6. Devils @ Utah Hockey Club — Delta Center — March 1, 2025
Utah Hockey Club will play their first season in 2024-25. March 1, 2025, will mark the Devils’ first time playing hockey in Utah. The game will take place at Delta Center, which is also home to the Utah Jazz. Utah Hockey Club is a new team, but the roster carried over from the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes.
The whole month of March is going to be a test for the Devils. They will play 16 games in 31 days, the most of any month during the season. This makes the first game in March, their match-up with Utah, critical for setting the tone for a heavy month.
When facing off against Utah Hockey, the Devils will meet up with a familiar face: John Marino, who was recently traded after two seasons in New Jersey. The Devils will host Utah Hockey at home early in the season on Oct. 14.
5. Devils vs. Panthers — Prudential Center — Jan. 14, 2025
The Devils will take on the Florida Panthers at home on Jan. 15. This will be their only home game against the Panthers. They will also play in Florida on Nov. 12 and 14. In 2023-24, the Devils won one of three games against the Panthers. Both losses were close games. How will the Devils stack up against the defending Stanley Cup champions?
Well, an offseason changes a lot, and it won’t be quite the same Panthers team. The Panthers lost several key players from their Stanley Cup-winning run. Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan Lomberg, Brandon Montour, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Kevin Stenlund, and Anthony Stolarz are among the names that exited in free agency. The Panthers still have many of their top names, including Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Aleksander Barkov.
The offseason changed a lot for the Devils, too, especially finally getting a top tier goalie. They have the pieces necessary to compete with top teams like the Panthers, but they must show they can do it. This will be a match-up to watch.