Well, this is going to be a welcomed development for New Jersey Devils fans everywhere.
READ MORE: The Wedge Between the Devils & Luke Hughes
Head coach Sheldon Keefe put a new mix of forwards out on the ice during Saturday morning’s first training camp practice group. Of note, Arseny Gritsyuk slotted on the left wing of Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, and the remainder of the forward group looks like what they could head into the regular season with:
Devils Forward Lines 09/27/2025
Arseny Gritsyuk–Jack Hughes–Jesper Bratt
Ondrej Palat–Nico Hischier–Timo Meier
Evgenii Dadonov–Dawson Mercer–Connor Brown
Paul Cotter–Cody Glass–Nathan Legare
Gritsyuk has showed very well in the preseason thus far. He’s skated in all three contests to date, has certainly been active and effective in the offensive zone, and is seemingly responsible in the neutral and defensive end. Thus, the opportunity for a high-skill, offensively charged line was born on Saturday morning.
Most of the 2024-25 season saw Ondrej Palat flank the two Devils superstars. This gives the Devils a much different look on the left side.
You’ll also notice Keefe broke up Palat and Connor Brown. It’s likely he knows those two work well together, however, he needs to see what other chemistries can be bred if things perhaps run dry.
One of the other biggest developments at Saturday morning’s practice was Dawson Mercer’s role moving to third-line center. Mercer is bordered by Brown on the right, and Evgenii Dadonov on the left, making for a speedy two-way third line that can forecheck and score.
Nathan Legare skating with this group is indicative. He’s been a physical menace all preseason, and is certainly making a case for fourth line minutes. Skating with Paul Cotter and Cody Glass gives the Devils a physical, defensively responsible trio who can make life difficult on opponents late in games.
Certainly, Legare’s presence is to fill the void that’s left by Stefan Noesen, who remains out of training camp with injury.
On the blueline this morning, most of the regulars were also in attendance, with a few bidders for a roster spot skating as well. Notably, Seamus Casey, Ethan Edwards, and Dennis Cholowski are in Group 2, however, they each played the night prior. Evidently, the Devils are still evaluating the void left by Luke Hughes:
Devils Defense Lines 09/27/2025
Jackson van de Leest–Brett Pesce
Brenden Dillon–Simon Nemec
Topias Vilen–Dmitri Osipov
Jonas Siegenthaler–Dougie Hamilton
