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New Jersey Devils 2026-2027 Season Preview: Can Jack Hughes Overcome the Bandages and Goalie Questions? · Jablam Sports Hockey

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to Jablam Sports Hockey, your home for everything happening around the NHL.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_02: I'm your host, Peter Bojaranov, and every episode we break down the biggest topics every hockey fan is talking about with writers, TV, and radio experts from all 32 NHL teams.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_02: Today we're continuing 32 team season previews with the New Jersey Devils.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_02: Back on the show is Alex Chavansi.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: You can find him on the New Jersey Devils on the Rush.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome back to the show, Alex.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for having me on.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_02: It's good to be back.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_02: It's been a while.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yep, it sure has.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_02: And JP Gambatese.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: Did I say that properly?
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_02: Close enough, yeah.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_02: Gambatese.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: Gambatese.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_02: All right, and you can read his writing at Infernal Access and Pucks and Pitchforks.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_02: In Trending Now, we'll talk about Krider and maybe something else.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_02: Let's drop the puck.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_02: Did you like that sound effect?
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_02: I'm doing the sound effect by myself.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: That's good stuff.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_02: I approve.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_02: So uh last season the Devils missed the playoffs by a fair margin.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: But it's weird because I find that in the NHL universe that we have, a lot of people feel that the Devils are this team that has this great potential to be a contender.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_02: But yet the last like say five years, they've been seventh, second, seventh, third, seventh in the Metropolitan.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_02: Alex, which uh which Harvey Dent team are we gonna get this year?
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh that's a good question.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's been a lot of changes with them this offseason.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they bring in Anthony Mantha, they bring in Luca Evangelista, Evan Rodriguez, Jesper Boquist, a lot of different guys who would be playing up front.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: I think that was kind of the biggest problem for them the last couple of seasons is their depth uh up front outside of like Jack Hughes, Nico Heesher, Jesper Bratt, those guys just wasn't good enough.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: And um the type of players that they brought in over the last couple of years uh didn't really fit this the their identity particularly well.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh the reason they were so successful was that the 2022-23 season when they beat the Rangers in um the playoffs, is they were a really fast skilled team with a lot of rush players that and they kind of got not kind of they got away from that over the last couple of years because uh I think they just thought the previous general manager Tophas Jones just thought the team needed to get tougher to play against and it didn't work out.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: And this season Sonny Meta comes in and he kind of, at least from what he's done so far, it looks like he's trying to get back to that rush identity.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that should fit them, uh, their identity much better going into the season and hopefully it translates into something in the standings.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_02: JP, what one or two things need to happen this season for the Devils for them to be a top three team?
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I think number one, I don't think anyone's gonna have uh any qualms with this, is definitely gonna be health.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, Jack Hughes has played 60 games or so in each of the last three seasons.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, they've had a lot of missed time from basically their entire defense score, which absolutely crumpled them last season.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, Nico Heesher misses time every now and then.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, even Arsene Gritzuk in his first season missed 20 games.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_01: So it's, you know, it's the biggest thing is absolutely going to be staying healthy.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: Thankfully, as Alex mentioned, I think Sunny Meta did a great job of kind of improving the depth so that, you know, once they lose a guy or two, they're not so crippled.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but 100% health is easily the number one.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, and then number two, I'd say average goaltending.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_01: You know, they they kind of got the short end of the stick with Jacob Marshram in a couple of of games last year.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um Jake Allen was great, and you know, they're they're rolling in an unknown in Nico Dawes and kind of a career backup in in David Riddich.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: So it's gonna be interesting to see how the goaltending shakes out, too.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_02: Speaking about Jack Hughes, I think some Devil fans would be wondering why not move Jack to the wing?
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_02: Is it possible, or is it too hard to find maybe a number two center to move him to the wing, a less physical position, maybe, and maybe a more relaxed, let him be creative position, Alex?
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think he's most creative at center just because he's such a great play driver.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: I know his face-off numbers are terrible.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: He's at like 35-40% for his career.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I there's just so much more that goes into playing center these days than taking face-offs now.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I think when you see Hughes at his best, um, it's usually at center.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: I know in the at the Olympics he was playing on the wing a lot with like Dylan Larkin and Brock Nelson, and he looked great there, but yeah, that's an all that's an all-star team.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's a little bit different with the Devils.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I I think um with Jesper Bratt and Anthony Mantha, probably the two best fits for him as linemates this coming season, it'd probably be best to have him at center, anyways.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_02: My question would be: the Devils defense is fairly old.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_02: After Luke Hughes, they're all 29 or older, the top six.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_02: So, JP, why would the devils move off of Simon Nemek?
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_02: They recouped some firsts, but their late firsts if they're coming from Vegas and Colorado.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: Why?
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, it's Nemetz is a tough one because, you know, second overall pedigree.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: He obviously has a lot of talent on the offensive side of the puck.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but then you get into watching the games and kind of watching his defensive habits, and there's just a lot to be desired there.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, from retrieving the puck to holding on to the puck in his own end to even his positioning, it feels like a lot of the offense that he provided was, you know, counteracted, and then some by his defensive deficiencies.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you know, Sonny Meta is an analytics guy, so obviously he's looking at all the numbers and and everything of that ilk.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: And the reality of the situation is as great as Nemetz could be offensively, for his time in New Jersey, he consistently got caved in, no matter who he was playing with, no matter where he was playing, no matter how many minutes he was given.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: He had plenty of opportunity and really just kind of never proved that he could win his minutes consistently.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that definitely played a big part into it.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_02: I have a listener question.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_02: Jesse, a big doubles fan, he asked, What the hell is going on?
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_02: Are we really gonna start the season without a true number one goaltender, Alex?
