Metro Moves: New Jersey Devils

The addition of former Calgary Flames netminder Jacob Markstrom could make the Devils a tougher opponent for the Penguins this winter.

The division preview series continues with the New Jersey Devils, a team the Penguins will meet for the first time this season on Dec. 21 at PPG Paints Arena.

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Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said in April his team got “what we deserved” after missing the 2024 playoffs with a 38-39-5 record.

Fitzgerald, who took over as the franchise’s acting general manager in January 2020, then went on to detail what he planned to add to the roster this offseason (h/t NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale.)

“I want hockey players who are passionate, who love the game, come in every single day, punch the clock and go to work and actually enjoy it. Our fans deserve those type of players ... the players who want to block shots, are comfortable in confrontation, understand that physicality is part of the game and create an identity.

“Maybe getting back to having a momentum line, a line or two that could actually change the momentum of a game. That’s what I’m looking for. I think our fans deserve that. I think our core skill guys deserve that. Those are some of the areas I think we need to improve and that’s up to me.”

Fitzgerald has also said he wants the Devils to become a “tougher team to play against,” and told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun in June that his team was “a little too vanilla up front.”

The Devils started out free agency by missing out on signing a top-line forward. The Devils were tied to free agents Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault before both players signed with the Nashville Predators.

Fitzgerald seems to instead have focused on adding size and physicality to the roster, making bottom-six forward additions like Stefan Noesen and Paul Cotter and bolstering the defense with Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon.

Perhaps most importantly, the Devils completely revamped their goaltending lineup with the additions of Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom.

Markstrom, the projected first-string netminder, recorded a .905 save percentage and 2.78 GAA in 48 starts for the Calgary Flames last season.

He additionally a strong career record against the Penguins, having posted a .931 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average for seven wins in 11 starts against Pittsburgh.

His arrival in New Jersey could represent an upgrade for the Devils after last season, during which the team ranked among the bottom six franchises in the league with a .896 save percentage and 3.43 goals against average.

The Devils are set to receive another huge boost with the return of defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who played just 20 games last season before he suffered a season-ending torn pectoral muscle.

During his last fully healthy campaign in 2022-23, Hamilton recorded 22 goals and 74 points in 82 regular-season games, so New Jersey will expect a boost on both offense and defense with his return to the blue line.

Jack Hughes could also be set for a resurgence this fall. The star center, who at times appeared visibly limited in his skating last season before undergoing shoulder surgery in April, is scheduled to be ready to play by the start of the season.

With Hamilton and Hughes back and the new additions to the roster slotting into the lineup, here’s a look at the Devils’ projected lines for the 2024-25 season, courtesy of Daily Faceoff.

Forwards

Ondrej Palat - Nico Hischier - Jesper Bratt
Timo Meier - Jack Hughes - Dawson Mercer
Tomas Tatar - Erik Haula - Stefan Noesen
Paul Cotter - Curtis Lazar - Nathan Bastian

Defense

Jonas Siegenthaler - Dougie Hamilton
Luke Hughes - Brett Pesce
Brenden Dillon - Simon Nemec

Goaltenders

Jacob Markstrom
Jake Allen

The Penguins went 1-3 against the Devils last season, claiming their only win of the series on the road in April during the final weeks of the campaign.

It will remain to be seen if Fitzgerald’s adjustments to goaltending depth, the bottom six forwards and the bottom two pairings will be enough to push this team back into the playoff picture.

One thing is certain, however: If the Devils can get healthy seasons from Hughes and Hamilton and a strong performance from Markstrom between the pipes, they will be an even tougher opponent for the Penguins this winter.

The Penguins are slated to face the Devils on the road on Dec. 31, then at home on Feb. 4 and March 15 before the season series concludes on April 11 in Newark.