The New Jersey Devils have been struggling offensively to start the season. No forward has a 5v5 goal this year, and only Jack Hughes has any goal, and that came in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers, who haven’t won a game in their first four. It’s been a rough go that was made even worse by the 6-0 waxing they took at the hands of the New York Islanders on Saturday.
For the most part, the Devils are relatively healthy on offense. While they are missing Nick Bjugstad, Seamus Casey, and Johnny Kovacevic, none of those have really hurt them (although they do need to do something about the bottom of the defense). What’s really hurting is Connor Brown’s absence.
After Sunny Mehta made a ton of moves this offseason, adding Anthony Mantha, Luke Evangelista, and Evan Rodrigues, it pushed Brown to the fourth line. That’s a surprising development since he was one of Jack Hughes’s best linemates last season.
Then, surprisingly, Brown was not in the lineup as we started the Devils 2026-27 season. He was dealing with an injury, although, it was not expected to be serious. So far, Brown has missed two games, and Stefan Noesen has replaced him.
Noesen had a good start to his preseason and training camp, but that has not translated to the regular season.
It’s clear the Devils needed a different solution. On Monday, they practiced with Jesper Boqvist in that spot. He will likely get the shot when the Devils take on the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday evening.
However, this isn’t as good a solution as Connor Brown. Having a guy who can score and bring speed to the table was where the Devils advantage lied. Without him, that advantage isn’t there, especially with a rookie Amadeus Lombardi on the other wing.
Brown can’t come back soon enough. The Devils need him desperately.
The biggest issue is that Brown’s absence is being felt beyond the scoresheet. His speed gives Hughes another option in transition and forces opposing defenders to back off, creating more space for the Devils’ top players to operate. Without that element, the offense has looked far too predictable, with too much pressure falling on Hughes to create something out of nothing.
Brown also brings the kind of forechecking pressure that can extend offensive-zone possessions and generate chances that don’t necessarily come from set plays. The Devils have plenty of talent on paper, but they need players who complement their stars. Brown has already shown that he can do exactly that, which makes his return even more important.
Add us as a preferred source on Google