Mike Fink Sun, October 18, 2026 at 6:26 PM UTC · 8 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's eight games into the 2026-27 NHL season. So, how do we feel about the New Jersey Devils? No, really, how does everyone feel about this team? Honestly, it's hard to read much into this team one way or another.
It's where this week's Devils Notebook starts. The Devils look like an average team. It's not good or bad, but it's hard to make sense of this team. They look different from a roster perspective, with new players in key roles, yet they look like a similar team to the ones from the past: not good enough to compete for the Stanley Cup and not bad enough to be in a lottery spot.
No matter how you dice or slice it, the Devils are, as the kids say, "mid" (if the kids are still saying that). It's only eight games in, which is a small sample size. However, it's enough to get a sense of how this team looks and where they might stack up by the end of the season.
The Devils are 4-4 overall. They are 2-2 against their division, split the two games against their Western Conference opponents (the Utah Mammoth and Vancouver Canucks), and are 3-3 against the Eastern Conference. It doesn't get more average than that.
And it's hard to deny that the Devils fit right into the middle of the NHL. Are they a top team in the league, one that can beat the best in a playoff series? No. Are they a bottom feeder, a team fighting with the Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Philadelphia Flyers for lottery position? Also, no.
Devils Defensive Woes Are Becoming A Red Flag: Should Mehta Address It?The 4-2 loss on Saturday afternoon was another display of the shortcomings on the defensive end. The Devils must find fixes. The question is whether the fix comes from within or if a change is needed.
The Devils have an exciting forward group led by Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier that can take over games and carry them all season. Conversely, the defense has been a weakness, while the goaltending has disappointed. Add it all up, and the plusses cancel out the minuses, leaving the Devils in the middle of the pack.
Based on how the season plays out, it will be fascinating to see where an average Devils team stacks up in the division, the conference, and the NHL. They aren't better than the Carolina Hurricanes or the Washington Capitals (Saturday's 4-2 drubbing was a case in point). That said, they'll be in a fight with their New York rivals and the Pittsburgh Penguins for that third spot in the division, which someone might back their way into.
The good news is that the Devils are only eight games into the season. It's still early, and a lot will change. An average team is only a short-term issue for the Devils. If this trend continues, of course, then the big-picture questions must be asked about this roster, and the core specifically.
The line change at the start of the week changed everything for the Devils, specifically their offense. It's not a coincidence that the Devils scored 19 goals in their last five games (3.80 per game) and have won games because of their forwards.
Devils Offense Finally Sets The Tone: Can They Do So All Season? A seven-goal game against the New York Rangers, which they controlled from the start, suggests they can set the tone and control the play in games. Is their scoring surge sustainable throughout the season?
Arseny Gritsyuk moved to the Hughes line and started to find his footing. It makes sense since he's a fast-skating winger who keeps up with Hughes and Bratt while feeding into their rush game. Gritsyuk has three goals in the last four games and has made the most of the open looks that come from playing alongside two skilled forwards.
At the end of the recent game against the Capitals, Timo Meier found the back of the net for his first goal of the season. It's viewed as a garbage-time goal or meaningless in a 4-2 defeat, but goals like those go a long way for a player like Meier. Like Gritsyuk, he's building up his confidence, and as a scorer, goals come in bunches. A few more might be around the corner, and it will make a difference for the Devils' top six.
It's also fascinating to see whether the depth scoring remains or drops off. Anthony Mantha, who started the season on the Hughes line, was moved to the Evan Rodrigues line, and it gave the Devils a viable third line. Luke Evangelista, who was a pivotal part of the top six before he was sidelined with an illness, hopes to pick up where he left off as he looks to return to action this week.
The Devils Reconfigured Lines Work & Might Change The Season's Outlook The Devils saw their offense explode in recent games and it comes after some adjustments from head coach Sheldon Keefe. Not only do the lines work, but they might also change the outlook for the season.
Ideally, the Devils have scoring depth that can step up when the star players aren't delivering. This season, it looks like they have it.
One scout noted a few weeks into the season that the Devils are passing the puck and not shooting it on net. From a visual perspective, it looks that way more often than not, as the Devils will pass the puck through the offensive zone and into high-danger areas.
According to NHL Edge , the Devils are tied with the Utah Mammoth for the second-most high-danger shots in the league with 88. That should result in more goals, right? After all, the Mammoth average 3.67 goals per game, the seventh-most in the NHL.
The problem is that the Devils' shooting percentage in high-danger areas is 13.6%, which is 26th in the NHL. The Devils' shooting percentage is also well below the league average in all areas, as they score on 8.9% of attempts, which is 28th in the NHL. It's why the Devils average 3.13 goals per game despite generating plenty of scoring chances on most nights (that's tied for 14th in the league for those wondering).
In short, the Devils are creating their chances and not finishing them. It ties back to the same issues they've had in the past. They have the playmakers but not the finishers. They can pass the puck into high-danger areas, but they won't shoot there. While Hischier sets the tone, as a center who gets to the net front and powers home goals (all four of his goals this season have come from high-danger areas), the rest of the team follow suit. So far, they haven't, and it's a big-picture issue with the Devils.
After playing half of their first eight games within the division, the Devils have a heavy Western Conference slate ahead. The next eight games are against Western Conference teams, including two meetings against the Colorado Avalanche.
These are the teams that the Devils don't see often and aren't familiar with. It's why this is the best time of the season to play them. They'll wrap up their season series against the Avalanche while they are still figuring things out on their roster. It's best for the Devils to face their divisional opponents later in the season, when the games are more consequential.
The Utica Comets have only played four games so far and will only play seven in October. The American Hockey League affiliate for the Devils has a light start to the season, which is fascinating considering the heavy schedule most teams face early on. The contrast is the Hartford Wolf Pack, who already have eight games under their belt.
One conversation at the arena was about how the rest of the NHL is getting better while the Devils have stayed in the same spot. While the offseason moves upgraded this team, there's some truth to the rest of the league catching up with the Devils. Their strengths, notably their speed and skill, aren't significant advantages anymore. The rest of the league has speed that can keep up with them. Likewise, teams are built to defend those burners like Bratt and Hughes. The game against the Capitals was another reminder of that.
Hughes scored his second overtime winner of the season in the 5-4 win over the Red Wings. Interestingly, he has yet to score a five-on-five goal, or a goal in regulation, for that matter. Presumably, that will change soon.
What's on your mind from the past week? What will you keep an eye on in the upcoming matchups? Comment below!
Source: Sports
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