Lombardi Set for NHL Debut | NOTEBOOK

The Devils practiced Wednesday afternoon at the RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House inside Prudential Center -- the final practice before the club opens the 2026-27 regular season against Philadelphia Thursday night. 

Read our Notebook below for the latest info, updates, interviews, videos and more from the practice session!

Wednesday's Workflow

Connor Brown did not skate (more on that below), while Jesper Boqvist shifted in as an extra defenseman. The lines looked this way: 

Meier - Hischier - Evangelista
Mantha - Hughes - Bratt
Gritsyuk - Rodrigues - Mercer
Lombardi - Glass - Noesen

Hughes - Pesce
Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Dillon - Chisholm
(Boqvist)

Allen
Daws

Newly added goaltender Remi Poirier was not on the ice, either. He was claimed off waivers from Dallas on Sunday.

Opening Season Roster

The Devils announced their season-opening roster on Monday, submitting their lineup to the NHL by the 5 p.m. deadline.

A Full-Circle Moment

Lombardi admitted the reality of what awaits him Thursday still hasn't completely sunk in.

"It's pretty emotional when you say it out loud," he said. "I don't think it's really hit me yet, but it's definitely hit my family."

The phone calls home were particularly meaningful.

Lombardi spoke about the sacrifices made by his parents, siblings and grandparents throughout a hockey journey that at one point nearly ended when he was 14 years old. He recalled being undersized and taking so much punishment on the ice that he considered walking away from the game altogether.

His family made sure he didn't.

Now they'll be there to watch him play in the NHL.

"My little sister coming to rinks to support me, and my brother, just so many... My grandparents, so many people helped me get here," Lombardi said. "It was really emotional just talking to them, letting them know that we finally made it."

His mom and younger sister were arriving Wednesday night, with Lombardi planning to take them to dinner. More family and friends will follow Thursday, including his parents, grandparents and two friends he's played hockey with since he was 10.

And then there's the small matter of trying to sleep.

"I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight," Lombardi joked. "I'm pretty excited."

Head coach Sheldon Keefe said Lombardi was given his moment in front of the team Wednesday morning when his NHL debut was officially announced and he led the end-of-practice stretch.

"It's fun," Keefe said. "You give him his moment in front of the team, and I think some of the guys have said it's been good energy to have a guy like him around."

For Keefe, Lombardi's talent was never really the question. His speed, puck-carrying ability and skill have been evident throughout camp. What has impressed the coaching staff has been the progress in the other areas of his game.

"The piece that he's needed to really work at is his checking and his habits of getting the puck back and hunting the puck down," Keefe said. "He's made great strides and improvement already in that area."

Perhaps just as important has been how Lombardi handled the opportunity.

"He's just been so humble in this whole experience and worked incredibly hard with no real expectations, just taking advantage of what's been in front of him," Keefe said. "It's an exciting time for him and his family, and well deserved."

Noesen Steps In

The Devils will open the season without Connor Brown.

Brown tweaked something at the end of Monday's practice and will be unavailable this week, according to Keefe. The Devils are still awaiting additional imaging, but Keefe indicated the club does not expect the injury to keep Brown sidelined for an extended period.

That opens the door for Stefan Noesen.

Noesen moved into Brown's spot at practice Wednesday and will be in the lineup Thursday.

"That's why you have depth, is to be able to respond to these situations and not be phased by it," Keefe said. "As much as Connor Brown is a very important piece of our team and brings a lot, Noesen's got a ton of experience, and we like him as well."

Noesen's health was one of the questions the Devils wanted answered during training camp, and Keefe said the veteran came through camp feeling good while maintaining the right approach even when he wasn't initially penciled into the opening lineup.

"He's kept a good attitude and stayed ready," Keefe said. "But for tomorrow, it'll be Noesen, and we'll just keep moving ahead."

The change is also an immediate example of something the Devils emphasized throughout camp: having enough depth that one absence doesn't force the rest of the lineup out of shape.

Ready to Do It for Real

For Brenden Dillon, there was a noticeable feeling around Wednesday's practice.

The preseason is finished. The roster decisions have been made.

Now the games count.

"Just excitement, I think, for everybody, for all the guys," Dillon said. "Last practice of what was a quick but hard training camp, so ready to do it for real."

And Dillon has a modest goal for the season.

"Go 84-and-0," he deadpanned.

More seriously, Dillon said the focus is much smaller: a good first shift, a strong opening 10 minutes and building from there.

There are new faces, some adjustments to the Devils' systems and plenty to establish in the early days of the season. But after the disappointment of last year, Dillon said the expectations inside the room remain exactly where the players want them.

"The expectations within our locker room are high," he said. "We want to be one of the top teams, a team to win the Stanley Cup in our division. So, the expectations are high, and we want them to be."

Keefe's focus is on something the Devils have discussed extensively during his tenure: sustaining their game from shift to shift.

He saw encouraging signs of that during the preseason, particularly against the Islanders.

"You're looking to control games more consistently, and then convert that into offense," Keefe said.

The offensive talent and increased depth should help. But Keefe made clear that the foundation has to come at the other end of the ice.

"We've got to get better defensively as a team, and that's all the way through," he said. "Those are details and habits and all those kind of things that we've got to continue to grow in on that side of it."

A Complete Defense

One important piece of that defensive foundation is back healthy.

Keefe emphasized the value of having Brett Pesce in the lineup after injuries interrupted his season a year ago.

"Pesce's presence certainly is felt," Keefe said.

Keefe pointed specifically to Pesce's ability to take difficult minutes, play against opposing teams' best players and complement Luke Hughes.

"Pesce is a very unique defender for us and an important defender to just eat minutes, play against the best players," Keefe said. "I think he complements Luke's game very well, too. So all of that makes us a more complete group, without question."

With Johnathan Kovacevic still working his way back and not yet participating fully in practice, the Devils will also be leaning on off-season acquisition Declan Chisholm.

Keefe said the club wants Chisholm using his puck-moving ability to help drive breakouts, transition play and offense alongside Dillon.

"We need him to be good. We need him to be important for us," Keefe said. "We're going to keep focusing on getting him comfortable."