Thoughts on Every Devils Projected Line Combo to Begin 2025-26
With the preseason concluding, let's review the New Jersey Devils' projected line combos and defense pairs to begin the 2025-26 season.
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With the preseason about to conclude, we have a pretty good idea of what New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe is thinking for line combos and defense pairs to begin the regular season.
Similar to last preseason, Keefe has been relatively consistent with the line combos and pairs he’s used. Let’s analyze each unit as we get ready to begin the 2025-26 campaign.
Meier, Hischier & Mercer
You don’t want to get too carried away with preseason results, but the early returns from the Timo Meier, Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer line have been quite encouraging.
This trio was one of the Devils’ best in the 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday night. They held a 15-8 shot attempt advantage and controlled 70.9 percent of the expected goals (xG%) against a Rangers lineup that will be close to their opening-night roster.
For the preseason, Meier, Hischier and Mercer have been dominant, holding a 30-12 shot attempt advantage and an 80.3 xG%. Granted, it’s only in a 25-minute sample, but Keefe may have his top line in order.
Perhaps most encouraging has been the play of Mercer, who trails only Connor Brown in xG% among Devils skaters in preseason action. This is a big season for Mercer, and he can soften some of the top-six scoring concerns the Devils have if he becomes a 20-25 goal and 50-point scorer.
I would like to see Mercer become a bit more trigger-happy in shooting the puck, but his preseason play has me thinking he’s trending in the right direction. Overall, this line was the Devils’ strongest this preseason.
Dadonov, Hughes & Bratt
Newcomer Evgenii Dadonov will be the first winger to get a shot alongside Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt to start the season. However, they had some mixed results in the preseason.
Dadonov, Hughes and Bratt fared well in the Devils’ 6-2 win over the New York Islanders last week, but were arguably the team’s worst in the 3-1 win over the Rangers on Thursday.
On paper, you’d think defensive play would be the concern with this trio. But they had trouble generating offense during the preseason, averaging just 1.41 expected goals per 60 minutes.
Given the skill on this line, I imagine that the lack of offense will take care of itself once the regular season begins. Dadonov skates well and has some sneaky skill, but they look like less of a sure thing than Meier, Hischier and Mercer heading into opening night.
Palát, Glass & Brown
Ondřej Palát, Cody Glass, and Connor Brown only played one game together as a trio — the 3-1 win over the Rangers — but it was an encouraging performance; the Devils held an 11-4 shot attempt advantage and 75.1 xG% with them on the ice.
Brown has looked like the exact type of player the Devils were missing in their bottom six last season. He skates well, possesses skill, and has some scoring upside, while also being defensively sound. He should be a breath of fresh air compared to what the Devils iced last season.
For all the criticism Palát has taken during his Devils tenure, he’s had a fine preseason. He ranks fourth among Devils skaters in xG% at five-on-five, and totaled a goal and an assist at all strengths. We’ll see if that can translate into the regular season.
Glass did not have the best preseason, but he did bounce around between line combinations. I like the fit with Palát and Brown for him and think they can be a solid third line with some scoring upside. They should also shut down opponents’ top-six units due to Glass and Brown’s steady defensive presences.
Cotter, Glendening, & Gritsyuk
The bromance between Paul Cotter and Arseny Gritsyuk was not something I expected to emerge from this preseason, but here we are.
Gritsyuk and Cotter linked up for a beautiful rush goal in the 3-1 win over the Rangers, but the chemistry between the two has been apparent throughout preseason action.
Gritsyuk has shown a bit more play-driving ability than I thought he had, especially when it comes to playmaking. He’s a sneaky good passer, as he showed on Cotter’s goal against the Rangers.
And, of course, Gritsyuk is certainly not afraid to shoot the puck. It feels like it’ll be a matter of time before he works his way into the top nine.
The one concern I have with this group is Luke Glendening. He had a good preseason, but the regular-season resumé is not pretty. We’ll see if Cotter and Gritsyuk can carry him, but this could be a threatening fourth line to start the season.
Siegenthaler & Hamilton
With Johnathan Kovacevic possibly out until January, Keefe has shuffled his defense pairs around, moving Jonas Siegenthaler back with Dougie Hamilton.
Siegenthaler and Hamilton logged just 28 minutes together this preseason, but there’s an extensive track record to fall back on with these two defensemen.
Before this season, Siegenthaler and Hamilton had logged nearly 1500 minutes together as a defense pair, posting an xG% of just over 54 percent. Most of that came under former head coach Lindy Ruff, but that’s still a significant sample size to build on.
I like Siegenthaler as a fit with Hamilton better than Brenden Dillon, who spent most of last season alongside Hamilton. He’s a much steadier defensive presence than Dillon and should help form a legitimate top pair.
Dillon & Nemec
Dillon and Šimon Nemec spent some time together toward the end of last season, but it did not go particularly well. It may only be the preseason, but how the tides have turned. They were dominant in nearly 50 minutes of ice time as a pair:
47-18 shot attempt advantage
75.1 xG%
25-9 scoring chance advantage
8-4 high-danger chance advantage
Most notably, Nemec has looked like a completely different defenseman this preseason. He may have had a poor blunder in the 3-1 win against the Rangers that resulted in the Rangers’ only goal, but he was effectively the Devils’ best player.
Nemec led the team in game score against the Rangers and noticeably tilted the ice in the Devils’ favor. Dillon seems to complement Nemec’s game well, but also vice versa.
We’ll see what the regular season brings, but Dillon and Nemec could give the Devils three very legitimate defense pairs.
Brett Pesce &...?
Eventually, this pair will be Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce, but they did not play together this preseason since Hughes’ contract holdout did not end until Wednesday (Oct. 1).
Pesce also sustained an injury in the 3-1 win against the Rangers, and his status for the regular-season opener seems uncertain at this time. Hughes will be ready to go for opening night, but who will play alongside him if Pesce is unavailable?
Seamus Casey would have been the obvious candidate, but he’s out with a nagging injury and is not expected back on skates in the near future (per Keefe). Topias Vilén played in the 3-1 win against the Rangers, so could it be him, with Hughes starting on the right side, where he played plenty in college?
Ethan Edwards has had some good moments this preseason and could also be a fit alongside Hughes if Pesce misses some time to begin the season. This line combo/pair is the only one that has some uncertainty ahead of opening night.
Opening Night Is Upon Us
Of course, there’ll be figuring out where Stefan Noesen fits into the equation once he returns from an offseason injury, but it appears we won’t have to worry about that for a bit.
For now, the Devils seem to have a group of line combos and pairs that should help them navigate what will be a challenging first month of the 2025-26 season.
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