Following a genuinely eventful stretch of roster moves, New Jersey Devils general manager Sunny Mehta still has roughly $5 million in remaining salary cap space to work with, leaving real room for additional offseason maneuvering as training camp approaches. Having already traded away Simon Nemec and Jacob Markstrom while signing veteran forward Anthony Mantha, Mehta’s front office now appears to be turning its attention toward cap-strapped rivals and general roster cleanup as August draws closer.
Analysts expect Mehta to leverage that remaining cap flexibility by targeting a team facing genuine salary constraints of its own, potentially extracting a useful middle-six forward in the process. Speculation within hockey circles has pointed specifically to Anaheim, where the Ducks are reportedly facing tight cap spacing following substantial long-term commitments to Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier. Outlets covering the Devils closely have floated names like Matthew Knies of Toronto as a potential trade candidate, describing him as a younger, physically imposing option who could add genuine top-nine utility if New Jersey were able to work out a deal. It’s worth emphasizing that these names remain speculative trade targets circulating within hockey media rather than confirmed negotiations, the kind of offseason rumor mill activity that surrounds every team with available cap space this time of year.
Beyond potential incoming additions, New Jersey may also look to trim its own roster depth. The Devils currently carry roughly 14 capable NHL forwards, a genuine logjam that has fueled speculation the team could look to move veteran depth pieces specifically to recoup mid-to-late round draft capital rather than simply carrying excess bodies into training camp. Freeing up that kind of cap space would also give the front office genuine flexibility to maneuver aggressively at the 2027 trade deadline, positioning New Jersey to add difference-making talent midseason rather than entering the deadline with limited room to work.
A longer-term storyline has continued gaining seasonal traction among fans and analysts as well, the strictly speculative possibility of eventually uniting all three Hughes brothers in New Jersey. While that remains firmly a fan-driven and analytical talking point rather than anything approaching an active pursuit, insiders have noted that Mehta’s genuinely disciplined financial approach this summer is preserving an estimated $26 million to $30 million in flexible cap space heading into next season, giving the organization real long-term assets available should an elite piece ever become genuinely available on the open market.
Beyond external trade speculation, Mehta’s more immediate operational priority involves locking down organizational depth from within. The front office is expected to spend the remaining weeks of summer signing unsigned prospects throughout the system to entry-level contracts, strengthening the pipeline feeding both the Devils and their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, ahead of the coming season.
That broader offseason picture builds on a genuinely active summer already in the books. Captain Nico Hischier locked in his long-term future with the franchise, signing a five-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $11.7 million, keeping the premier two-way center as the face of the organization through 2032. In a significant shakeup to the goaltending room, the Devils traded Jacob Markstrom and Angus Crookshank to the Florida Panthers, acquiring veteran forwards Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist along with prospect Ben Steeves in return. To provide depth behind Jake Allen and Nico Daws, Mehta signed veteran netminder David Rittich to a one-year, $1 million contract. Up front, the team added genuine size by signing 6-foot-5 winger Anthony Mantha to a two-year, $9.5 million contract carrying a $4.75 million average annual value, while also locking up restricted free agent winger Arseny Gritsyuk to a three-year bridge deal worth $3.25 million annually.
Beyond the roster itself, the NHL has also released New Jersey’s full 2026-27 regular season schedule, giving fans several notable dates to circle at Prudential Center. The Devils will host a special back-to-back set immediately following Thanksgiving, facing the Calgary Flames on Black Friday before turning around to host the Columbus Blue Jackets that Saturday. The home schedule remains genuinely fan-friendly overall, featuring 15 weekend dates, split between two Friday games, nine Saturday contests, and four Sunday matchups, seven of which are scheduled as afternoon matinees. On the road, New Jersey faces its toughest single stretch of the season with seven consecutive road games split around the NHL All-Star break, beginning in Edmonton on January 28 and concluding in Florida on February 18.
With the roster already substantially reconstructed heading into the new season, players are set to report to Newark for training camp in mid-September, where they’ll compete for spots within a forward and defensive depth chart that looks considerably more crowded, and considerably more talented, than it did at this same point a year ago. Whether Mehta ultimately spends that remaining $5 million in cap space before camp opens, or holds it in reserve for a bigger swing down the road, the Devils enter the coming season with genuine flexibility still on the table, a rare position for a team already this active over a single offseason.
