The New Jersey Devils are among the better teams in the NHL, and it's mainly because they have been a high-octane group that is fourth in scoring with 45 goals heading into Sunday night's showdown with the Anaheim Ducks.
Still, like every team that started off hot, not every player is enjoying a stellar season. There are three right now who have struggled as the Devils march into November, and those struggles must go to the wayside quickly if they want to be the most complete team possible.
Now, because the Devils have been excellent for the most part, they have done a great job of hiding the shortcomings of these three individuals. But when you dig deep, that's when you notice their flaws. Let's get started.
Jonas Siegenthaler
Jonas Siegenthalar has been a disappointment for a while now, following a solid 2022-23 season in which he put up 21 points in 80 games. Heading into Sunday's matchup against the Anaheim Ducks, he hasn't put up 21 in each of the last two seasons and the first 12 games of 2025-26 combined.
Okay, but Siegenthalar isn't the type of blueliner who produces points, so you might give him a reprieve. That still doesn't explain the 38 high-danger chances he's given up alongside Dougie Hamilton, nor does it explain an 89.0 on-ice save percentage at even strength, which is by far his lowest over the past three seasons.
Jacob Markstrom
The good news? Jacob Markstrom finally enjoyed a good game. The bad? Just about everything else. Markstrom may be 3-2-0, but his GAA is a sickening 4.17, with a 0.875 save percentage, and a 0.250 quality starts percentage.
That's a night and day difference from his 2024-25 season that saw him finish with a 0.900 save percentage, a 2.50 GAA, and a 0.592 quality starts percentage. Still, maybe his outing against the Los Angeles Kings will change the trajectory of his season, given his lights-out 0.977 save percentage and 43 stops on 44 shots.
You couldn't have asked for a better bounce-back game following the eight-goal debacle against the Colorado Avalanche. Now, the burning question is whether Markstrom will keep it up.
Ondrej Palat
Nobody is expecting Ondrej Palat to be a dynamic points producer, but nobody also expected one measly assist in 12 games. In 2024-25, Palat snagged a respectable 15 goals and 28 points across 77 contests, and he's nowhere near on pace for that at the moment.
Palat has still played a physical game with 18 hits and 11 blocked shots heading into Sunday, but wow, at least give the Devils a quarter point per game. Right now, even that seems like a far cry.
If there is any offensive upside, it's with Palat's on-ice shooting percentage at even strength, which is 14.3. That's a good number, and it shows that he's at least helping the Devils score when they have the puck in the offensive zone. Still, an 87.8 on-ice save percentage in that same situation is, so far, his lowest as a Devil.