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The New Jersey Devils have a great history with three Stanley Cup titles since their move to the east coast. From Martin Brodeur to Zach Parise, many great players have donned the red and black and brought teams to great seasons that ended up on this list.
While there are no Colorado Rockies or Kansas City Scouts teams on the list, the history does go back to 1974. Where do each of the three titles rank on the list? And where do the close calls fall among them?
Greatest Devils team of all time: 2002-03
The most recent championship in Devils history ranks as the top team in franchise history. Their 108-point season is the third-best regular season in franchise history. They got there through defense and goaltending, ranking first in goals allowed with just 166. Brodeur won his first Vezina and led the league with 41 wins.
In the playoffs, the Devils started with a five-game win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. They then took down the Bruins in five games before they faced tougher competition. They nearly blew a 3-1 series lead to the Senators in the Conference Final but won a close game seven to get to the Cup Final. A 3-0 win in game seven brought the title back to New Jersey.
#2: 1994-95
Rewinding eight seasons, the Devils came into the '94-'95 season looking for revenge after their game-seven loss to the Rangers in the '94 Conference Final. They struggled in the lockout-shortened regular season with a .542 points percentage in 48 regular season games. Stéphane Richer led the team with 39 points and a 22-year-old Brodeur started 40 games.
They put the tough regular season behind them with a dominant postseason. The Devils won five-game series against the Bruins and Penguins to get back to the Conference Final against the Flyers. The Devils won game six at home and won the conference for the first time. A clean sweep of the Red Wings finished off the first title in franchise history. Forward Claude Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP.
#3: 1999-00
The Devils entered the '99-'00 season with heavy expectations as the Stanley Cup favorites in the Eastern Conference. They backed it up with a 103-point campaign to finish second in the conference, behind only the Flyers. Scott Gomez made his NHL debut and played all 82 games, winning the Calder Trophy with 70 points.
The trend of New Jersey cruising through the first two rounds rings true here, with a sweep of the Panthers starting things out. After losing game one to the Maple Leafs, the Devils won in six games setting up a date with the Flyers. The Devils overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the series and advance to the Final. They prevented a Dallas Stars repeat championship in six games. Scott Stevens took home the Conn Smythe.
#4: 2000-01
The first non-title team on the list is the repeat bid from the '99-'00 title. They had an even better regular season, with 111 points to set a then-franchise record. They earned the number one seed in the Eastern Conference with stifling defense once again.
This season is the first one on our list where the Devils did not roll through the first two rounds. It took six games for them to beat the Hurricanes in the first round and seven games to move the Maple Leafs aside in the second. They rolled through the underdog Penguins in the Conference Final to face the President's Trophy-winning Avalanche. Colorado won in game seven, preventing New Jersey's back-to-back bid.
#5: 2011-12
The most recent conference title in Devils history ranks fifth. After missing the playoffs the year before, they entered the '11-'12 season as an afterthought, ranking 14th on the odds chart entering the season. Their 102-point campaign placed them fourth in their division and fifth in the conference. Ilya Kovalchuk led the team with 37 goals and 83 points.
The playoffs started with a seven-game tussle with the Florida Panthers. After winning that game in double overtime, they dumped the Flyers in just five games. This set up another battle with the Rangers in the Conference Final. This time the Devils won in six games to win the conference for the fifth time. They lost to the Kings in the Cup Final and have not returned since.
#6: 2022-23
After four rebuilding seasons, the Devils put up the best regular season in franchise history in '22-'23. They entered the season with the 23rd-best odds to win the Stanley Cup and an over/under of 89.5 points. They put up 112 points and placed second in the Metropolitan Division. Jack Hughes scored the most points in a single season in franchise history with 99.
Another matchup with the Rangers was a hotly-contested battle. The Devils ripped off three straight wins after the Rangers won the first two games. They needed seven games to eliminate their rivals, winning that final game 4-0. It was a disappointing five-game loss to the Hurricanes in the second round but laid the groundwork for a bright future.
#7: 1993-94
The Devils entered the '93-'94 season looking to finally advance out of the first round. They had lost in the first round in four consecutive seasons and had changed coaches four times in the stretch. With Jacques Lemaire behind the bench, they ranked second in goals scored and goals against in a 106-point season.
They finally won a playoff round with a game-seven win over the Sabres. They rode that momentum into a second-round victory over the Bruins, which took six games. One of the most infamous playoff series of all time came in the Eastern Conference Final against the Rangers. Mark Messier and Stefan Matteau ended New Jersey's season after the Devils took a 3-2 series lead.
#8: 2006-07
One of the best regular seasons in franchise history features all of the weirdness that defines Lou Lamoriello. Claude Julien was in his first year with the Devils and was on the way to a division title. Lamoriello decided that Julien was not ready for the playoffs and fired him with three games left, naming himself the coach. They finished with 107 points and a division crown.
Lamoriello and the Devils took down the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the first round. Whether that proves that Lamoriello was correct is debatable, but he certainly was not wrong in his decision. A five-game loss to the Senators ended the season.
#9: 1996-97
The '96-'97 Devils were coming off a disappointing campaign that saw them miss the playoffs a year before. They responded with 104 points and a division title to return to the postseason. They let up the fewest goals in the league once again and were led by Bobby Holik's 62 points on the offensive side.
The Devils took down the Canadiens in the first round in five games, with Brodeur and the defense allowing just 11 goals. They did not have as much success in the second round. The Rangers won that series in five games despite putting just eight goals behind Brodeur.
#10: 2005-06
Coming out of the lockout, the Devils were among the favorites in the Eastern Conference. They won their division with 101 points and 46 wins thanks to Brian Gionta's 48 goals, the single-season franchise record. Brodeur was fantastic but finished second in the Vezina voting. A few more votes and he would have won five straight Vezina Trophies.
Another matchup with the Rangers saw the Devils sweep their rivals. They did not succeed against the Hurricanes, losing in five games to the eventual champions.
