5 Questions for Camp | FEATURE

The Devils players reported for the official start of 2026 Training Camp on Wednesday morning. The players underwent medical testing, held team meetings, rights holders’ media and more as the first official day of camp. They’ll hit the ice for the first time on Thursday.

With the team convening on the precipice of a new season, here are 5 questions that will need to be answer over the next 10 days of training camp and preseason action.

How Will Teams Adjust to New Preseason Structure?

NHL training camp gets underway today with players reporting around the league to their respective teams. As the Devils get set to open camp, they’ll have the usual three straight practice and scrimmages days (Thursday-Saturday) to start before opening the preseason slate next Sunday afternoon against the New York Islanders at Prudential Center.

While those opening days remain the same as previous years, that’s about the only thing. This year, the exhibition campaigns in the NHL have been cut short to a 10-day sprint with only four preseason games. For reference, the Devils played seven preseason games last year over the course of three weeks. And players that have over 100 NHL games played can only participate in two of those games. 

The truncated schedule will have many ramifications. First off, there won’t be as many games or practices with which to experiment around on the lineup. With the luxury of seven preseason games, the coaches could tinker around with lines and defense pairs to see if anything materialized or just to see how certain players gelled with others. Now, the focus at camp is to get the group ready as soon as possible for the start of the NHL regular season. The vision the coaches have for the lineup to start the regular season will likely be put together early and the preseason will be used to get the lines and D pairs to develop chemistry quickly for puck drop on Oct. 1.

Another trickle down is that some players will have less opportunity to fight for jobs or show what they can do. The veteran NHL players will get two games of action, leaving just two games for prospects or bubble players to grab the attention of the coaches and management.

And for those veteran players, they’ll have to ramp up their bodies faster to start real play sooner. There won’t be an easing into it period. From the first preseason game they’ll have to be full throttle. They’ll have to adjust their personal training schedules to be ready to hit the ground running, and hit it running fast. And since they are limited to just two games, they've got to make those two games count.

How Will the Forwards Shake Out?

Over the last several years, the Devils have lacked offensive contributions from their bottom-6 forwards.  

New general manager Sunny Mehta tackled that issue with a two-pronged approach. One, he directly aided the group by adding quality bottom-6 type players with trades for Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist. Second, he improved the bottom-6 with a trickle-down effect by adding to the top-6 pool with signing Anthony Mantha and trading for Luke Evangelista.

Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier are likely safe in their positions in the top-6. That leaves two slots open for the likes of Dawson Mercer, Mantha and Evangelista (who signed a five-year contract extension). However it shakes out, one of those players will bump down to the bottom-6. Any time you have top-6 talent in the bottom-6, you’ve got yourself some serious depth.

The Devils return wingers Connor Brown, Arseny Gritsyuk and Stefan Noesen. Those three will compete with Rodrigues and Boqvist for the final three wing positions on the bottom-6. That’s not even counting on other players like Shane Lachance, Amadeus Lombardi or another prospect that will try to earn a spot.

Last year, Brown played on the top line with Bratt and Hughes. This year he could end up on the fourth line. That isn’t a knock on Brown, who is a versatile and effective player no matter where you put him in the lineup. But it’s a testament to the depth the Devils have accumulated up front and should be a team strength. 

With little time to experiment with line combinations at camp (see above), we’ll probably get an early indication from the coaching staff on how they think it’ll flush out. Things are always subject to change, but how the Devils use their forwards in the preseason games will be telling. There's a plethora of bodies fighting for limited openings.

Who will be the top-6? How will the lineup fill out? All to be determined.

7th D-man?

Just as there will be competition for limited forward positions, there will also be competition for the seventh (and possibly eighth) defenseman. The Devils have their regular six Dmen in place with Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Siegenthaler, Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce, Johnathan Kovacevic and Brenden Dillon all returning. But with the trade of Simon Nemec, there is an opening for that seventh defenseman role (and eighth if the club elects to carry eight blueliners into the season).

Look for players like Seamus Casey, Declan Chisholm, Ethan Edwards, Vladislav Kolyachonok and Topias Vilen to try their luck.

Chisholm, 26, is the most seasoned of the lot. He has 125 career NHL games of experience under his belt. The Devils traded a draft pick for his rights, so they must think well of him to actively bring him to the organization. Kolyachonok, 25, has appeared in 87 NHL contests, making him the second-most seasoned of the group, and was signed as a free agent by the club.

One note is that Chisholm and Kolyachonok are both left-handed defensemen. If the Devils want to keep a right-hand shot, then Casey may have a leg up on the competition. He battled last season through various lower-body injuries and underwent surgery in February. But he’s had a long runway to recover and is the healthiest he’s been in his career. He's the most viable option on the right side. 

Though he is likely ticketed for Utica for some seasoning, 2024 first-round pick Anton Silaev will be one to watch during the preseason. His size (6-foot-7, 211 pounds) and footwork are extraordinary. He has a bright future with the Devils though that day may have to wait.

How Will the Goalies Rotate?

The Devils traded goaltender Jacob Markstrom, their No. 1 netminder the past two seasons, to Florida. That leaves them without a clear cut top tender.

Jake Allen and Nico Daws are back in the fold, and the Devils signed free agent David Rittich. This may be a rare 1a, 1b, 1c scenario.

The team is excited to see what potential Daws may have as a No. 1. At the same time, Allen and Rittich are proven veteran goalies. The Devils could run with a three-man rotation and see if someone steals the crease or emerges as the clear favorite. Or they could just ride the hot hand at different points during the year. Or they could keep just two men during the year. 

One thing is for sure, all three men will support each other and push each other to be better. That competition and support should only help all three men during the 84-game season.

Will the New Bench Bosses Gel? 

A lot has been made of the changes to the front office and the roster for the Devils over the summer. But there was also an overhaul to the Devils coaching staff.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe and assistant coach Brad Shaw both are back in the fold. But three new faces will join the mix. Ted Donato, AJ MacLean and Dan Stewart were added to the crew while Jeremy Colliton, Sergie Brylin and Dave Rogalski have parted ways with the organization.

How quickly this new group gels and works together will go a long way in the team having success translated onto the ice.

Keefe remains the most important voice in the room, but some fresh voices and fresh perspectives may be a bonus for the Devils this season.