5 Devils With the Most to Prove in 2026-27
The New Jersey Devils have plenty to prove in 2026-27, but some players have more to prove than others.
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The 2026-27 season is an important one for the New Jersey Devils. They have to make the playoffs, or there could be consequences next offseason if they miss.
That means everyone has to play at a high level, but some players have more to prove than others. Let’s look at five Devils with the most to prove next season.
Nico Daws
Jake Allen has been the Devils’ best goaltender over the last two seasons, and you know what to expect from him. He will be the 1A heading into 2026-27, but who will take the reins as his backup/1B?
David Rittich is coming off a solid year. He finished last season with an .894 save percentage while saving 9.31 goals above expected, but he’s not a lock to be the 1B to Allen.
He’ll have competition from Nico Daws.
Daws has a limited NHL resumé over the last three seasons, but he has totaled a .902 save percentage in 30 games and saved just over five goals above expected.
Even though Daws’ NHL sample isn’t quite what Rittich’s is, this is the best opportunity he’s had to win a regular role in the NHL.
Daws has also been in the organization for five+ years, so it’s getting close to crunch time for him as a prospect. He needs to prove he’s worth an NHL role this season, or it’ll be time to cut bait.
Timo Meier
Timo Meier shouldn’t have much to prove, given where he is in his career, but his Devils tenure has been a disappointment so far.
Meier finished with just 24 goals and 44 points last season, and it’s safe to say the Devils need more from him.
The silver lining is that the underlying metrics remain excellent. He finished last season with an expected goals share (xG%) of 54.08 percent, so he’s still tilting the ice in the right direction.
I feel like we’ve probably said this every offseason since Meier became a Devil, but he’s once again a decent bounce-back candidate.
Meier’s five-on-five shooting percentage (6.74 percent) was the lowest of his career last season. That number has usually been around 8.5-9.5 percent, so it should revert to the mean.
That’s why I’m cautiously optimistic he could rebound, but if it doesn’t happen next season, this is just what he is.
Cody Glass
Cody Glass had a great 2025-26 season, finishing with 19 goals and 26 points in 70 games, a 23-goal and 31-point pace over 84 games.
Glass has posted great underlying numbers the last two seasons between the Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins. I’m not concerned about his five-on-five play, but can he match last season’s output?
One reason I’m skeptical is that Glass shot 18.1 percent, well above his career average of 10.9 percent, and he doesn’t have a history as a plus finisher.
That suggests regression may be coming, and it may be part of why GM Sunny Mehta targeted Barrett Hayton via an offer sheet.
Glass is entering the final year of his contract and will be a UFA next summer. You don’t want him to price himself out of a range the Devils would be comfortable re-signing him.
Having said that, he still has to prove he can be a long-term third-line center. The defensive game has always been there, but can he score enough to be a 3C moving forward?
The contract-year bump is a real thing, so perhaps Glass takes advantage of it and proves his worth.
Luke Hughes
Most of Luke Hughes’ 2025-26 season was a disappointment. It started with him missing camp due to a contract holdout.
Expectations change once you exit your ELC and sign the seven-year, $63 million extension that Hughes did. But it’s safe to say he did not look like a $9 million AAV defenseman until after the Olympic break.
At the very least, Hughes showed signs of life after the Olympics. His xG% was above 54 percent, and he had a positive goal differential while recording nine points in 19 games.
Sure, the Devils can hold out hope for Quinn Hughes. Until he re-signs with the Minnesota Wild, acquiring him remains a possibility.
But Quinn or no Quinn, Luke taking a step forward in his development and at least becoming a borderline No. 1 defenseman raises the Devils’ ceiling.
Luke doesn’t need to become the defenseman Quinn is. That’s not realistic or ever likely to be, but head coach Sheldon Keefe will likely use him as a No. 1 defenseman. He still has to prove he can handle the role.
Anthony Mantha
At least to this point, Anthony Mantha is the Devils’ main addition for their top six. He’s coming off a 33-goal, 64-point season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he still has plenty to prove.
Mantha shot over 21 percent last season, above his career average of 13.8 percent. Generally, that would suggest regression is coming, but he’s been a plus finisher in each of the last three seasons.
Mantha shot 20.4 percent during the 2023-24 season between the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights.
And while he only played in 13 games in 2024-25 due to a torn ACL, he shot just over 21 percent in his brief time with the Calgary Flames.
Can he do that again? He still has to prove his consistency as a scorer. That’s part of why he got just a two-year, $4.75 million AAV deal in free agency, but he’s walking into a situation that should put him in a position to succeed.
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick