New Jersey Devils

3 Devils With the Most to Gain or Lose in 2025-26

The Devils are expected to take a big step in 2025-26. Here are three players with the most to gain, or lose.

Published

1 month ago

September 1, 2025

Credit: New Jersey Devils, The best of photos from the 2024-25 season. Photos by Andrew Maclean, Tom Horak and Rich Graessle

We’re heading into one of the most pivotal seasons for the New Jersey Devils in a long time. They took the 2022-23 season by surprise, and solidified themselves as a playoff threat moving forward. 2023-24 was a massive disappointment, derailed by injuries, and 2024-25 was a step back in the right direction. However, 2025-26 is the one where the Devils have the opportunity to take a massive step forward, turning themselves into Stanley Cup contenders. That could hinge on the performances of three players that could either propel or sink New Jersey.

Most of the Devils’ lineup is solidified. There is no question about the goaltending other than the aging factor. Will it catch up to both 35-year-old netminders? There’s little reason to believe there will be any major regressions this season.

However, there are certainly some question marks in the forward group and on the blueline.

Here’s who has the most to prove on the Devils in 2025-26.

Dawson Mercer

What will Dawson Mercer’s role be? Only Sheldon Keefe knows the answer to that question right now, and perhaps he’s not even sure yet.

Mercer can be so versatile, it’s almost to a fault. Need him on the wing in the top-six? Sure. Help in the bottom-six in a checking role? No problem.

He might even be the Devils’ best option for the void at the third-line center position.

Regardless, Mercer needs a chance to work somewhere consistently. He did his best work in 2022-23 when he mostly played right-wing alongside Nico Hischier. Since then, he has not been able to recapture the near, 30-goal, 60-point campaign he put together.

If the Devils are going to improve this season, Mercer is going to have to be one of the pieces that helps them take that step. If he does, he’s further going to solidify himself in with the core of New Jersey.

If he doesn’t, could he be on his way out at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline for an upgrade?

Simon Nemec

The blueline is solidified. Yes, the pesky question about Luke Hughes and his contract remains. However, despite the radio silence, there’s still little reason to believe this doesn’t get done.

And yes, the Johnathan Kovacevic void is prevalent. However, the irony is that Simon Nemec has the opportunity to steal back the roster spot that was taken from him one-year ago.

Nemec’s rookie season gave the Devils organization so much confidence that they believed they had a building block in the Slovakian blueliner.

That belief hasn’t wavered. However, an injury last summer derailed most of his season, and he spent the majority of his time between the NHL and American Hockey League.

Yet, we saw that confident rookie return toward the end of his sophomore season. That’s the player general manager Tom Fitzgerald recognized when he selected Nemec second overall in 2022.

If Nemec comes into this season looking like he did toward the end of 2024-25 and in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it gives Fitzgerald options to deal from a position of strength, and Nemec won’t be one of those available names. It also strengthens an already stable blueline with a lot of good, not great tools. Although, his evolution alongside Luke Hughes can give the Devils an elite, long-term outlook on the back-end.

If he can’t find that stride again, however, doubt will certainly be cast on his name. And although you normally don’t want to give up on talent as young as Nemec is, there’s enough of it in New Jersey that he could be used as a trade chip to improve elsewhere. Otherwise, it’s back to the minors for the 21-year-old.

Jack Hughes

Like it or not, this is a pivotal season for Jack Hughes. A 45-goal, 99-point season in 2022-23 has yet to be replicated by the superstar forward.

Why?

Well, back-to-back seasons with the same season-ending shoulder surgery will do it.

Now, he’s certainly been on pace to be near his career-high, scoring at a 97 and 92-point pace in each of the last two seasons respectively.

It’s just that both were cut short.

Jack Hughes has yet to play a full 82-game season in the NHL. His career-high is 78 games played in 2022-23, and, and has otherwise never eclipsed more than 62 games in the other five seasons. Yes, the two Covid-shortened seasons were a factor. Yet, the point remains that the face of the Devils’ franchise has yet to lace them up in all 82.

The Devils go as Jack Hughes goes. He’s the heartbeat, and motor that revs the engine.

Another brutal, season-ending injury could cost them their season or ability to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs yet again, which very well could cast doubt on him as the face of the franchise.

Or, the superstar forward could finally stay on his skates, perhaps even tough 100 points, and help propel the Devils through the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

In 2025-26, we should get plenty of answers.

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