New Jersey Devils 2026-27 Player Projections: Declan Chisholm

Chisholm might not have had the greatest offensive performance, but he recorded the secondary assist on Anthony Beauviller’s only goal of the game in his season debut. It wasn’t until Jan. 29 that Chisholm scored his only goal of the season. He helped give the Capitals a two-goal lead, but the Detroit Red Wings came back and handed Washington another loss.

Expectations for 2026-27

The situation with Chisholm is interesting. He made the Devils’ opening night roster, mostly due to the fact that Johnathan Kovacevic is sidelined with an injury. Seamus Casey was injured in the Devils’ last preseason game, which has now resulted in him needing to step away from the team for a little while as well. Enter Chisholm. He now has the chance to step up and level up the blue line.

The expectations for Chisholm will be to remain with the Devils until either Kovacevic or Casey is ready to return to the team. If he has a strong performance, perhaps the Devils could at least keep seven defensemen on their roster in the event of another injury. They could also send Chisholm or Casey down to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate team, the Utica Comets, if Kovacevic comes back healthy.

There are many different pathways the Devils can take regarding their defense in the future. For now, Chisholm will play on the third defensive pairing alongside Brenden Dillon. Even though Chisholm has been in the NHL for a few seasons now, it will be great experience for him to play alongside a veteran like Dillon.

Upcoming Milestones

Heading into the 2026-27 season, Chisholm has 125 NHL games under his belt. If he remains on the Devils roster for the entirety of the 2026-27 season and plays in all 84 games, he will reach his 200th NHL game. However, this doesn’t feel like a milestone he will reach this season. The Devils have many options when it comes to defense, and they need to keep them open.

Chisholm also has 28 total points, via six goals and 22 assists. Unless he has a major breakout offensively, he won’t reach the century mark in goals, assists, or points.

Projections for 2026-27

My bold prediction for Chisholm in the 2026-27 season is that he will be sent down to the Comets at some point during the season. The Devils have too many players on their blue line that can make an impact, and when Kovacevic comes back from his injury, he will return as Dillon’s third-pairing partner.

Chisholm should not see getting sent down to the AHL as a demotion. Last season with the Capitals, he was often healthy scratched when he could have been sent down to the AHL and got ice time. Instead, he was left in limbo and had limited ice time, which is never a good thing for a hockey player looking to increase their skills. This is also not to say that Chisholm can’t be called back up to the Devils later in the season either. There are several possibilities this season; however, it seems like he will get sent down to the AHL at some point.

Other Projections 

• Nico Hischier
• Jesper Bratt
• Timo Meier
• Dawson Mercer
• Luke Evangelista
• Evan Rodrigues
• Jesper Boqvist
• Connor Brown
• Arseny Gritsyuk
• Cody Glass 
• Anthony Mantha 
• Jack Hughes
• Brett Pesce
• Brenden Dillon
• Luke Hughes
• Dougie Hamilton
• Jonas Siegenthaler