The New Jersey Devils secured their spot in the 2025 NHL playoffs last night as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Rangers. With the Flyers win, the Devils were able to lock in their spot.
The NHL confirmed the Devils will meet the Carolina Hurricanes in a rematch of the 2023 second-round. The Devils are looking for a bit of revenge as the Hurricanes knocked them out in five games.
Despite many people underestimating the Devils, especially after losing Jack Hughes to injury, the Devils are the only team in the NHL to remain in a playoff position for the entire season. Even with injuries to some of their star players, the Devils never gave up and have been rewarded with the playoffs.
Just before the Devils secured their spot in the playoffs, talks about Dougie Hamilton possibly returning at some point during the first-round have surfaced. This would be a huge boost for the Devils, lessening the pressure that has been put on Luke Hughes to become that offensive-defenseman that the Devils lost when Hamilton went down. Luke has done a tremendous job filling in for Hamilton, but having more options is always better than less.
Jacob Markstrom has looked like himself prior to his injury, except for one game against the Boston Bruins. With Markstrom playing like a Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender, the Devils have gained much needed confidence. When playing at his best, Markstrom can steal games for the Devils when necessary. Markstrom has a save percentage of .911% in 26 playoff games.
Nico Hischier, Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt have been the driving force of the Devils lately and the same is expected going into the playoffs.
Hischier has been excellent with eight points in his last five games. The Devils captain currently has 67 points on the season and has been the player who the Devils lean on in every situation. Hischier has eight points in 17 playoff appearances.
Meier has picked up his defensive game this season, becoming one of the best defensive forwards in the game. Despite improving his defensive side, his offensive side has remained powerful. He has 25 goals this season and 25 assists for a total of 50 points. Meier has seen the playoffs a bit more than others on the team as in 46 games he has 24 points.
Bratt continues to be one of the most underrated players in the league. His 88 points so far this season has him ranked in the top 10 for points in the NHL. He has 21 goals and 67 points and has shown up when the Devils needed him most. In 13 playoff games, he has six points.
The veterans in the locker room – Ondrej Palat, Erik Haula, Brenden Dillon, Brett Pesce, Tomas Tatar – will provide a new sense of leadership and guidance as the majority of the roster still does not have much playoff experience, if any at all.
The Devils’ backs are already against the wall as a majority of NHL fans have decided the Hurricanes will be the team moving on to the second-round. The Devils have a lot to prove, but anything can happen in Jersey.
The playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 19. Keep an eye out for the release of the official start date and puck drop time!
