The New Jersey Devils — despite getting Jack Hughes back — dropped their last two games before the Christmas break. They currently sit in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division.
Related: NHL Rumors: Marchessault & Maple Leafs, Fleury Update, Tomasek Leaves Oilers
In this edition of Devils News & Rumors, we look at some news regarding Steven Stamkos’ availability, Jesper Bratt’s wholesome gesture to Jacob Markstrom’s kids, and the Devils’ tricky cap situation regarding a Johnathan Kovacevic return.
Steven Stamkos More Likely to Stay Than be Dealt
Insider Pierre LeBrun recently predicted that if Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos is dealt, he’d end up in New Jersey. However, that appears to be a big if:
“We know the Devils have talked about Stamkos internally, and we know New Jersey would like to boost its offense,” said LeBrun. “Moving Ondrej Palat and his $6 million cap hit (signed through next season, with a 10-team list as part of his modified no-trade) would make sense as part of this deal to make the math work. The Devils were one of the teams in talks with Stamkos in free agency in July 2023 … There’s probably a better chance than not that Stamkos stays put, but if he goes, I like New Jersey as an option.” (from ‘NHL trade matchmaker: Predicting where top targets go by the deadline, Part 1,’ The Athletic, December 24, 2025)
Stamkos has two more seasons remaining on his contract ($8 million cap hit) following the conclusion of 2025-26. The 35-year-old notched 10 points in his first 26 games this season…but has followed that up with 12 points in his last 10.
Jesper Bratt as Santa Claus
The Christmas break is a time for players to unwind and spend some much-needed quality time with their families. Swedish forward Jesper Bratt decided to go the extra mile for fellow Swede and goaltender Jacob Markstrom. He dressed up as Santa Claus for Markstrom’s children, and they appeared to love it:
Jesper Bratt dressed up as Santa Claus to surprise Jacob Markström's son 🎅🥹
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 25, 2025
🎥: amandamarkstrom_/IG pic.twitter.com/WdpJ2QyVBz
For a Devils team that has struggled to win consistently after their hot start, the ability to refresh at the break comes at a key time. “Christmas is a fun time,” said Markstrom ahead of the break. “You get to be with your kids and your wife and spend time with loved ones. Christmas is always good.”
Can Devils Fit Kovacevic *Without* Making a Trade?
According to PuckPedia, the Devils have just $12,500 in current cap space. Can it get much tighter than that? To make matters worse, they have $4,995,547 in their long-term injured reserve (LTIR) pool — which currently doesn’t count against the cap. With both Johnathan Kovacevic ($3,817,293) and Evgenii Dadonov ($1 million) on LTIR, it’s going to be tricky to find a way to re-introduce either to the lineup — especially Kovacevic.
Kovacevic has been skating and appears to be inching closer to a return. While his return can be cap compliant (in theory) with a bunch of tedious paper transactions, it’s not a sustainable formula and can hinder the team in other ways. More likely than not, the Devils are going to have to offload some salary to bring Kovacevic back, and potentially even more if they plan on upgrading ahead of the trade deadline (which they should).
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