3 burning questions for New Jersey Devils entering 2026 offseason

The New Jersey Devils (42-37-3) tried to build off their Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in the 2024-25 season. With star talent such as Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt already on the roster, general manager Tom Fitzgerald didn’t do much besides signing Edmonton Oilers middle-six center Connor Brown. The hope was that with the continued emergence of young talent, the Devils could compete for the Metropolitan Division lead.

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Instead, the Devils failed to make the playoffs due to a stacked Eastern Conference, a mid-season injury to Jack Hughes, and regression from several key players. They became stuck in no-man’s land, resulting in the Devils firing Tom Fitzgerald. They’ve already hired a replacement in Florida Panthers executive Sunny Mehta, but he’ll have a pivotal offseason coming up to try to get the Devils back to playoff contention.

What’s Sheldon Keefe’s fate?

New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe speaks to media at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

The Devils hired Sheldon Keefe in the 2024 offseason to improve their sluggish scoring outputs. In the 2024-25 season, it worked. Nico Hischier scored a career-high 35 goals, and Jesper Bratt had a career-high 88 points. Unfortunately, with Jack Hughes suffering a season-ending injury on March 2, 2025, that dashed the Devils’ Stanley Cup ambitions.

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Unfortunately, the offense regressed in 2025-26. No one on the team notched over 30 goals, although Jack Hughes would’ve definitely been on pace to reach it if he played a full 82 games. Guys like Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier regressed, and the youth didn’t develop either.

With Keefe’s boss gone, does that mean he gets the axe too? New general managers usually like going with their own bench boss, but if Mehta’s goal is to retool the Devils back to playoff contention, I could see him keeping Keefe around.

How do the Devils replace Jacob Markstrom?

Apr 7, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) takes a break during a stoppage in play against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Luther Schlaifer-Imagn Images

The Devils also acquired Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames in the 2024 offseason to signify that they were in win-now mode. They signed a two-year, $12 million extension that begins next season too.

Markstrom performed well in his first year with the Devils, earning a .900 save percentage from the 2024-25 season. However, this season was a disaster in the net for him, falling to a .883 save percentage.

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Markstrom is 36 years old, so the worry is that he’s lost a step due to age. Even then, his 35-year-old goaltender teammate Jake Allen is still performing well. He had a .903 save percentage last season.

Do the Devils find a replacement before Markstrom’s extension kicks in? They’ve had 25-year-old Nico Daws waiting in the wings. He’ll be a restricted free agent after this summer. They could also pivot to 2024 second-round pick Mikhail Yegorov when Markstrom’s extension is done. Yegorov finished his second season at Boston University. Regardless, New Jersey will need to solve their goaltending quandary this offseason.

How do the Devils go all-in?

Jan 31, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) plays the puck against New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec (17) during the third period at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The Devils are in win-now mode, despite what last season’s record might suggest. They have the high-end talent in the forward core to compete with the best teams in the league, but they might need to go harder in that direction to achieve their true potential.

That will come in making difficult decisions about their draft capital and prospect pool. I could see the Devils dangling their first-round pick, which is more than likely going to be in the teens. There are some appealing prospects they could have a shot at drafting, such as Viggo Bjorck, who is undersized but talented enough to go in the top seven. Still, they should definitely find a way to trade that pick.

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Guys like defenseman Simon Nemec and winger Dawson Mercer shouldn’t be unprotected either. Nemec, who’s just 24 made some great strides offensively, recording 11 goals and 15 assists through 68 games. However, he still hasn’t found his defensive game yet, and he’d be tantalizing for any rebuilding team in need of young defenseman.

Mercer, still just 24, already has plenty of NHL experience. He is a consistent 20-goal, 40-point forward who has never missed a game and grinds his tail off. However, he’s plateaued since his sophomore season, where he scored 27 goals and notched 29 assists in 82 games.

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A package of Mercer, Nemec, and the Devils’ first-rounder should be enough to net them another talented, young forward. Matthew Knies, Robert Thomas, and Jordan Kyrou are the names that stand out to me immediately.

They could also look for a defenseman to headline their jumbled defense, especially with Dougie Hamilton potentially on the move. Vince Dunn of the Seattle Kraken would be an interesting trade target, depending on whether the Kraken embrace a full rebuild.

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