, it was the last little weeks here, and after a while it didn't really get better," Markstrom said. "So unfortunate to-- It sucks not be able to finish the season with the guys".

The injury was particularly aggravating given his recent history. "Obviously, the first couple of games there and the Columbus game, getting a knee injury again, it's frustrating after having the knee during Christmas or after Christmas last year to have the other knee," he explained.

Fortunately, the structural news is highly positive, and the veteran goaltender will not require surgery.

"Oh, I got MRI pictures done, and there's some fluid, but there's nothing major, nothing needs to be done, no procedure or anything," Markstrom noted. "So the doctor was happy with it, and rest for a little bit of time".

To ensure he is fully healthy for next season, Markstrom confirmed he will skip the upcoming World Championship.

"My priorities is the New Jersey Devils, and I don't want to go in there not feeling 100% or rush something that's going to affect the off-season and maybe not being able to work out in June," he said.

Noesen’s season also ended a couple of weeks early due to a knee issue, though his stemmed from a long-term complication rather than a sudden impact.

"So I had a cyst in the back of my knee that was kind of bugging me," Noesen said. "Happens when you have ACL surgery. I had it 12 years ago now. It started growing, hurting".

While he had been managing the issue by having the cyst drained over the past couple of years, it recently took a turn that forced his hand.

"I've been getting it drained for a couple of years, and it took a nasty turn, and I was going to wait to get it done at the end of the season," he explained. However, during a play in Pittsburgh, he found he could no longer push off properly. "So that was the straw that broke the camel's back, right?" he added.

It capped off a physically demanding campaign for the forward from start to finish.

"One of those things that was kind of a (terrible) year from the beginning," Noesen admitted. "July, had my hip thing going on, and took care of that, and then just one thing after another, and ready for it to be in the past and move on"

The Quick Hits:

Nico Hischier on consistency and the "bare minimum":

"Our B-level at least has to give the whole group a chance to win a hockey game... we can't be super good and then super bad. That should be the bare minimum. If we have that as the standard, whenever we play better, we have more chance to win, but the B-level is already a high standard. That’s where we have to get to."

Jacob Markstrom on the mindset for next season:

"I feel like we need a big off-season from everyone and myself, I got to lead the way, and we got to come in with a chip on our shoulder pissed off. It's a humbling moment to stand here right now while there are still games going on and we're done."

Stefan Noesen on player accountability and the front office:

"It's very rarely on us as players. You guys all point fingers at management... We're the ones on the ice. It's not them, per se. [Fitzy] was one of the main reasons why I came back. I just think it went wrong with us in the locker room. It's [awful] that it wound up on him, and that's the nature of the business."

Jake Allen on the human cost of the season's failure:

"Ultimately, when you fail to achieve your goal, other people lose their jobs, and that's the reality of it. It's not only about us on the ice, there's a lot of people that are losing their livelihoods over it... Change is coming and sometimes change is good. It’s a chance to rewrite a lot of narratives."

Brenden Dillon on changing the league's perception of the Devils:

"You don't want to walk in, and it's just like, 'Oh, we're playing the Devils tonight. They're a joke. They're not serious.' I feel like when you're not a playoff team, you're kind of looked at that way... We want to be viewed as a team that teams don't want to play, that would be scared to play in a playoff series."

Connor Brown on the team’s skill vs. mentality:

"When the biggest step for a group is mentality and mentally, I think that’s a good thing, because that means that there’s a lot of skill... I’ve been on teams that didn't have a lot of skill, and that’s a much harder problem to solve. I think we have enough, and so that’s what makes me feel optimistic about the future here."

Nemo Finds Confidence

Simon Nemec enters the off-season looking to build on what he considered a strong personal bounce-back year, despite the overarching struggles of the 2025-26 campaign. Hampered by an injury the previous summer, a clean bill of health and a full off-season of preparation allowed the young defenseman to arrive at training camp physically stronger and mentally prepared. That readiness set the stage for a season where he took significant developmental steps forward.

"I'm really happy how I bounced back from the last year," Nemec said. "I had a strong off-season, and then I got the chance to play and I proved myself that I can do it."

He noted that the biggest change from his rookie year was his physical state upon arrival.

"I came with an injury last year, so I didn't really have a good off-season. So this year, I came more stronger, more prepared for everything, so yeah, that was the biggest change."

A major factor in his growth was earning the trust of head coach Sheldon Keefe, which naturally elevated his comfort level on the ice.

"I would say that was a way different year this year than last year," Nemec explained. "Obviously, I played better, so I feel like if I play better and he can see that and he can trust me, then yeah, I can play with more confidence, and yeah, I feel that's my game."

He emphasized that a coach's confidence is contagious for a young player still finding their footing in the league.

