The Stanley Cup playoffs concluded last week with the Carolina Hurricanes taking home the championship. With that, the NHL offseason is about to be in full swing. In his first season as New Jersey Devils general manger, Sunny Mehta has a massive one ahead of him.
Let’s take a look at what Mehta and the Devils can expect this offseason. Our full 2026 offseason preview is below.
Offseason Schedule
The first step of the offseason schedule is underway, as the buyout window opened up on June 17. That period runs until 5:00 pm ET on June 30.
The NHL Entry Draft is the next big step of the offseason. That will span June 26-27 and take place in Buffalo, New York. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the lottery and will pick first overall.
After the draft, on June 29, teams will have to tender qualifying offers to their restricted free agents (RFA) to retain their rights. Those who are not tendered will then become an unrestricted free agent (UFA).
Arguably the largest part of any offseason comes on July 1 when NHL free agency opens. At 12:00 pm ET, NHL players on expiring contracts, or who were non-tendered, will be free to sign with other teams. The class is unfortunately viewed as much weaker compared to others. The top name on the market is forward Alex Tuch while the top defenseman was slated to be Darren Raddysh, but he was moved to Toronto in a sign-and-trade deal early Friday morning.
Additionally on July 1, players who are set to become unrestricted free agents in 2027 are eligible to sign extensions. This is an important date for the Devils as captain Nico Hischier is set to become a free agent following next season and all reports make it seem like an extension may be on the horizon.
Following the free agency festivities, arbitration hearings will begin on July 20. Select restricted free agents are arbitration eligible and can elect it if they choose to do so. The Devils have several arbitration-eligible players this offseason.
Summary:
- June 17: Buyout window opens
- June 26-27: NHL Entry Draft
- June 29: RFA tender deadline
- June 30: Buyout window closes
- July 1: Free agency begins and 2027 free agents become extension-eligible
- July 20: Arbitration hearings begin
Devils Assets
What will new general manager Sunny Mehta have to work with in his first offseason? The Devils are slated to have $10.90 million in space to begin the offseason according to PuckPedia. This figure is the sixth-lowest in the league. That is with 19 NHL-level contracts, but only 29 of 50 total contracts permitted.
As far as the draft, the Devils have the following selections June 26-27:
- Round 1: No. 12
- Round 2: No. 44
- Round 4: No. 108
- Round 5: No. 140
- Round 6: No. 172
All of the above selections are the team’s original picks. Their third-round pick was drafted away in the deal that sent Ondrej Palat to the New York Islanders on January 27. The deal opened up valuable cap space for the Devils. Their seventh-round pick was traded away to acquire Daniel Sprong from the Seattle Kraken back in March of 2025.
According to PuckPedia, the Devils have a total pick value of 38.2. This figure ranks 13th in the league, largely aided by owning the 12th-overall pick. Only five teams have fewer total picks than the Devils (Hurricanes, Sabres, Flyers, Oilers, and Golden Knights each have four).
In future seasons, the Devils are without their third and sixth round selections in 2027, but own all the rest of their picks. They have yet to trade away or gain any 2028 or 2029 picks.
Internal Free Agents
Free agency begins July 1 and the deadline to qualify restricted free agents is June 29. The Devils have several, albeit not exactly vital, free agents of each kind. The most notable are Arseny Gritsyuk and Simon Nemec, each of which are restricted free agents.
The full list of those are below:
Restricted Free Agents (RFA): F Arseny Gritsyuk (arb.), F Paul Cotter, F (arb.), F Xavier Parent (arb.), F Dylan Wendt (arb.), D Simon Nemec, D Calen Addison (arb.), D Topias Vilén, G Nico Daws (arb.), G Jakub Málek (arb.), G Tyler Brennan
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA): F Evgenii Dadonov, F Zack MacEwen, F Brian Halonen, F Ryan Schmelzer, F Jonathan Gruden (G6), F Nathan Légaré (G6), F Mike Hardman, F Marc McLaughlin (G6), D Dennis Cholowski, D Colton White
We have already written in-depth articles analyzing each of the players mentioned above. For our full analysis on the RFAs click here. For a full analysis into the UFAs click here.
As mentioned, the Devils will need to extend a qualifying offer to the restricted free agents they would like to retain by June 29. Those who have, “arb.,” listed next to them are eligible to elect arbitration. This will allow a third-party mediator come in and decide that individual’s salary, on a one-or-two-year deal, after both the player and team submits a figure they believe they are worth.
Below are some contract projections from AFP Analytics for some of the notable pending free agents listed above:
- F Arseny Gritsyuk: two years, $6,091,579.66 (bridge)/four years, $23,559,961.90 (long term)
- F Paul Cotter: three years, $6,976,320
- F Evgenii Dadonov: one year, $1,004,342.87
- D Simon Nemec: two years, $8,946,600 (bridge)/seven years, $56,424,550 (long term)
- G Nico Daws: one-year, $892,500
Current Depth Chart
With the potential departures identified and what assets the Devils will have to try to replace those departures and existing holes, let’s take a look at what those holes are. Here is the depth chart entering the offseason:
Forwards
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| Timo Meier | Jack Hughes | Jesper Bratt |
| Arseny Gritsyuk* | Nico Hischier | |
| Dawson Mercer | Connor Brown | |
| Cody Glass | Lenni Hämeenaho |
Analysis
Last season, the Devils scored the sixth-fewest amount of goals and owned the second-worst team shooting percentage in the league. Some way New Jersey must inject some scoring talent into their forward group next season.
