The New Jersey Devils are going through their biggest slump of the season after losing their fourth consecutive game on Friday. Following losses to the Flyers, Blue Jackets, and Stars, the Devils lost 3-0 against the Golden Knights. What's more concerning is that all four losses came at home.
New Jersey failed to find the back of the net against Dallas and Vegas, marking the first time the Devils have been shut out in back-to-back home games since December 2008. Timo Meier scored the last goal in the third period against the Blue Jackets three games ago.
Against the Golden Knights, the Devils faced their ex-goalie, Akira Schmid, who returned to The Rock to haunt them. Schmid registered a shutout in his first start against his former employers. He became the third goaltender in the last few years to leave New Jersey and get a win against the Devils, joining Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood.
#NJDevils pic.twitter.com/xFLkbWHlyn
— Devils Joint (@DevilsJointX) December 6, 2025
While the defense wasn't that bad on Friday and played well until it crumbled late in the game, it's evident that the offense is a real problem here. The Devils are now experiencing a scoring drought of 128:09 minutes, one of the longest in franchise history. For comparison, the Devils' sixth-longest drought was 137:54, from late February to early March in 2004. The longest ever drought in franchise history is 178:12 in late March 2011. If the Devils fail to score in the first 50 minutes against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, they will set a new negative record.
Is there an answer on how to improve the offense?
Shortly - it's complicated. Sheldon Keefe tried to change the lines and shake things up against Vegas, but it didn't work. The fourth offensive line had the best expected goals percentage (59.5%), and that says it all. The Devils are simply toothless without Jack Hughes, and he won't be back until the New Year.
Keefe shook up the lines. Was worth a look, but uh...let's just say it did not work. Not great when your 4th line is by far the best in xGs#NJDevils pic.twitter.com/9UrCcliuKL
— Alex Chauvancy (@AlexC_NJD) December 6, 2025
Except for Hughes, three other Devils scored 10 goals (Hischier, Meier, Mercer), but that's not enough. New Jersey needs the likes of Jesper Bratt, Ondrej Palat, and Luke Hughes to be more prolific on offense, while a possible trade is also on the cards. Even when Jack Hughes returns to the ice, it's questionable whether he'll be able to stay fit for the rest of the season.
It's up to general manager Tom Fitzgerald to make a move and bring a reliable goal-scorer. Steven Stamkos emerged as the latest trade rumor, and the Devils might be interested in entering talks with the Nashville Predators.
If the Devils fire blanks for the third straight game on Saturday against the Bruins, not only will they set a negative record, but the fans' impatience will grow, and they will be more desperate for reinforcements. Expect a lot more trade rumors in the coming days.