The New Jersey Devils are nowhere near a playoff team

This was supposed to be the year. Going into the 2025 offseason, the Devils knew what they had to do to make this team an actual contender in the Eastern Conference. The Florida Panthers were devastated by injuries after two Stanley Cup Final runs. The Toronto Maple Leafs lost Mitch Marner to the Western Conference. All of the Metropolitan Division had question marks across the lineup and management. The Devils had everything going for them, from their top two centers well within their primes, a solid defensive structure, and a solid coaching staff on paper.

The season is the worst one the Devils have had in a long time. It’s worse than 2019-20. It’s worst than 2023-24. The reason this one is worse is that everything that’s gone wrong this season is their own fault, and mostly the fault of Tom Fitzgerald.

The Devils came into the season with a flaw in the top six. They only had four really good top-six options, and you can argue that Dawson Mercer makes it five. Arseny Gritsyuk has proven to be worthy of that with his skill, but he hasn’t found the scoring consistency. Evgenii Dadonov should be there, as well, but he can’t stay healthy.

Despite being tied to rumors for players like Brayden Schenn, Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, and Jordan Kyrou, the Devils have made no discernable moves to make the roster better. This is despite a boatload of injuries throughout the season.

Right now, the Devils are fully healthy. Stefan Neosen and Zack MacEwen are both going to miss extended time after knee surgery, but every other injured player is back and ready to go. Dadonov and Johnny Kovacevic returned to the lineup on Sunday, and the Devils still lost in regulation to the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets had one win since December 14th coming into this game. And they won this game, so make that two wins since December 14th.

The Devils continue to say they need to “show a response,” but then they get on the ice and look like they couldn’t care less. There are mistakes that come with no accountability. There’s a lack of communication in all zones. Players have no chemistry, and it’s been rock bottom for weeks. This was supposed to all change after they lost 9-0, but then they lost the next two games against the Penguins and Jets. This is a broken team.

After that, the Devils find themselves six points out of a playoff spot. They have four teams between themselves and the Washington Capitals, who hold the final Wild Card spot. That includes the Florida Panthers, who will get Matthew Tkachuk back soon.

It's clear the New Jersey Devils shouldn't make a push for the playoffs as currently constructed

Is six points in the standings an insurmountable deficit when looking at the standings in January? Absolutely not. Is it insurmountable for this team? It appears so.

We want to point out one moment from Sunday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets that really stood out. After Nico Hischier scored the first goal of the game, the Devils didn’t really react in a way one would expect. We want everyone ranting and raving for each goal that matters. A game-tying response goal after the Jets took the lead should get the line to cheer. Not even Hischier, who scored the goal, seemed to care to cheer for the goal.

The body language is underground for this Devils team, and that was evident in the third period. They went 13 minutes with just one shot in a game where they NEEDED to score. They didn't find any urgency until there were two minutes left in the game. Where's the passion? Where's the care for the fans in Winnipeg who get to see the Devils play once a year?

Unfortunately, Sheldon Keefe has lost control of the room. It might be beyond his control, but facts are facts. The team is not showing up, and that falls on the head coach.

It probably started with the offseason. Going back, the Devils made moves to fix the bottom six and the depth. They signed Connor Brown, Dadonov, and traded for MacEwen. Those are fine moves in a vacuum, but it still had the Devils one injury away from having Ondrej Palat in the top six, and that injury to Dadonov happened during the first game of the season.

On top of everything else, the trade rumors have crushed this team. Dougie Hamilton's relationship with the team is broken, possibly beyond repair. Ondrej Palat is having his worst season in a terrible career with the Devils. And the cherry on top was watching Quinn Hughes, who all of this was for, get traded to the Minnesota Wild. Fitzgerald's inability to pull the trigger caused all of this.

It's time to look in the mirror, figure out what went wrong, and move forward. It's best to make a clean break. The Devils can be sellers in a market with no sellers. Get insane returns for pieces on the edges, allow teams to make offers on anyone on the roster, and see which path forward makes the most sense. Making a push for the playoffs doesn't make sense at this point.