As it stands, the team likely has five of their top-six. If they want to increase scoring, adding another scorer to that group would be wise.
The team also needs to do some work on their depth. Mercer should be viewed more as a middle-six presence rather than a top-six, him, along with Brown, Glass, and Hämeenaho should make for a nice grouping in the bottom of the lineup. However, they will need to add a few more players to that group externally to take the next step.
Defense:
| Left Defense | Right Defense |
| Jonas Siegentahler | Dougie Hamilton |
| Luke Hughes | Brett Pesce |
| Brenden Dillon | Johnathan Kovacevic |
Analysis
As it stands, the Devils’ defensive core is pretty crowded. If they want to make additions to this area, a trade would likely be necessary. Someone like Siegenthaler, Dillon, or Kovacevic could be on the move.
Additionally, there is the interesting topic that is Nemec. Nemec is a restricted free agent and has not lived up to his second overall selection. Rumors are swirling he may be on the move as well.
Goaltenders:
| Starter | Backup |
| Jacob Markström | Jake Allen |
Analysis
Pending a trade, the Devils goaltending duo will once again by Markström and Allen. The Devils need a major bounce back season from Markström. Meanwhile, Allen has been a model of consistency since coming over from Montreal.
The Needs
Based off the above analysis, the below are the areas of focus the Devils should have this offseason:
- Top-six winger
- Middle-six winger or bottom-six center
- Bottom-six winger
- Depth defenseman
Scoring punch in the team’s top-six should be atop of the team’s list of wishes this offseason. Also, help on the wing in the middle-six or a third-or-fourth line center would be necessary depending on the team’s plans with Mercer. Lastly, more depth on the wing on the bottom line may be necessary if the team do not like their internal options.
The team’s defense is pretty set unless they move out someone like Siegenthaler, Dillon, Kovacevic, or even Hamilton. However, if no moves are made there, they would likely only be in the market for depth.
In net, if the team chooses to hold onto Markström they have their duo for next season. If Markström is shipped out, the Devils would need to find a compliment to Allen as they certainly do not have another option internally to fill that role currently. Daws, who is a RFA, has not shown enough consistency to warrant getting a shot to be an everyday NHL-level player.
The Free Agent Market
As mentioned, the free agent class is relatively weak this year, but there will still be some options for the Devils, who will be on a bit of a tight budget, to address some internal needs.
Below are some of those options that may fit with the team this offseason. The below are only players that would seemingly fit in with what the Devils are needing. There are a plethora of other players that are set to hit the market that either don’t fit a need or the team should steer away from. Those individuals are not included below.
Forwards:
- LW Viktor Arvidsson
- LW Mason Marchment
- LW Andrei Kuzmenko
- LW Michael Bunting
- LW Victor Olofsson
- LW A.J. Greer
- LW James van Riemsdyk
- LW Danton Heinen
- LW Beck Malenstyn
- C Jack Roslovic
- C Noel Acciari
- C Nick Cousins
- C Adam Henrique
- C Alexander Kerfoot
- RW Anthony Mantha
- RW Mats Zuccarello
- RW Ilya Mikheyev
- RW Vladimir Tarasenko
- RW Oliver Bjorkstrand
- RW Kailer Yamamoto
Defense:
- LD Ryan Shea
- LD Ian Cole
- RD Mario Ferraro
- RD Nick Blankenburg
- RD Trevor van Riemsdyk
- RD Vincent Desharnais
- RD Justin Holl
Goalies:
The Trade Market
Free agency is always the first choice for teams to address needs, but the trade market should be active this offseason as usual. Below are some potential options rumored to be on the market that may be of intrigue to the Devils.
- Matthew Knies, LW (TOR)
- Jordan Kyrou, RW (STL)
- Valeri Nichushkin, LW (COL)
- Blake Coleman, LW (CGY)
- Jake DeBrusk, LW (VAN)
- Shane Wright, C (SEA)
- Devon Levi, G (BUF)
Final Thoughts
First-time general manager Sunny Mehta has his work cut out for him. The team is chasing the ability to become a consistent contender and Mehta will be tasked to make that possible this offseason.
With a tighter cap situation and not a ton of draft capital, Mehta will have to get creative. Will he ship out pending restricted free agent Simon Nemec? Did Dougie Hamilton’s strong season buy him another year in New Jersey? Will the team finally be able to find themselves another top-six scorer? All those questions will be answered in the coming months.
Make sure to follow along with our social media pages this offseason. We will have all Devils-related updates and content all season long.