Devils' Gustav Hillstrom: Picked by Jersey in Round 4
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Hillstrom was the 114th overall pick by New Jersey in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Like many young Swedish players, Hillstrom is too good for their Jr. league (16 goals and 38 points in 43 regular-season outings), but not good enough to make an impact in the SHL. In 18 regular-season appearances with Brynas in the top division, Hillstrom had just one goal and one assist. He has proven to be a versatile piece who can play both center and the wing as well as up and down the lineup, but he's lacked high-end offensive production. Hillstrom's one-assist performance in 10 games at the recently completed World U18's was particularly disappointing. New Jersey is likely hoping Hillstrom can develop into a bottom-six center that can kill penalties.
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Devils' Mason Moe: Grabbed by Jersey in Round 3
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Moe was the 90th overall pick by New Jersey in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Moe made the jump from the Minnesota high school ranks to the USHL in 2024-25 and had a nice year. Playing alongside fellow 2025 draftee Ryker Lee in Madison, Moe had 17 goals and 43 points in 51 regular-season games before adding six points in six playoff appearances. He can really shoot the puck and is big enough (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) to win his fair share of board battles. There are questions regarding Moe's straight-line speed, but other than that, he has a nice all-around offensive skill set. The Eden Prairie native is a 2026-27 commit to the University of Minnesota.
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Devils' Ben Kevan: Late Round 2 pick
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Kevan was the 63rd overall pick by New Jersey in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
If Kevan is going to make it to NHL prominence, he's going to do so by taking an unusual path. A California native, Kevan spent the vast majority of 2024-25 with Des Moines of the USHL (13 goals and 43 points in 51 regular-season appearances) and is committed to Arizona State University. A member of the 2023-24 USHL All-Rookie Team, Kevan earns high marks for his speed and individual skill. However, he could stand to use his teammates a bit more. While there's clear long-term upside here, Kevan's current skill set isn't conducive to a depth role, as evidenced by his struggles in that capacity during his brief stint at the US NTDP program. He's going to have to put up points to make an impact down the road.
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Devils' Conrad Fondrk: Joins Jersey in Round 2
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Fondrk was the 50th overall pick by New Jersey in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Fondrk showed enough during his time at the US NTDP to be a fairly high draft pick despite dealing with injuries and consequently rarely playing at 100 percent. He has a lot of talent and might have been taken in the latter stages of the first round if he had stayed healthy. Fondrk's game lacks physicality, and there are consistency issues to work through. However, he has a decent amount of individual skill, uses his teammates well and can really shoot the puck. He's a buy-low guy in many regards, and it wouldn't be the least bit surprising to see Fondrk's stock rise when he heads to Boston University in the fall.
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Devils' Jeremy Hanzel: Flipped in trade
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Hanzel and a 2025 fourth-round pick were dealt to the Devils from the Predators in exchange for Erik Haula on Wednesday.
Hanzel has yet to make his NHL debut. He signed a contract with the Avalanche in March of 2024 but was dealt to the Predators just hours after the trade, and he'll now be on his third organization. He played most of 2024-25 with ECHL Atlanta, earning 22 points in 61 appearances while also seeing four games with AHL Milwaukee. Given the Devils' depth on defense, Hanzel is nowhere close to earning a promotion to the big club -- he'll spend most of 2025-26 with AHL Utica.
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Devils' Juho Lammikko: Returning to NHL
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Lammikko signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with New Jersey on Saturday, per PuckPedia.
Lammikko supplied 13 goals and 38 points across 48 regular-season outings with the ZSC Lions of Switzerland's National League in 2024-25. The 29-year-old last played in the NHL during the 2021-22 campaign when he recorded seven goals and 15 points in 75 regular-season appearances with Vancouver. Lammikko figures to be in the mix for a bottom-six spot on the Devils' Opening Night roster.
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Devils' Nico Hischier: Suffers lower-body injury
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Hischier suffered a lower-body injury at the 2025 IIHF World Championship and will miss the remainder of the tournament, Daniel Amoia of The Hockey Writers reports Friday.
The injury should not affect Hischier as far as next season is concerned, as he is expected to return to full health well before training camp. Hischier had 35 goals and 34 assists across 75 regular-season games in 2024-25, leading the Devils in goals while finishing third on the team with 69 points.
Legare signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Devils on Thursday.
Legare spent the 2024-25 campaign with New Jersey on a two-way deal, and he made his first three NHL appearances in early December. He recorded no points, 12 hits and a blocked shot while averaging 10:41 of ice time over his three outings with the Devils. However, he was more productive with AHL Utica, racking up 17 goals, eight assists and 102 PIM over 69 appearances.
Hameenaho inked a three-year, entry-level contract with New Jersey on Thursday, per Mike Morreale of NHL.com.
The Devils selected Hameenaho with the 58th pick in the 2023 Draft. He had 20 goals and 51 points in 58 regular-season games with Assat Pori of the SM-liiga and will cross the pond to play in North America in time for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
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Devils' Johnny Kovacevic: Has knee surgery Thursday
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Kovacevic underwent knee surgery Thursday and won't be ready for the start of training camp, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.
