The New Jersey Devils have their work cut out for them in the new year. There haven't been many positives about this team lately. The Eastern Conference is very tight, and the Devils are currently out of a playoff spot. It makes sense because they have not been playing like a playoff team. If the Devils are going to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, some things need to change.
Jack Hughes is back in action, but his return hasn’t been an instant boost for the Devils. They’re 0-2-1 since his return. It’s going to take some time for him to find his rhythm again, and in the meantime, the Devils have improvements to make to keep the team in the playoff race.
The Devils have dealt with an awful lot of injuries this season, have struggled in the net, and just aren’t scoring enough. With the calendar about to flip to 2026, here are three New Year’s resolutions for the Devils.
1. The Devils must stay healthy
First and foremost, the Devils need to stay healthy and on the ice. The goal for 2026 is for the injury bug to stop biting. Something’s got to give, right? A full-strength squad can do more damage.
The Devils have struggled with a depleted lineup throughout much of the season, losing multiple stars and depth players. They’ve suffered injuries to Jack Hughes, Brett Pesce, Jonathan Kovacevic, Simon Nemec, Jacob Markstrom, Dougie Hamilton, Cody Glass and more.
Players have returned to the lineup and the team is close to full strength. Yet, the Devils are still struggling. It takes time to get comfortable and find chemistry again. It will come, but once it does, the last thing the Devils need is to get hit with more injuries. They can't really control this one, so 2026 needs to usher in good luck and good health.
2. They need league-average or better goaltending consistently
The Devils need better and more consistent goaltending. Jacob Markstrom is having a rough year. His lack of consistent play is killing the Devils. While it’s true that the defense is hanging the goaltenders out to dry a lot, the goaltending also needs to be better. Markstrom has a .883 SV% this season.
Markstrom has lacked reliability. He needs to reduce the number of soft goals he’s letting up. Also, stop coming so far out of the net to play the puck. His blunder against the Islanders last week that allowed a goal is not the first time he’s ventured too far away from the crease. He’s had some great games and some really awful games. In the new year, it’s time to find consistency.
Jake Allen has been relatively solid as a backup. He has a .910 SV% this season. Markstrom has played well in his past two games, but the Devils need to run with Allen, as he's been the hot hand. They need league-average or better goaltending to compete at a level to be a playoff team.
3. The Devils need to score more goals
Score more goals. This one sounds obvious, but the stats behind it show just how dire the scoring situation is. The Devils are currently 25th in the league with 103 goals scored this season. They’re 27th in the league in goals per game played with 2.71 GF/GP. They’re just not scoring.
Only five teams in the league are scoring fewer goals per game than the Devils. The Los Angeles Kings are the only team of those five in a playoff position. The Kings are allowing the second-fewest goals per game in the league.
This scoring dry spell needs to change in the new year, and fast, before the Devils slip further down the standings. If Jack Hughes heats up, Jesper Bratt builds on his performance in Saturday night’s loss against the Capitals, and Timo Meier goes on another tear, the Devils can climb their way back into the playoff picture and stay there.
The resolutions are clear. Now the Devils need to deliver.