標籤: Projections

Is Nico Hischier going to cost the New Jersey Devils more than $11 million per season for the next eight years?

The latest AFP Analytics offseason contract projections indicate that may very well be the case.

The Devils have a lot of answers to answer under new general manager, Sunny Mehta.

And although they are heading into the summer with $11,875,000 in cap space, it seems like that money could be eaten up very quickly, with no real room to improve without making cuts elsewhere.

The NHL officially announced 12 days ago that the 2026-27 salary cap will be $104 million.

Here’s a quick look at the Devils’ projections:

updated cap outlook

Per Pakpedia projections for 2026–27:

• Salary Cap: $104,000,000
• Projected cap hit: $92,125,000
• Cap Space: $11,875,000
• Cap floor: $76.9 million

Although the Devils are comfortably on top despite the $1.25 million bonus paid in overtime, Mehta will have little time to work with due to some key extensions.

Here’s where the following major contracts are projected to land:

Pending Free Agent (2026 UFA/RFA)

• Arseny Gritsyuk:
  • Long-term: four years at $5.890 million AAV
  • Short term: two years at $3.046 million AAV
• Simon German:
  • Long term: seven years at $8.061 million AAV
  • Short term: two years at $4.473 million AAV
• Paul Couture: Three years at $2.325 million AAV
• Nico Dawes: $892,500 for one year

Extension-Eligible (July 1, 2026 – FA July 1, 2027)

These players can be given extensions starting July 1, but have one year left on their contracts and won’t hit free agency until 2027:

• Nico Hischier: $11.459 million AAV at eight years.
• Dawson Mercer:
  • Long-term: six years at $7.839 million AAV
  • Short: Two years at $5.762 million AAV
• Cody Glass: Three years at $4.302 million AAV
• Brandon Dillon: $3.814 million, one year
• Stefan Noesen: $1,122 million in one year
• Seamus Casey: $940,500 for one year

Looking towards 2027-28

Let’s assume the salary cap is projected to be $113,500,000 in 2027-28. At that time, the Devils are projected to have $47,125,000 in cap space (based on current commitments). Thus, if the Devils sign all of the above extensions – applying long-term deals to those with long-term projections – New Jersey will have only $1,370,500 in cap space on July 1, 2027.

What does it mean for devils

With $11.875 million in projected cap space for 2026-27, the Devils have ample room to pursue most or all of the major free agents and extension eligible players without drastic roster surgery. Of course, this doesn’t mean players who are probably going to walk like Denis Cholovsky and Evgeni Dadonov.

The big commitments – Hischier (up $11.459 million), Nemec (up $8.061 million), Gritsyuk (up $5.89 million), and Mercer (up $7.839 million) – will consume a large portion of that space.

This situation perfectly reflects the rapid inflation in the NHL salary cap. This cap is projected to increase from $104 million in 2026–27 to $113.5 million in 2027–28, resulting in a large jump in available dollars. Through 2027-28, the Devils are currently projected to have approximately $47.125 million in cap space – more than four times the room they will have this upcoming summer.

That said, it is not realistic to retain every pending free agent and extension-eligible player. The Devils will have to make choices – allowing some depth players to walk or move while prioritizing key pieces. Even with strong cap inflation, the money can disappear quickly after an extension is signed. Expect Mehta to be selective this summer and possibly look for ways to shed salary from existing contracts to create more breathing room.

Overall, the projections are encouraging for New Jersey. However, if the Devils are looking for outside help, Mehta will have to find ways to shed some of the burden.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

As the regular season winds down, the NHL playoff picture is heating up. With just days left in the 2026 regular season, several division titles and wild card spots remain undecided, setting up a chaotic finish that could reshape the Stanley Cup playoff bracket.

Here are eight predictions for how the final stretch of the NHL regular season will unfold.

Edmonton Oilers win Pacific Division in a tight race

The Edmonton Oilers will win the Pacific Division to conclude the 2025–26 NHL regular season. The Oilers are in a tight race with the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks, but their schedule over the next three games isn’t terrible. Edmonton already has a one-point advantage and will play the Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks. It’ll be a tough task, but Connor McDavid and company will get the job done.

New York Islanders miss playoffs due to tough schedule

The New York Islanders have impressed with budding sensation Matthew Schaefer, but it won’t be enough to clinch a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. New York faces the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, April 11, three points out of the final wild card spot. The Islanders also have the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes to close out the season. It’s been a great campaign, but New York will miss the playoffs.

Detroit Red Wings miss playoffs despite most points since 2015

The Detroit Red Wings will finish the 2025-26 NHL regular season with 95 points, but that will not be enough to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Red Wings have lost a lot of points in the past few weeks, putting the team in a difficult situation. This would be the most points scored by Detroit since the 2014–15 NHL season, marking a vast improvement. However, the Red Wings are technically four points behind and will be very difficult to overcome.

Ottawa Senators reach 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs

The Senators are on fire and it will take them to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ottawa currently holds the final wild card spot with 94 points, and will look to win against New York, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New Jersey Devils. Brady Tkachuk and the Senators would reach 100 points and clinch a playoff berth before the conclusion of the regular season. Watch out for Ottawa in the first round as the team is on serious momentum.

