The New Jersey Devils, a team built on promise and packed with high-end talent, find themselves at a crossroads as the 2025-26 NHL season reaches its midpoint. With the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs scheduled to begin in late April, the Devils are staring down a tough road, their playoff ambitions clouded by a rash of injuries and inconsistent performances. For a franchise that has tasted Stanley Cup glory three times—in 1995, 2000, and 2003—the current campaign is unfolding with more questions than answers.
On paper, this should be the time for the Devils to shine. Their core, led by number-one overall pick centers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, is firmly in its prime. The blue line boasts recent highly drafted defensemen Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, both expected to anchor the team for years to come. Add in established veterans like Dougie Hamilton and Timo Meier, and it’s no wonder expectations were sky-high heading into the season.
Yet, as of January 7, 2026, the Devils are sitting with 46 points through 42 games, a tally that leaves them tied for second-last in the Metropolitan Division. The numbers tell a sobering story for a squad that, just last spring, finished third in the division with 91 points and made the playoffs, only to be bounced in the first round by the Carolina Hurricanes. The path back to the postseason is looking a little steeper this year, and the reasons are as plain as the injury report.
Jack Hughes, the dynamic center and face of the franchise, has already missed 17 games due to a non-hockey-related hand injury. His absence has been felt not just on the scoreboard but in the team’s energy and offensive creativity. Simon Nemec, the young defenseman touted as a future star, has been sidelined for the last 11 games with a lower-body injury. And it doesn’t end there—goaltenders Jakob Markstrom and Jake Allen have also been in and out of the lineup, further disrupting the team’s rhythm.
"If I can follow along with the school analogy, it’s an attendance issue for the New Jersey Devils. Jack Hughes hasn’t been available. It’s an unfortunate injury, it’s a freak accident, but every year Jack Hughes needs to go down and miss 20 to 25 games with an injury," observed Tyler Yaremchuk on Daily Faceoff LIVE, summing up the frustration felt by fans and analysts alike.
The injuries have exacted a heavy toll on the Devils’ offensive output. As of early January, New Jersey ranks 29th in the NHL in goals per game—a stunning statistic for a team that, when healthy, boasts one of the league’s most exciting forward groups. The lack of firepower has put even more pressure on the defense and goaltending, areas already stretched thin by constant lineup changes.
Despite these setbacks, hope is far from lost in Newark. The Devils’ playoff odds still stand at -130, with odds to miss the postseason at +110—a sign that bookmakers and analysts believe the team has a fighting chance to turn things around. With roughly half the season left to play, there’s ample opportunity for a healthy Devils squad to claw back into the playoff mix. But the margin for error is shrinking fast.
Looking back, the Devils’ recent history is a tale of peaks and valleys. After a dominant stretch of playoff appearances from 1997 to 2010, the team has only reached the postseason three times since their heartbreaking loss in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. Their most recent playoff series victory came in 2023, when they edged out the rival New York Rangers in a thrilling seven-game first-round battle. That win rekindled memories of the franchise’s glory days and set expectations for a new era of Devils hockey.
But the reality of the 2025-26 season has been more sobering. The Devils last missed the playoffs in 2024, finishing seventh in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points and failing to secure a Wild Card berth. This year’s campaign was supposed to be a step forward, a return to consistent contention. Instead, it’s become a test of resilience and depth.
On Daily Faceoff LIVE, the Devils’ mid-season performance was put under the microscope. "For the Devils, it’s attendance-based for me. If they can keep everyone healthy, they probably need to add some scoring. 29th in the NHL (in goals per game), and again that number’s lower because Jack Hughes has been out, but if they add some scoring I think this is a team that we can see peak at the right time. So we gave them a C- for their start to the season," said Yaremchuk, echoing the sentiments of many observers who see untapped potential in this group.
The question now is whether the Devils can finally get all hands on deck. The return of Jack Hughes and Simon Nemec would be a massive boost, not just for the team’s skill level but for its confidence. Meanwhile, the front office faces a critical decision: Should they seek additional scoring help before the trade deadline, or trust that their current roster can rise to the occasion as injured players return?
Veteran leaders like Dougie Hamilton and Timo Meier will be counted on to steady the ship, both on and off the ice. Hamilton, a steady presence on the blue line, has seen his role grow with Nemec out, while Meier’s scoring touch will be crucial as the Devils try to climb the standings. The team’s depth will also be tested, as younger players are asked to fill bigger roles in the absence of stars.
Fans, for their part, are clinging to the hope that this season’s adversity will forge a stronger, more resilient team for the stretch run. The Devils’ loyal following has seen it all before—the highs of championship parades and the lows of missed opportunities. They know that in the NHL, fortunes can change in a heartbeat, especially with a roster as talented as New Jersey’s.
As the season barrels toward its final months, the Devils’ destiny remains unwritten. Will this be the year they overcome adversity and make a deep playoff run, or will injuries and inconsistency derail their ambitions yet again? One thing’s for sure: with the Stanley Cup Playoffs looming, every game from here on out carries massive weight. The stage is set for a dramatic finish in Newark.