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Jacob Markstrom, New Jersey Devils (Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)

3 Factors in the Devils’ Recent Slump

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Donnah Campbell | Last updated Nov 23, 2025 9:45 AM ET

The New Jersey Devils have had a whirlwind of a start to the 2025-26 season. They remain second in the Metropolitan Division with a 13-7-1 record, but the team has had to deal with a multitude of injuries. As if their plight wasn’t already bad enough, they recently lost star forward Jack Hughes, who could remain out of the lineup until January.

The Devils’ woes came to a head on their recent five-game road trip. Despite winning their first two contests, they went on a three-game losing streak and struggled to score — a problem they’ve rarely encountered so far this season. But what’s causing their recent difficulties? Here are a few factors that could be to blame.

Once Again, Depth Scoring Is an Issue

Within the last few games, it’s clear that the Devils are struggling with secondary scoring. When players like Connor Brown and Cody Glass miss a significant amount of time, the burden falls to key leaders like Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. But if top players are having difficulties getting on the scoreboard — like on Thursday night against the Florida Panthers — walking away with a win is virtually impossible.

However, an unlikely hero emerged in the form of Simon Nemec, who scored four goals in two games earlier this month, including the overtime game-winner against the Chicago Blackhawks. But what’s concerning is that Nemec’s total of 13 points is more than Stefan Noesen, Paul Cotter, Ondrej Palat, and Luke Glendening have combined. In fact, all four players have recorded just one point throughout November.

Unfortunately, the Devils are no strangers to inconsistent scoring from their bottom six. It was one of their most prominent issues last season, and it has reemerged during an injury-riddled 2025-26.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe has been shifting their third and fourth lines around, with little to no success. His most recent shakeup involved Palat, Juho Lammikko, and Evgenii Dadonov on the third line. Together, the trio has a 28.66 expected goals for percentage (xGF%) and has been on the ice for two goals against in three games. It’s important that the Devils resolve their spotty depth scoring sooner rather than later.

Jacob Markstrom Struggles to Bounce Back

Starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom played just three games to start the season before missing time with a lower-body injury. In his absence, Jake Allen was phenomenal, winning five straight games and posting a .918 save percentage (SV%).

Markstrom made his return at the end of October, but the transition was anything but smooth. He let in eight goals against the Colorado Avalanche and is 3-2-1 in his last six starts. His most recent performance was a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he recorded an .828 SV%. His 3.83 goals-against average (GAA) marks a 53.2% increase from last season (2.50 GAA).

But that’s not what fans should be concerned about. According to team reporter Sam Kasan, Markstrom’s ice time has been limited in order to monitor something that occurred near the end of the third period against the Lightning. If he continues to struggle, there’s a chance that Allen could temporarily become the Devils’ starting goaltender.

Allen has been a catalyst for the team this season, playing a massive role in the team’s eight-game win streak in October. He averaged a .911 SV% in his last five starts — allowing just one goal against the reigning Stanley Cup champs on Thursday night, then let in six against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The question remains of whether Allen should split the workload with Markstrom 50/50 or have Allen start more frequently. Regardless, it’s still early in the season, and there will be plenty of opportunities to sort out their recent goaltending woes.

Integrating Players Back Into the Lineup

The Devils have dealt with injury after injury since the start of the season, with many players out until at least the end of November. However, adding players back into the lineup has proven to be difficult. On Tuesday, the team welcomed three players back on the bench: Brown, Dadonov, and Dougie Hamilton. The Devils’ chemistry clearly suffered as a result.

For example, Brown was bumped up to the second line out of necessity, but the combination of Timo Meier, Dawson Mercer, and Brown has been ineffective. Together, they’ve been on the ice for five shots for and 13 against in 5-on-5 scenarios, with a relative goals percentage of minus-33.33. Dadonov is having similar difficulties switching between the third and fourth line and is still looking for his first point of the season.

On the bright side, Hamilton appears to be back in peak form after the club gradually eased him back onto the blue line. He kicked off his return to the lineup with 19:53 of ice time, on the third defensive pairing with Dennis Cholowski. Hamilton has fired 10 shots on goal in three games, and also made his return to the Devils’ first power-play unit.

Looking Ahead

The Devils need to find a way to bounce back from their recent slump. Their three-game skid is concerning, especially after a 6-3 loss to the Flyers on Saturday night. The team needed an adjustment period after integrating a few players back into the lineup. Now, they need more from their depth scoring, and have an important choice to make in terms of their starting goalie. Hopefully, once they address these issues, the Devils can return to their winning ways.