Forwards
For the general NHL fan, the Senators might have a better forward core. The “bigger names” are mostly on the Sens. Brady Tkachuk, Claude Giroux, and Tim Stützle are the top stars who are pushing the Senators into contention. But looked at the roster as a whole, the two teams are fairly comparable.
The top sixes of both squads are filled with young and exciting players. The Devils have slightly the upper echelon of players. This is mostly due to how good Jack Hughes is and how much better he is compared to guys like Stützle and Josh Norris. Norris and Stützle are very good, but when looked at from the lens of being a 1st line, elite center, they do not come close. However, the Sens have better wingers. Norris, Drake Batherson, Alex Debrincat, and Tkachuk are all bonafide top-six wingers. So as a whole, let’s call it a tie. In the future, these two teams are pretty equivalent. Will the Devils be able to hold onto Bratt and will the Sens be able to afford/convince Debrincat to stay?
The bottom-six groups of both teams are also comparable, but most prefer the Sens. They resigned Mathieu Joseph, who was arguably the best bottom-six player in the league. They picked up Tyler Motte in free agency, who was a great 4th-Line center for the Rangers last year. They might add prospects like Grieg to this group. But the Devils also have some good players, but it depends on who makes the team. Guys like Zetterlund, Thompson, and Johnson may or may not make the team, which could sway my opinion. For now, I’ll take the Sens.