3 Takeaways From Day 1 of Devils Training Camp

On Thursday, Sept. 17, the New Jersey Devils opened up training camp for the 2026-27 season. The players separated into two groups and took to the ice. The excitement and the realization that the season is just about here are palpable.

From the all-day affair, there were several moments worth noting. Here are three key takeaways from the Devils’ first day of training camp.

First Look at Potential Opening Night Lines

As mentioned above, the Devils took to the ice in two different groups, Group 1 and Group 2. Both groups had an even mix of veteran and younger players, making the rosters of each grouping fair. Through looking at both groups, there’s a chance we saw what could be the opening night lineup along the top two lines of each group. The lines were:

Anthony Mantha – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt
Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Luke Evangelista
Amadeus Lombardi – Cody Glass – Connor Brown
Arseny Gritsyuk – Evan Rodrigues – Dawson Mercer

The Devils made some major offseason moves, including acquiring Anthony Mantha during free agency and, more recently, trading two draft picks for Luke Evangelista. In previous articles, I had written that I believed Mantha would have been paired with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier, while Evangelista would have slotted into the trio of Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. It appears that in the actual lineup, the roles have been reversed.

Both Mantha and Evangelista looked strong out there with their new line partners. It’s tough to say how they will work together in an actual game setting until that time comes, but for just one day together on the ice, they looked good out there. As these next few days progress, they will continue to work on their chemistry with each other and find their groove.

Injuries Already Facing the Devils

During the on-ice training camp activities, the Devils released a press release, detailing the status of two of their players. Nick Bjugstad had surgery on his pectoral muscle during the offseason, and his recovery time is four to six months. He tore this left muscle during offseason training earlier in the month. In addition to Bjugstad, Johnathan Kovacevic will not be a full participant in training camp this week as he rehabs his right knee.

The season hasn’t started yet, and already the Devils are facing injuries. Hopefully, Kovacevic will return in time for the regular season. As for Bjugstad, his roster spot is now a vacancy for any forward on the training camp roster not currently guaranteed a spot. There’s even more pressure to perform well during these next few days of training camp. 

Sunny Is Confident in This Team

General Manager Sunny Mehta and Head Coach Sheldon Keefe met with the media following the all-day practice. Mehta was asked what the expectations were surrounding the team, and he responded, saying:

I agree. I agree. I mean, at the risk of sounding however it might come off, my expectation is to win a Cup.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that’s what we, you know, that’s the mean or the mode expectation for this year or anything like that. But to me, that is the goal. That is my expectation for this organization.

But I do think this team has the ability to sneak up on some people, maybe, with the talent we have, even though it’s one of those things where maybe in years past, the Devils were kind of the trendy pick and the trendy preseason pick. That’s not so much the case right now, but for good reason, right?

I mean, the Carolina Hurricanes have earned their reputation. The Florida Panthers have earned their reputation. I expect us to try to compete with those teams, and I believe we will.

It is clear, from his statement, what Mehta’s intentions are. He came into the role of general manager and didn’t hold back from the beginning, making aggressive moves. He cut loose some players in trades and added intentional, high-skilled players to build the Devils into a high-caliber team. Now, Mehta expects them to perform at the level he knows they can.

Training Camp Continues This Weekend

The on-ice activities continue for the Devils on Friday and Saturday, with another two days worth of practice. Then, the real excitement begins on Sunday, Sept. 20, with the Devils’ first preseason game. New Jersey will host the New York Islanders at the Prudential Center at 1 PM ET.