3 questions facing New Jersey Devils

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the New Jersey Devils.

1. Can Jack Hughes remain healthy?

This remains the biggest question around the Devils because when Hughes is on the ice, New Jersey’s ceiling changes dramatically. The 25-year-old center had 77 points (27 goals, 50 assists) in 61 games last season, but the Devils went 8-13-0 without him. That tells the story plainly: Hughes is not just their most dynamic offensive player, he is the engine of their attack.

The concern is that durability has become a pattern. Hughes missed 21 games last season, including 18 straight because of a hand injury and later missed three more because of a lower-body injury before the 2026 Winter Olympics. He also missed 25 games in 2024-25 after shoulder surgery and has played more than 62 regular-season games only once since entering the League in 2019-20. That one season (2022-23) showed what is possible: 99 points in 78 games and a trip to the Eastern Conference Second Round.

For New Jersey to turn optimism into results, Hughes does not necessarily need to play all 82 games, but he probably needs to be available for at least 70 and be healthy entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Luke Hughes and newcomer Anthony Mantha around him, the Devils have enough talent to support him. Hughes staying healthy is the difference between being a playoff hopeful and being a legitimate threat.

2. Is the goaltending good enough?

Trading Jacob Markstrom created the Devils' most obvious roster question. Markstrom gave New Jersey veteran stability and moving him to the Florida Panthers shifted the crease toward a less certain group of Jake Allen, Nico Daws and David Rittich.

Allen, 36, is likely to open the season as the starter. He gives the Devils experience, but the bigger swing factor is Daws. General manager Sunny Mehta made it clear that Daws has long been viewed as an important prospect who has not had a consistent development runway. With Markstrom gone, that opportunity is here. Daws doesn't need to become a star immediately, but he does need to prove he can be reliable enough to share the workload. If he can become a strong No. 1B, the Devils may be able to survive with an Allen-Daws tandem. Rittich provides insurance, but likely not a long-term solution.

3. Can a young player force his way onto the roster?

Lenni Hameenaho appears to have the clearest path among the young forwards. The right wing had eight points (two goals, six assists) in 33 games last season and was assigned to Utica of the American Hockey League late in the year, so he is not guaranteed a spot. Still, with the Devils trying to build more size, versatility and scoring depth, he should have a real chance to push for a bottom-six role. Alexander Command, the No. 12 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, is expected to attend training camp, but the likely scenario has the 18-year-old spending the season with Orebro in Sweden. 

Defensively, Seamus Casey and Anton Silayev are the two young names to watch. The Devils' projected top six already includes Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce, Jonas Siegenthaler, Dougie Hamilton, Brenden Dillon and Johnathan Kovacevic, with Declan Chisholm also in the mix. Casey or Silayev would need an excellent camp, or an injury ahead of them, to break through.