The New Jersey Devils are rolling right now, winning four games in a row after winning Connor Hellebuyck’s debut on Tuesday night. Things are going about as well as it possibly could. However, they could go even better.
See, the Devils top lines are dominating again. The Devils have the shot advantage in every game they played, doing it again versus the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. Nico Hischier scored two goals, Jack Hughes shook off another teeth shattering to score as well, and Luke Hughes had another highlight reel goal.
Things are going well, but one thing hasn’t been going well. The fourth line has been clunky.
In the beginning of the season, once Jesper Boqvist joined the lineup, Amadeus Lombardi and Cody Glass were driving the Devils offense. Then, Keefe was forced to make a hard decision and take Lombardi out of the lineup once Connor Brown and Luke Evangelista returned from injury/sickness.
Since then, the Devils haven’t had the same contributions from the bottom six. Lombardi looks like the worst guy on the ice for the Devils. Part of that is that everyone is playing so well, but Lombardi hasn’t been the same impact player.
The Devils need to move Jesper Boqvist to the fourth line
When the Devils traded Dawson Mercer as part of the Connor Hellebuyck trade, it opened the door for Lombardi to return to the lineup, a place he will likely never leave. However, to make the most of his time in the NHL, he need the best linemates. Brown isn’t the best fit, but Jesper Boqvist was.
NHL Game Score Impact Card for New Jersey Devils on 2026-10-27: pic.twitter.com/xc3pFDRNft
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) October 28, 2026
Boqvist is currently playing with Anthony Mantha and Evan Rodrigues. They are doing well together, and Boqvist even scored on Tuesday. However, the best lineup puts Boqvist-Glass-Lombardi back together.
Brown is even a better fit for the change of pace that comes with Rodrigues and Mantha. It’s like forcing the other teams to play in slow motion after how ridiculously quick the other three lines play.
The Devils need to run all four lines if they expect to compete with the top teams in the Eastern Conference. It’s nice to beat Western Conference teams, especially the ones who are considered the best in the NHL, but nothing matters unless they start beating teams in the Metropolitan Division.
This one small changes brings the Devils forwards to some of the best in the league. They might be the best in the league. But only if Boqvist goes to his best fit.
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