Kovacevic's timeline hasn't officially ruled him out for Opening Night of the Devils' 2025-26 campaign, but this update certainly doesn't bode well for the blueliner. The Ontario native is coming off a career year in which he set new personal bests in games played (81), assists (16) and points (17). Even if Kovacevic is ready for the start of the season, he may be hard-pressed to push for the 20-point threshold, especially considering he has yet to reach that mark in his career.
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Devils' Arseni Gritsyuk: Pens one-year deal
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Gritsyuk signed a one-year, entry-level contract with New Jersey on Tuesday.
Gritsyuk will finally make the jump to North America after being selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Devils. Considering it's a one-year deal, the 24-year-old winger should get every chance to make the Opening Night roster ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
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Devils' Jesper Bratt: Undergoing shoulder surgery
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Bratt (shoulder) will have offseason surgery but should be ready for the beginning of training camp in the fall, the Devils announced Monday.
Bratt will be unavailable to participate in the 2025 IIHF World Championship for Sweden, but he probably won't miss the beginning of the 2025-26 campaign. He amassed 21 goals, 88 points, 180 shots on net and 96 hits across 81 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. Bratt added one goal, two helpers, 20 shots on target, six hits and five blocks in five playoff outings during New Jersey's first-round defeat versus Carolina.
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Devils' Luke Hughes: Undergoes shoulder surgery
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The Devils announced Monday that Hughes recently underwent successful shoulder surgery and is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp this fall.
Hughes made 71 regular-season appearances this year and recorded seven goals and 37 assists while averaging 21:09 of ice time. However, he sustained an injury during the team's playoff opener and was unavailable for the remainder of the first round. He'll face a recovery process during the offseason but should be ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
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Devils' Johnny Kovacevic: Likely headed for surgery
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Kovacevic is dealing with a knee injury that will probably require surgery, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports Thursday.
Kovacevic missed the Devils' last two games due to his knee injury and could be in danger of being sidelined for the start of training camp in the fall. Fortunately for the 27-year-old defenseman, he signed a new five-year deal with the Devils in March, otherwise, he'd be heading into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent with a questionable knee.
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Devils' Brenden Dillon: Dealt with neck injury in playoffs
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Dillon missed the final four games of the Devils' first-round series with a neck injury, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports Thursday.
Dillon was hurt early in the second period of Game 1 versus Carolina and never returned. He was slated to miss at least the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs if New Jersey had advanced. Dillon managed two goals, 14 assists, 191 hits, 108 blocked shots and 67 PIM across 82 regular-season games in 2024-25. He should be ready to go in time for the start of training camp in September.
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Devils' Brett Pesce: Played through shoulder problem
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Pesce was fighting through a shoulder injury during the playoffs, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports Thursday.
Pesce didn't miss any game action despite being a game-time decision heading into Game 5 on Tuesday. The blueliner picked up two assists in that contest, bringing him to three in five postseason contests. During the regular season, Pesce notched three goals and 14 helpers but missed the 20-point threshold for the second consecutive season. While Pesce offers some value in blocks (138), he doesn't offer enough broad category coverage to be more than a mid-range option in most fantasy leagues.
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Devils' Paul Cotter: Contributes assist in loss
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Cotter logged an assist, two shots on goal and nine hits in Tuesday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5.
Cotter ended his nine-game point drought with the helper. The 25-year-old was limited to one assist, five shots on net, 22 hits, three blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over five playoff outings. He's under contract for 2025-26 and is lined up for restricted free agency next summer, so he'll be looking for a big season. Cotter put up 22 points, 90 shots, 245 hits, 62 PIM and a minus-14 rating over 79 regular-season appearances in his first year with the Devils.
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Devils' Brett Pesce: Two helpers in Game 5 loss
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Pesce notched two assists, two shots on goal and four blocked shots in Tuesday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5.
Pesce was questionable heading into the game but ultimately suited up for 32:17 of ice time. The defenseman put up three assists, eight shots on net, 18 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over five playoff contests. Pesce just finished the first season of a six-year contract, so he's set to be part of the Devils' defensive core for the remainder of the decade.
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Devils' Dawson Mercer: Costly penalty in Game 5 loss
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Mercer scored a goal, added six PIM and went minus-2 in Tuesday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5.
Mercer opened the scoring 3:46 into the game. However, the Hurricanes proved resilient and the contest went into double overtime, where the 23-year-old's double-minor for high-sticking Jesperi Kotkaniemi led to the end of the Devils' season. Mercer was relatively quiet in the postseason with two goals, a minus-6 rating, eight PIM, eight shots on net and 15 hits over five contests. The 23-year-old was limited to 36 points in 82 regular-season appearances, and while he's yet to miss a game in his career, his offense has trended in the wrong direction over the last few years.
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