"If you see your coach trusts you, then you can do more things on the ice and then your confidence is higher, and I feel like I have to play with that confidence."

Nemec also credited the steadying presence of veteran defensive partner Brenden Dillon, whom he called "a big part of our locker room." Watching Dillon reach the 1,000-game milestone this season left a lasting impression on him.

"He hit 1,000 games this year, so it's unbelievable for a non-drafted guy," Nemec said, adding that Dillon's style is something he wants to emulate as he continues to mature. "He's playing really physical, so I think this is a part of the game what I can improve in, and I'm really looking forward to do that next year, too."

When the team needed an offensive spark, the coaching staff also experimented with pairing Nemec alongside fellow dynamic youngster Luke Hughes.

"Me and Luke, we are pretty similar player, but if we want to play together, we need to understand each other more and more," Nemec noted. "Obviously, for us, it's better to play together if we are down by a goal or two goals, then we can risk more. But yeah, I think we grew pretty well this year, so yeah, we can play each other. We can play together, for sure."

Off the ice, Nemec faces a summer of transition. As a restricted free agent, he confirmed he will not be participating in the upcoming World Championships. With the front office currently searching for a new general manager, contract talks are understandably on hold.

"We haven't started talking about the contract yet, so like I said, we will see," he stated. "We are waiting for a new GM and everything, so for sure there are going to be some changes here."

Despite the organizational shift, his personal intentions remain crystal clear: "I would love to stay here."

For now, his focus shifts to finding more consistency night in and night out, "especially on the defensive side," which he pinpointed as his primary goal for the 2026-27 season. While he admitted with a chuckle that the NHL hasn't exactly slowed down for him—"I feel like this game is faster and faster each year"—he is heading into the summer with a clear developmental path and an exciting family milestone on the horizon as his 18-year-old brother, Adam, prepares for the NHL Draft.

"He's always like my young brother, and now he's 18, and he's going to be drafted, so it's obviously exciting for our family," Nemec said. "But it's just the start of the journey, so he understands that too, I think."

Bratt Still Processing Disappointing Season

For Jesper Bratt, the feeling of packing up his locker on the final day of the season is a hard reality to process. The winger admitted that this off-season stings more than any other he has experienced, largely due to the high expectations placed on the group before the year began.

"I feel like we shouldn't be in this position," Bratt noted. "At the same time, we played ourself into this position, and in this league, it's a hard league, and you get what you deserve in a way". He bluntly described the exit interview process as frustrating and "not a fun day right now".

As the organization navigates a period of uncertainty while awaiting a new general manager, Bratt is determined to be an active participant rather than someone who just sits back. He has already engaged in discussions with the team's leadership group, coaches, and owners to figure out how to move the franchise forward. The focus of those talks has been on fighting toward a common goal and finding solutions together. Despite a disappointing campaign that failed to meet pre-season hype , he emphasized that the team's core belief and togetherness have never wavered.

"I don't think we're far away at all from doing something really good," Bratt said, noting that it will just take some necessary tweaks to get back on track.

When diagnosing the root of the team's struggles, Bratt pointed directly to a lack of consistency, particularly after a hot 8-1 start to the year. He stressed the importance of developing a reliable "B-game" for the nights when the puck isn't bouncing their way. Instead of relying purely on skill to either win 6-0 or lose 6-0, he wants the team to establish a defensive foundation that allows them to grind out tight games or force them into overtime. Bratt admitted that during offensive dry spells this season, the players often cared so much that they tried to do too much on the ice.

"Sometimes you try to almost learn and find ways a little bit too much that it just becomes a thinking game instead of a reacting game," he explained, noting that the desire to score two goals in a single shift occasionally backfired.

On a personal level, Bratt felt his own performance mirrored the team's up-and-down nature. His year was initially impacted by his recovery from a major off-season procedure, which delayed his first shots until the second week of August. Though he wasn't at 100 percent early on, he felt he improved as the season progressed and is ultimately very happy he had the procedure done. Bratt eventually found a strong late-season rhythm playing alongside Jack Hughes and veteran addition Connor Brown. He praised Brown for bringing invaluable knowledge from his time in Edmonton and being a great, communicative fit in the locker room. The trio built rapid chemistry, especially off the rush, by constantly reviewing video clips and talking through the game. Bratt also spoke highly of head coach Sheldon Keefe, calling him a demanding presence who expects a lot from the group. Keefe was particularly accommodating to "creatures of habit" like Bratt, Hughes, and Brown, ensuring they got necessary extra ice time to hone their skills despite a condensed practice schedule.

After a year that tested the group's resolve, Bratt plans to take a quick break to recharge both mentally and physically before getting right back to work for the upcoming season. While he has not yet made a decision about participating in the upcoming World Championships, his focus remains firmly on returning to form.