For the last 23 years (13 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 24th annual review will appear here on Dobber Hockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what we take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

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Gone – Jacob Markstrom, Simon Nemec, Maxim Tsyplakov, Paul Cotter, Colton White, Dennis Cholowski, Agnus Crookshank, Brain Halonen, Zach MacEwen

Incoming – Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, Ben Steeves, Declan Chisholm, Etienne, Morin, David Rittich, Colin White

Impact of changes

The New Jersey Devils entered the 2026 offseason coming off a disappointing 42-37-3 season that left them seventh in the Metropolitan Division and out of the playoffs. That ultimately cost Tom Fitzgerald his job, with Sunny Mehta taking over after spending the previous six seasons with Florida. Mehta’s first offseason hasn’t been about tearing everything down. Instead, he’s made calculated moves to improve the depth around an established core.

The biggest changes came in net and on defense, with Jacob Markstrom and Simon Nemec moving on. Markstrom struggled in his second season with New Jersey, posting a 3.07 GAA and .883 SV% over 44 games. Moving on made sense, but it leaves a big question in net. David Rittich was added on a one-year deal and will compete with Jake Allen and Nico Daws for playing time. There isn’t an obvious No. 1, which could become a major concern.

Up front, Mehta added some much-needed depth. Anthony Mantha brings size and secondary scoring after a 64-point season in Pittsburgh, while Evan Rodrigues adds versatility and can handle tougher minutes. Former Devil Jesper Boqvist returns back to New Jersey and will likely be used as a floater to move throughout the lineup. None of these moves are franchise altering on their own, but collectively they give Keefe more options and should make the bottom six more functional.

Ready for Full Time

One of the more under-the-radar moves was acquiring Amadeus Lombardi from Detroit for a fourth-round pick. Lombardi had 42 points in 47 AHL games last season and has 109 points in 163 career AHL games. Mehta has made it clear that the Devils see him as more than just a depth addition and believe there is legitimate upside in his game. He probably won’t have much fantasy value right away, but this is the type of move that could become more important down the road. If Lombardi can establish himself as a full-time NHL center, he gives New Jersey another option behind Hughes and Hischier. The Devils also signed 20-year-old defenseman Anton Silayev to a three-year contract after playing in the KHL. He’ll have an opportunity to compete for an NHL job during training camp and could become an important piece following the departure of Nemec.

Fantasy Takeaway

We did not see a blockbuster deal from Sunny Mehta's first offseason as the Devils GM but rather, he opted to reshaped the team around depth, size, flexibility and competition for lineup spots. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier remain the foundation, but the supporting cast looks different. If the improved depth allows the Devils stars to take on less defensive responsibility, we could see a bounce-back season from a couple players in the top-six.  The Devils look better on paper heading into this season in comparison to last. The caveat to all of this is if Jack Hughes can stay healthy for 70+ games which he has not reached in the last three seasons. He had 77 points last season in just 61 games so asking for 70+ does seem like a stretch but in order for the Devils to succeed he needs to be playing games in that realm.  His linemate Jesper Bratt remains one of the safer fantasy options and a clear bounce back candidate from his 70-point season last year. It's also worth keeping an eye on Dawson Mercer who may get a promotion and see increased ice time in the top-six capacity, a powerplay role for him is unlikely with the first unit already full with the Devils top stars. Although, don't be surprised if Timo Meier gets bumped down to the second unit, wouldn't be the first time Keefe has done that.

While there are plenty of positives, a few wildcards still need to play out. The first is Luke Hughes. With Simon Nemec gone, even more responsibility falls on Hughes to become the offensive defenseman many expected him to be. The Devils will give him every opportunity to prove that. The biggest concern is goaltending. Jake Allen, Nico Daws and David Rittich don’t provide the same security Markstrom did as a true No. 1., regardless of his injuries when playing in New Jersey. Rittich’s .894 SV% last season doesn’t exactly inspire confidence either. Jake Allen has always served well as backup and we have all been waiting to see what Nico Daws can do in a more expanded role. This could be a wait-and-see situation early in the season, with fantasy managers potentially better off playing the waiver wire and riding whoever emerges as the hot hand.

Fantasy Grade: B+ (Last year: A)

Check out the rest of the Dobber team previews here.