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, honestly, yeah, that looks like it's gonna be the case.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: I was listening to 32 Thoughts earlier this afternoon with Elliott Friedman, and he said that he's gotten kind of like mixed signals about whether they're actually in on Connor Hellibuck or not.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I mean, I think Hellibuck would he'd obviously be an upgrade for the Devils, but at the same time, I just don't think Sonny Meadow will be willing to spend the assets that it would take to acquire Hellibuck from the Winnipeg Jets.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's just not not something he would seem to want to do.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um I mean, I do have my question marks about goaltending too.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: Like Jake Allen is 36, David Riddick, he's been up and down in his career as a backup, and you don't really know what you're gonna get from Nico Dawes.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: The only free agent available right now that what I would have some interest in is Connor Ingram, but at this point I'd be surprised if the Devils sign him because then they'd have one too many goalies um capable of playing in the NHL.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I do think the Devils are probably gonna go into the season without a true number one.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: I'd be kind of surprised if they ended up with Halibuck.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I guess you never know if Sonny has made some trades, like the Luke Evangelista trade came out of nowhere, uh, that just came out from the team account, and you're like, oh, where did this come from?
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: There weren't even any rumors around it.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I guess you never know he could pull off a hella buck trade, but I'd be kind of surprised if it happens.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: Hope you don't mind me jumping in here.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um go ahead.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: I I also think that you know, Sonny Meta, at least for me, doesn't really strike me as the kind of guy who would spend a whole lot of assets and cap on a position so volatile.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, with the average goaltender, you get a good start and then a bad start, and then somewhere in between, and then a horrible start and a great start, and there's really just no consistency.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: So unless you're getting one of those top five, six, seven guys, I I don't really I'm I kind of lean towards don't spend assets and don't spend cap on goaltenders, unless it's I mean, unless you're the Edmonton Oilers and every goalie you get is just terrible.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: But on paper, it should be pretty average.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I I I agree that I I don't necessarily think Halibuck is a target for them.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_01: I hope not.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, just because I feel like they can allocate the cap to a more predictable position.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_02: All right, let's go to La La Land.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_02: I'm GM Kevin Cheveldeoff.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_02: JP, you pitch me your offer for Halibuck from the devils.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um I would say like Dawson Mercer, Nico Dawes, and a first, probably.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, that's your offer and Alex.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: I would go something similar.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: I would go Dawson Mercer, a first round pick, and you probably have to give up top goaltending prospect Mikhail Yagorov to get to pull off the deal.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: So um I think you know, even though Yagorov is not, and he's probably not gonna be in HR already for a couple years, uh, he has franchise goaltender potential, and I think that would probably appeal uh to the Jets that get someone that they can build around in the future.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_02: Ding ding ding, Alex wins.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, that is actually what I have written down.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_02: I've been saying this since the beginning of the summer.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: I like him as a landing spot for the devils, and I have a first, Mercer, and Mikhail Yegorov as my offer.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_02: All right, let's move on to trending, trending, trending now.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_02: The Vegas Golden Knights signed Ford Braden Bohm to a six-year contract carrying an annual average of 3.33 million, the team announced today.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_02: For an undrafted player, the 23-year-old is uh has been a nice addition for the Knights.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_02: How's the undrafted player on the Devils, Dylan, looking in his age, Alex?
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, he had a tough first season with the Devils a couple of years ago, but I thought for most of last season he was probably one of their better defensemen.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: He was in the lineup for, I think he played all 82 games, if not pretty close to it.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and the Devils defense did struggle with injuries last year.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: Brett Pesci missed a ton of time.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Jonathan Kobasevich didn't return until later in the year after recovering from a torn ACL.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Luke Hughes was injured toward the back half of the season.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: He missed a little bit of time as well.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: But Dylan was kind of the mainstay in there, and he he stabilized things when there weren't enough players around.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: So he's entering the final year of his contract.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it'll be interesting to see what happens with him moving forward.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: The Sonny Meta has talked a lot about Declan Chisholm this year or this offseason, and it makes me think that's someone that they might want to have a regular spot for.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: And since Dylan's entering the final year of his contract, I wonder if that's something they consider doing before the start of the season.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: Or yeah, before the start of the season, maybe trading him to another place to open up a space for Chisholm.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: But he was very good last season.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, not he, yeah, he was pretty good last season, and he kind of faded off as the second half of the year went on.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: But um, good stabilizing presence, and he bears a bit of a physical presence as well that the devils don't uh necessarily have on the back uh on their back end.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_02: And also veteran forward Chris Krider cleared waivers today after the Ducks terminated his contract yesterday.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_02: JP, would Krider fit in a devil's jersey, possibly?
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_01: I think stylistically he would definitely fit.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, he's he's a power winger, he's still got some speed.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_01: Uh he obviously is, as we are all aware, uh stellar in front of the net, and that's something the devils don't necessarily have too much of, outside of Anthony Mantha, maybe.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um the problem would be the devil's forward core is just so unbelievably congested.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, as it is right now, they have 14 forwards making one and a half million, uh, and they have two forwards in Amadeus Lombardi and Lenny Haminaho, who are conceivably going to be fighting for a roster spot.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, so as much as I think Kreider would be a fit, and it would be fun to get a former devil killer in the red and black, I just don't see it happening.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_02: Man, I love saying some of those Finnish nays.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_02: Leminahu! All right.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, that's it for this episode.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_02: JP, thanks for joining me.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for having me.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_02: It was a pleasure.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_02: And Alex, for thanks for coming back again.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, thanks for having me.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_02: It was a good time.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_02: And let me know in the comments, fans and listeners, or on X at P Bojernov, and remember to subscribe to the show in your listening app.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_02: See you next time.