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New Jersey Devils center Dawson Mercer celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes (Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images)

3 Issues the Devils Must Address to Find Consistency

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Donnah Campbell | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 10:25 AM ET

The New Jersey Devils have not had a successful start to 2026. On Saturday, they pulled off a 4-1 victory against the Utah Mammoth at home, before falling 3-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second half of a back-to-back, quickly followed by a gut-wrenching 9-0 loss to the New York Islanders. Their recent mistakes have been costly, as the losses continue to pile up.

Just when it feels like they start to gain traction in the Metropolitan Division standings, the Devils take three steps backwards. However, their sixth-place ranking is subject to change, as only three wins could put them back in a playoff spot. With that being said, here are three issues the Devils must resolve to find consistency as the season progresses.

Special Teams Woes

In their last five games, the Devils have had 15 power plays, but have only been able to capitalize on two of them. The first was a huge goal courtesy of Nico Hischier, proving just how much their special teams can shift the tide of a game.

In the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the captain put the Devils on the board. Less than two minutes later, two quick goals from Arseny Gritsyuk and Luke Hughes gave them a 3-2 lead, allowing the Devils to pull off a gutsy comeback win. Unsurprisingly, the next time they scored a power-play goal — Hischier on the man advantage once more — it resulted in a dominant victory against the Mammoth.

Currently, Timo Meier leads the club in power-play goals, but he has not scored one since Dec. 1. Similarly, Dougie Hamilton is another veteran player who their special teams rely on. But his last power-play points came on Oct. 30, and his rate of 7.66 expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) on the penalty kill is more than double his total from 2024-25.

It certainly doesn’t help that the Devils have been carelessly racking up penalties — an issue that has followed them all season long. In October, they went shorthanded an average of 3.5 times each game, but their top-notch penalty kill kept them afloat. By December, the number had decreased to 2.3 penalties per game, but their kill rate fell to 61.8%. So far in 2026, they’ve successfully killed off all five penalties faced, so hopefully they can finish out the second half of the season strong while shorthanded.

Team-Wide Scoring Slump

All of the Devils’ latest wins have included secondary scoring, which is something that the team has struggled with all season long. But now, every line seems to be having trouble scoring.

Within their last ten losses, the Devils have only been able to score more than one goal twice. Part of the reason for this is that they surrender almost as many shots as they take. In 2025-26 so far, the Devils have averaged 30 shots on goal per game, but have also allowed 28.8 shots against.

Likewise, their minus-19 goal differential is yet another concerning statistic. In fact, it’s fourth-worst in the NHL. And based on data from Natural Stat Trick, the team is surrendering goals faster than they can score them. At even strength, the Devils have scored 85 goals, as compared to an alarming 108 goals against.

The Devils’ scoring woes are even more visible during 5-on-5 scenarios — to say they’ve been underperforming is an understatement. According to MoneyPuck, their 41.82 goals percentage is the worst in the league. And despite having an expected goals total of 84.92, the Devils have only managed 69 at 5-on-5.

Take their most recent loss, for example. The Islanders bested them with nine goals at 5-on-5, despite the Devils generating more shot attempts, high-danger scoring chances, and shots on goal. To get back on track for the second half of 2025-26, the Devils have to find ways to generate more offense and finish scoring opportunities.

Continued Lack of Urgency

Another issue that has been plaguing the Devils is a lack of urgency. For as much fire as they showed against teams like the Mammoth and the Blue Jackets, they still had two four-game losing streaks throughout December. And they’re currently in the middle of a two-game losing skid. More often than not, they surrender the first goal, and pressure mounts as they fight to come back from an early deficit.

No one said it better than head coach Sheldon Keefe, following the Devils’ shutout loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs last week. Unhappy with the team’s performance, he admitted that the group needed to step up their game. “If you’re not going to score, give us a little bit more competitively and physically and show that you’re working to find your way,” said Keefe.

Not to mention the fact that the Devils haven’t been able to compete within the Metropolitan Division. Aside from their New Year’s Eve victory over the Blue Jackets, they’ve lost the last seven contests within their division.

Moving forward, the Devils need to re-establish their identity as serious Stanley Cup contenders. It’s concerning that they haven’t been able to string together more than three wins since November — especially since they kicked off the season with an eight-game win streak. Their margin for error has become even smaller for the second half of 2025-26, and the team must take action before it’s too late.