The New Jersey Devils saw their preseason slate come to an end on Saturday as they dominated the New York Islanders on the road. The team finished the exhibition slate 3-0-1. Unfortunately for them, none of the games counted. Also, a four-game sample is nothing to make declarations about. Despite this, it is worth at least monitoring those who played well and those who didn’t.
Our stock up and stock down report from the four-game preseason slate is below.
Stock Up: The 2026-27 New Jersey Devils
No matter who was playing for New Jersey this preseason the team was performing. Here is how the team ranked in important five-on-five metrics:
- Shot attempt differential: 7th
- Shot differential: 2nd
- Expected goals differential: 5th
- Scoring chance differential: 8th
- High-danger shot attempt differential: 7th
- Goal differential: 6th
In addition to excelling at five-on-five, the Devils’ power play went 2-for-8, which ranked in the top-10. Their penalty kill was an almost perfect 10-for-11 (90.9%), which also ranked in the league’s top-10.
Again, preseason is a small sample and usually does not have much of a correlation to the regular season, however, it is great to see the team performing so well.
Stock Down: Nico Daws
It was not a strong preseason for Nico Daws, who is battling for a NHL roster spot. Daws played in two games and stopped 33-of-38 shots (0.868 save percentage). He allowed 0.3 goals more than expected.
It is a very important year for the now 25-year-old goaltender. His NHL tenures have largely been inconsistent, flashing some brilliance but also struggling dearly at times. His AHL performances have also slipped in recent years. Based off preseason, and the track records, David Rittich seems like the safer choice. Not to mention, the team claimed goaltender RĂ©mi Porier on Sunday.
Stock Up: The “Fourth Line”
The Devils’ bottom line, on paper anyways, in the preseason was largely Cody Glass, Connor Brown, and Amadeus Lombardi. It certainly appears as if the team has found something with that trio. The below is how they performed at five-on-five across the 16:46 they played with each other:
- Shot-attempts: 17-3
- Shots: 8-0
- Scoring chances: 7-2
- High-danger shot attempts: 2-0
The Devils should certainly keep this line together for when the regular season slate begins on Thursday.
Stock Down: Declan Chisholm
With Johnathan Kovacevic still rehabbing from a minor knee procedure, Declan Chisholm will start on the team’s bottom-pair alongside Brenden Dillon. Chisholm, acquired from the Washington Capitals in June, had a tough preseason. His 45.23 expected-goals for percentage at five-on-five ranked third-worst among 36 Devils to play in preseason and ranked last among Devils defensemen.
Chisholm, 26, only played in 26 games in a depth role for Washington last year. However, in 2024-25 he played a career-high 66 games. During that season, he posted on-ice defensive metrics, according to Evolving Hockey’s goals above replacement metrics, that ranked in the league’s 89th percentile. Alongside Dillon, the pair should provide a strong defensive, shutdown-type presence irregardless of the preseason results.
Stock Up: Luke Evangelista
The Devils made a surprise move in acquiring young Nashville Predators winger Luke Evangelista late in the offseason. Evangelista had himself a terrific preseason, picking right up where he left off following a career-year in 2025-26. Evangelista scored two goals in the preseason finale against the Islanders. He finished the preseason with three points in two games, the lone Devil to break the two-point mark during the exhibition slate.
His presence should go above and beyond in aiding captain Nico Hischier and getting winger Timo Meier back to the form everyone knows he can be in. It would not be surprising to see Evangelista be one of the most underrated, valuable acquisitions league-wide this offseason.
Stock Down: Shane Lachane
Shane Lachance was an intriguing acquisition at the time. The former Boston University Terrier had a strong final season as the team’s captain (30 points in 40 games) and had a legitimate opportunity to make the Devils out of training camp. That did not come to fruition and instead he spent almost all of the season with Utica where he posted 25 points across 62 games.
Lachance played in two games for the Devils and struggled. He posted the second-worst Corsi-for percentage and second-worst expected goals-for parentage among the 36 Devils to skate in a preseason game. The 23-year-old has a big season upcoming for himself in Utica.
Note, all statistics, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.