Keefe Hints Devils Lines Tweak Before Tilt with Ducks Tough Guys Trouba, Gudas

It’s been 22 days since the New Jersey Devils’ division rival, the New York Rangers, traded their captain, Jacob Trouba, to the Anaheim Ducks. On Tuesday, the Devils will see the former Rangers enforcer for the first time in Orange County colors when they take on the Ducks in Anaheim on New Year’s Eve. Even before Trouba, Anaheim was considered a tough team to play against with Gudas in the lineup, led by head coach Greg Cronin, and managed by Pat Verbeek, both former tough guys in their playing days. Now with some extra muscle since their last meeting, the Devils lines showed a bit more of their own at Monday’s practice.

During Monday’s practice, head coach Sheldon Keefe slotted forward Kurtis MacDermid on the Devils’ fourth line with Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian. MacDermid was in the Devils’ lineup during New Jersey’s last tilt with the Ducks on Oct. 27th. He accrued 9:12 of ice time, and one shot on goal in that span.

The Ducks’ muscle doesn’t stop at Trouba and Gudas, however. Back in October, MacDermid received a five-minute major for fighting Ducks enforcer, Ross Johnston just 2:13 into the game.

Suffice to say, MacDermid could have his hands full in the rematch against the Ducks on Tuesday night, if the hinted tweak does, in fact, hold.

MacDermid’s inclusion in the lineup means fellow Devils forward Tomas Tatar will come out of the lineup.

Tatar hasn’t scored since Nov. 23rd. In 11 games since then, Tatar has just one point. In 35 games this season, he’s scored just three goals and nine points.

The Devils are coming off an emotional, physical battle with the Carolina Hurricanes over the weekend in the second of a home-and-home situation.

In the 5-2 loss, the Devils and Hurricanes threw 41 hits each.

The made-over 2024–25 Devils have plenty of muscle with the additions of Paul Cotter and Brenden Dillon as every day players in New Jersey. However, with the plethora of physical menaces in Anaheim, inserting MacDermid in the Devils’ lines should certainly help keep the physical score even on the ice, and perhaps help the Devils police the Ducks a bit.

The Devils and Ducks drop the puck at 8 P.M., EST, on Tuesday.

Lineup changes via Amanda Stein.