The New Jersey Devils made the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. They would fall to the Carolina Hurricanes for the second time in three years as well in 2024-25. While injury issues were a major reason this past season, it was clear the franchise is on the right track to make another run in the playoffs. After hoisting the Cup in 2012, they have only made the playoffs three times. This NHL offseason was solid, though. General manager Tom Fitzgerald made plenty of moves, but one stands out as the perfect one.
In July 2020, Fitzgerald became the Devils' full-time general manager. It has not been perfect for him. He was starting to build a team that could contend, but was eliminated in the second round of the 2023 playoffs. Then, the franchise took a major step back in 2023-24, struggled, and missed the playoffs. In 2024-25, there were ups and downs, but injuries hurt the team, and they lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Regardless, this offseason was one of great signings and missed opportunities for New Jersey. They made a few solid acquisitions while retaining some key players. However, they still have work to do regarding their own players.
What the Devils did and did not do
The Devils did make some moves in the summer of 2025, starting with trading away an underperforming Erik Haula and then signing Connor Brown. He comes in from the Oilers and got a four-year deal. He brings plenty of playoff experience and should be a solid third or fourth-line player. While he tore his ACL in the 2022-23 season and struggled in 2023-24, Brown has been a consistent player. Outside of those two seasons, he has consistently contributed 30 or more points in his NHL career. Combined with his playoff experience, this was a solid signing.
The front office also brought in Evgenii Dadonov, who will be a solid producer on the bottom two lines as well. In 2024-25, he lit the lamp 20 times, while also having 20 helpers. Since returning from the KHL, he has consistently amassed at least 20 points, which makes his contract another solid one for the team. Another major move was the return of Cody Glass. He joined the team at the trade deadline from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Glass has also been productive and will help the rotation of forwards.
While the team made some solid moves, they missed out on two major areas. The first is with Dougie Hamilton. The blue liner has been linked to multiple teams as a trade target. Currently, the Devils have just over $6 million in cap space, but Hamilton takes $9 million of their cap space. With multiple stellar defensemen, the Devils can move their blueliner and be solid. Still, they have yet to do anything.
The other major miss is also on the blue line. They have yet to re-sign restricted free agent Luke Hughes. While cap space may be an issue, the fact that the team has yet to bring him back is a bigger issue. He has consistently shown that he is an elite defender in the NHL, as well as being an offensive threat from the blue line. While the team has yet to bring back their stud player, they did make one re-signing that was the perfect move this summer.
Jake Allen returns in a perfect move for the team
The Devils were fifth in the NHL in goals against average while sitting second on the penalty kill. A major part of this was the goaltending of the Devils. It has been shown that in the NHL, teams need solid goaltending, and many times, need two solid goaltenders. The Devils now have two solid netminders ready to go. Jacob Markstrom was the primary goaltender last year, going 26-16-6 with a 2.50 goals against average and a .900 save percentage. He is under contract for one more year, getting paid $4.125 million this year.
The team also has Nico Daws still under contract. The 24-year-old may be tending the twine on a daily basis in the future, but is not fully ready for NHL action. This has resulted in the Devils re-signing Jake Allen on an amazing deal. He is returning to the franchise on a five-year deal worth just $9 million. Allen is the perfect bridge between Markstrom and Daws. He has been great with the Devils. In 2024-25, he starts 29 games, going 13-16-1 overall, with a 2.66 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.
He was also tied for seventh in the NHL in shutouts in 2024-25 while being a starting-level goaltender in the NHL. Allen has been the primary netminder in his career, and with Markstrom's contract ending in 2025-26, he can be the perfect bridge to Daws taking over down the road. He was also one of the best goalies on the market, but the Devils brought him back at a great price.
What does 2025-26 look like for the Devils?
The Devils should be a contender in the Eastern Conference this year. They are projected as second in the Metropolitan Division and fourth in the conference to play in the Stanley Cup Finals. Overall, this is a solid squad. The downfall of some teams in the playoffs has been goaltending. The Edmonton Oilers are the prime example of that.
They needed both Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner to make their run to the Cup finals. The Devils now have two goaltenders who can start, plus a young netminder who will be the future. The offense should be solid. If they can figure out the situation with Hughes, the team is in a solid position to compete.
