What a strange time it is to be the New Jersey Devils.
There are a lot more questions than answers about the status of the organization between now and July 1, or perhaps, through the summer. One of the main questions will be on the blueline, and whether their veteran $9 million defenseman will still be with the Devils or their former second overall pick in 2022.
The Devils GM's comments on the matter made things even more confusing. More information on that is in the link below.
Also below, some notes from practice and Tuesday's lineup changes.
Elsewhere, Matthew Nease trade rumors, the latest 2026 NHL Draft rankings, and more.
Devil's Trade Rumors and News
New Jersey Hockey Now: Yesterday's deep dive highlighted GM Tom Fitzgerald's latest denial of the Dougie Hamilton debacle, Hamilton's ongoing media unavailability since the agent drama unfolded, and how the whole situation has made the blueline picture even bleaker heading into the summer. The noise surrounding the $7.4 million signing bonus he received on July 1 is keeping the trade buzz alive, and it's raising real questions about Simon Nemec's long-term fit in New Jersey.
On the ice yesterday, the Devils practiced Tuesday afternoon at the RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House with three games left in the current seven-game homestand. All expected players were on the ice (Brett Pace is week-to-week with a lower body issue).
Biggest change: Jesper Bratt and Arseny Gritsyuk switched positions. Gritsyuk is back with Cody Glass and Lenny Haminaho. Head coach Sheldon Keefe explained that by finding his game intellectually away from Jack, Bratt has been reunited with Jack Hughes – who operates on a whole 'nother level, and if you're not on pace, it's hard to succeed (no pun intended).
📺 devil's rink report: While on the blueline, I asked GM Tom Fitzgerald about his relationship with Dougie Hamilton after his public debacle earlier this season. His answer made things even more confusing. I looked at the latest Devils Rink report.
Full episode here 👇🏼 Check out the full Devils Rink report here
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sportsnet: Look, if the national media can recognize the growing pressure in New Jersey, so can the Devils organization. Even they know the fact that they did nothing at the NHL trade deadline is shocking, especially in light of their recent history, like the previously mentioned Hamilton sermon and yesterday's Simon Nemec discussion.
NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now
athletic: With the way New Jersey has gone this season and the possibility that they will miss the Stanley Cup playoffs, you should probably all be familiar with this list of the top prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft. Here are the latest rankings.
pittsburgh hockey now: Captain Sidney Crosby took a morning skate with the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday. Here is the latest injury report from Dan Kingarski.
Montreal hockey now: Matthew Neese was at the center of trade rumors, and reportedly, the Montreal Canadiens could be in the mix.
Forever Blueshirts: New York Rangers captain JT Miller is making progress toward recovery from an upper-body injury, participating in the optional morning skate — his first time on the ice with teammates since landing on IR last week. Coach Mike Sullivan said he had had singles skates before and called it a sign of progress and expected to return "sooner or later" while taking it day by day.
