Devils Depth Chart: Fitzgerald’s Adds; Post-Free Agency Lineup; Roster Questions

The dust has settled on the July 1st Free Agent Frenzy. The New Jersey Devils still have work to do, at least internally, but the makeover of their bottom-six forward group very well may be complete.

On the blueline, Luke Hughes’ contract is the No.1 priority for general manager Tom Fitzgerald to lock down after addressing their depth scoring need.

Yet, the Devils’ offseason doesn’t feel quite over there.

RELATED: Devils Offseason Didn’t Feel Over. Now, It Could Take an Explosive Turn

If it is, however, you can certainly question whether or not the Devils are a better team on paper than they were last season. Here’s a look at the forward group after Fitzgerald’s work on July 1st.

Devils Forwards

Are the Devils better than last season? The additions of Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov will undoubtedly improve the depth scoring. That was their biggest weakness and ultimate downfall in the 2024-25 season. Dadonov netted 20 goals last season, and Brown is, as Fitzgerald stated, somewhat of a Swiss-Army Knife who plays well in all three zones.

Is Brown a top-six forward, though? Going into the summer, New Jersey’s top two priorities positionally were a top-six forward and third-line center. Neither of those positions have yet to be definitively addressed.

The Devils GM did question whether or not Arseni Gritsyuk can evolve into a top-six NHL forward. For now, he’s just as much a depth addition as Dadonov and Brown. He’ll start low and will need to work his way upwards.

As it stands, Dawson Mercer is Sheldon Keefe’s best option at the third-line center position. He was drafted as a center, so perhaps it will work out for him. In the last four seasons, Mercer’s role has changed a multitude of times, but he was mostly deployed as a winger. He’ll need some runway here to solidify himself as an NHL center.

Cody Glass returning for two seasons is important. The defensive-minded forward is likely to start as the fourth-line center, but at 26 years old, is there more room for the former first-round talent to develop into a 3C?

Devils Defensemen

There is no question with Luke Hughes. He will be on the NHL roster next season and under contract. He has no arbitration rights, and there is no worry he won’t be in the lineup on the first night of the 2025-26 season.

However, there is question about Dougie Hamilton. Reports suggest the Devils’ No.1 defenseman has drawn interest from teams after his full no-move clause downgraded on July 1st to a 10-team trade list. The possibility of moving Hamilton’s $9 million cap hit could change what this entire depth chart looks like by training camp in September.

Yet, working with what we know and the assumption Hamilton is still in the fold, the Devils had little reason to add on the blueline. They’re already very deep at the position after last summer’s additions which all proved to be great fits. Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, and Johnathan Kovacevic all played important roles in New Jersey this year.

Kovacevic is unlikely to be ready to start the 2025-26 season with the Devils as he recovers from knee surgery. He’ll begin the first year of a five-year contract he signed in the winter to remain in New Jersey long-term. That leaves the door open for Simon Nemec to re-claim the lineup spot he lost to Kovacevic in the first place last fall. Nemec’s late-season & playoff emergence has Fitzgerald excited, looking more like the player they believed they drafted second overall in 2022.

Therefore, the blueline returns, looking mostly the same if the season started today. The depth is perhaps different now that Brian Dumoulin departed for the Los Angeles Kings. But, New Jersey will have Dennis Cholowski back on a one-year contract, and Seamus Casey remains with the hope he will take another step in his development. Casey has all the offensive tools, but his biggest question is defending and hockey IQ at the NHL level. It shouldn’t surprise anyone, however, to see him figure it out.

Devils Goaltenders

One of New Jersey’s weakest area’s in their lineup in the post Cory Schneider era has been goaltending. That was until Fitzgerald went out at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline and acquired Jake Allen, and later that summer, reeled in Jacob Markstrom. Now, the Devils have one of the best goaltending duos in the entire NHL.

Hanging onto Allen at the 11th hour stunned a lot of teams on July 1st who were ready to throw him the bag. Allen extended with the Devils for five seasons at a $1.8 million cap hit, keeping the veteran goaltender around long-term. It’s a good bet, as we’ve seen plenty of goaltenders have success recently in the NHL into their late 30’s. Allen serving as Markstrom’s 1B/backup next season is a big win for the Devils who are hoping to take another step toward becoming a Stanley Cup contender.

Allen’s extension also makes you wonder if there is an extension coming for Markstrom, who has been eligible to sign one since July 1st as he’s now in the final year of his contract.

The question in net is now with Nico Daws. According to Fitzgerald, Jakub Malek is going to have the chance to win the No.1 spot with the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League next season. They have the highly-touted Mikhail Yegorov developing at Boston University, and he looks like a future NHL starter. So, where does Daws fit as his contract changed from a two-way, to a one-way deal in 2025-26? Daws appears, on paper, to be third on the depth chart.

For more Devils news, visit New Jersey Hockey Now, subscribe to our YouTube and like our Facebook page.

Follow us on  :

@NJDHockeyNow, @JamesNicholsNHL

And on Threads:

@JamesNicholsNHL

By James Nichols

James is a fully credentialed New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on Sportsnaut and the ... More about James Nichols