Boston Bruins avoid complete collapse in final NHL regular season game

The Boston Bruins are five points good in the wild card standings, but they will avoid a major collapse. Boston would eventually go on a six-game losing streak before reaching the NHL regular season final against New Jersey. The Bruins would barely make the playoffs by holding off the hard-charging Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets. Boston hasn’t made the playoffs yet, but a win in New Jersey would seal the deal.

San Jose Sharks perform strongly, but fall short of playoffs

The San Jose Sharks would make a strong showing but fall short of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. The Sharks would run up the table and finish on 89 points, but the Los Angeles Kings would win three of their last four, taking them to 91 points. San Jose will make every effort to make the playoffs in the next four games, but Los Angeles has the current advantage. It would still be a very successful season for the Sharks.

Los Angeles Kings advance to Stanley Cup playoffs

The Kings will advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks are leading the table with an easy NHL schedule, with Los Angeles needing to win at least three of their next four games. The Oilers would defeat the Kings, but the team would finish the season with a three-game winning streak against the Canucks, Seattle Kraken and Calgary Flames. Los Angeles will have to take advantage of the easy matches to take the organization to the playoffs.

Buffalo Sabers win Atlantic Division for first time since 2010

The Buffalo Sabers would win the Atlantic Division for the first time since the 2009–10 season. Buffalo has a two-point advantage and tiebreaker, meaning it can clinch the division with two wins to end the season. The Sabers would take care of the Chicago Blackhawks but would lose to the Dallas Stars. However, Montreal lost one of its last three games in regulation, clinching the division to Buffalo for the first time in 16 years.

READ MORE: Auston Matthews linked to surprise NHL team amid trade rumors

Austin Konensky is a sports writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and college football. His work…More about Austin Konensky

chicago cubs

Expectation: This season Chicago will be a force that can dethrone the Brewers from their throne at the top of the NL Central. Despite losing Kyle Tucker to free agency, they signed Alex Bregman to enhance the offense and fill out their infield.

Worry: The rotation is fantastic, especially after trading for Edward Cabrera, but the bullpen is sorely lacking. There isn’t much behind Daniel Palenica that the Cubs can rely on to fill out their relief innings.

milwaukee brewers

Expectation: The value of brewers is decreasing year by year. And year after year they destroy expectations and win the division. But this offseason they traded away their best players without getting very good returns. Their main strength is an offense with everyone able to contribute, but it looks like this could be the year the Brew Crew’s surprise wears off.

Worry: Milwaukee has a solid rotation, but without ace Freddy Peralta and season opener Quinn Priest to anchor it, the onus falls on the youngest players like Kyle Harrison and Brandon Sprott to anchor the rotation.

pittsburgh pirates

Expectation: The Pirates may actually make the postseason this year. After failing to make the playoffs since 2015, Pittsburgh made several moves to upgrade its offense. But their real strength lies in their rotation, with reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes returning to anchor the group.

Worry: Despite a great offense and a stellar rotation, the bullpen isn’t so good. After trading David Bednar to the New York Yankees last year, the only solid relief option is Gregory Soto. As long as the offense continues and the starters go deep, Pittsburgh will have a successful 2026.

cincinnati reds

Expectation: The Reds made the playoffs last year! It’s easy to forget after getting bounced so quickly by the eventual World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The team’s bright spot is superstar Eli de la Cruz. If he can finally put it all together, he could really have an MVP-caliber season for Cincinnati.

Worry: Cincinnati’s pitching is poor due to injuries. With Hunter Greene out for most of the season, the starting rotation will be manned by Andrew Abbott and Chase Burns. The relief squad isn’t very inspiring, but is solid enough to keep the club competitive in most games.

St. Louis Cardinals

Expectation: St. Louis will not reach the playoffs this year. They probably won’t be as competitive, but JJ Weatherholt’s MLB debut along with other young stars will be the story of the Cardinals’ 2026 season.

Worry: Everything. There is nothing particularly good about this roster other than its young stars. They traded away most of their talent this offseason in Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Brandon Donovan, and Sonny Gray. This year, they will determine what their group will look like for the next few seasons, but will mostly flounder in the NL Central.

Who will make the MLB playoffs in 2026? Another Major League Baseball season is just around the corner, with first pitches and Opening Day tipping off in 2026. With the roster largely set, it’s time to speculate more on what we might see in baseball this year.

Before Opening Day, let’s take a look at our MLB playoff predictions for this season. We’ll start with round-by-round predictions for the American League, then the National League, followed by the World Series.

AL Wild Card Round: (4) Baltimore Orioles vs. (5) New York Yankees, (3) Seattle Mariners vs. (6) Boston Red Sox

We’re looking at three teams from the American League East making it to the MLB Playoffs this season, which will see them face off in October. The Baltimore Orioles should bounce back nicely after a disappointing 2025 campaign heading into the offseason. We think the New York Yankees will get off to a slow start as their starting rotation overcomes injuries, but they will find form by the summer. In a winner-take-all game, New York advanced with a road win at Camden Yards.

Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox will face the challenge of defeating the AL West champions. This will be an excellent series, with both AL clubs boasting excellent postseason rotations and great pitching depth to pair with it. However, the Seattle Mariners boast a superior lineup and timely hitting sending them to the American League Division Series.

• Prediction: Mariners and Yankees move on

RELATED: MLB Predictions 2026, Projected Win-Loss Records for All 30 Clubs

American League Division Series: (2) Toronto Blue Jays vs. (3) Seattle Mariners, (1) Detroit Tigers vs. (5) New York Yankees

We think we’ll get a rematch of the 2025 American League Championship Series, just one round before the MLB postseason. The Toronto Blue Jays strengthened their pitching staff after the previous season’s loss in the World Series, while Seattle responded to their Game 7 loss in Toronto by acquiring Brendan Donovan. While sequels are almost never as good as the originals, the Mariners vs. Blue Jays matchup in the ALDS will be close. However, this time, Seattle’s postseason rotation is healthy and proves to be a difference maker.

Elsewhere in the AL, it will be a rematch of the 2012 American League Championship Series. The real test will be how successful the Yankees lineup can be against the Detroit Tigers rotation. Aaron Judge and Max Fried will be responsible for New York winning two games in each series, but it will be the Tigers who will punch their ticket to the ALCS under the leadership of Tarik Skubal and Riley Green.

• Prediction: Mariners beat Blue Jays in four games, Tigers beat Yankees in five games

RELATED: Best MLB players by position 2026, top 11 spots

ALCS: (3) Seattle Mariners vs. (1) Detroit Tigers

The American League’s dominance comes to the fore in the battle between the Tigers and Mariners in the ALCS. We saw this matchup last October, when Seattle had home-field advantage and won a winner-take-all Game 5 in the 15th inning. It’s going to the ALCS at seven. Skubal would lead Detroit to two wins, but he would only be available out of the bullpen for that crucial Game 7 at home. Led by a stellar performance on the mound by veteran Brian Woo and a home run by Julio Rodriguez off Friar Valdez, the Mariners are headed to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

• Prediction: Mariners win over Tigers in seven games

RELATED: Best MLB Rotation 2026

NL Wild Card Round: (4) Atlanta Braves vs. (5) Arizona Diamondbacks, (3) Chicago Cubs vs. (6) Philadelphia Phillies

We’ve got two National League teams that missed the MLB playoffs last year and are facing off in the Wild Card games this season. The Arizona Diamondbacks arrive here on the strength of a lineup of Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte, while improved defense provides a little more stability overall. However, in a do-or-die game at Truist Park, it would be the bats of Drake Baldwin and Mike Yastrzemski that would help the Atlanta Braves reach the National League Division Series.

Perfect for playoff baseball, this will be a must-see matchup between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies that should draw big ratings. We would see Christopher Sanchez outpoint Matthew Boyd in a pitcher’s duel, with Jhoan Duran giving up a two-run lead in the ninth at Wrigley Field to put Philadelphia ahead.

RELATED: Best MLB Lineups 2026

National League Division Series: (2) New York Mets vs. (4) Atlanta Braves, (1) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (6) Philadelphia Phillies

Maybe there’s some wishing here with the hope that we get these two matchups in the National League Division Series. The most talked about matchup will be for the Braves against the New York Mets, a battle for bragging rights between the two NL East rivals. Atlanta has gotten to this point thanks to a great lineup with timely hitting, but the magic is gone at Citi Field. Nolan McLean delivers a pitching masterclass in a crucial game, with Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor both going deep in the series to send the Mets to the NLCS.

So far, we’ve seen the Phillies face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers a few times in October. Philadelphia can at least make things interesting with a playoff rotation of Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, Jesus Luzardo and Andrew Painter. This will not be enough. The Phillies’ lineup has gone cold again in a crucial playoff series, vacated by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and struggling against Tyler Glasnow as the Dodgers move back to the NLCS.

• Prediction: Dodgers in four games, Mets in four games

RELATED: MLB Awards Predictions 2026

National League Championship Series: (2) New York Mets vs. (1) Los Angeles Dodgers

The best teams that money can buy are vying for the National League pennant. To the delight of MLB and its TV partners, the series will also include two of the largest media markets in the country. Unfortunately for Mets owner Steve Cohen, the Dodgers have greater pitching depth and a much deeper lineup than New York. This is the kind of series that many around baseball can point to as proof that MLB needs the salary cap, with a super team with a $400 million payroll beating a super team with a $360 million roster. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker led the Dodgers back to the World Series.

READ MORE: Worst MLB contracts 2026, worst contracts at each position

World Series 2026: Dodgers win the World Series

The Dodgers would become only the third franchise in MLB history – joining the Yankees (three times) and the Oakland Athletics (1972–74) – to become World Series champions three times. Los Angeles needs to go all-in in 2026 as the salary cap is approaching and the Fall Classic will be under threat of a lockout. Ohtani would further his legacy as one of the greatest players of all-time by winning the World Series MVP for the first time in his career.

Read More: MLB Power Rankings 2026, evaluating all 30 teams

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson