New Jersey Devils depth scoring, Digi Mart USA News: The New Jersey Devils have enjoyed a strong start to the 2026-27 season, with a 12-5-0 record. Since welcoming Sunny Mehta as their new general manager, the club has added key pieces to its roster, and its moves have paid off.
Initially, the organization needed to address two major uncertainties: depth scoring and goaltending. After adjustments to the middle and bottom six, along with the addition of star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, the Devils have been on a hot streak.
They have won eight of their last ten games, most recently defeating the New York Islanders 5-4 in overtime on Saturday night.
Secondary scoring has been an unsung hero for the Devils, especially in their last few games. Connor Brown has become a crucial all-situations player.
After missing the start of the season with a lower-body injury, he returned to the lineup on Oct. 20 against the Colorado Avalanche. Since then, he has recorded three goals and five points, most recently a goal and an assist against the Edmonton Oilers, his former team.
Brown is also making significant contributions on special teams. His ability to disrupt opposing scoring chances on the penalty kill is unmatched, and he excels at creating shorthanded opportunities.
Earlier this week, he was moved to the top power-play unit in an effort to find consistency. He immediately proved his worth against the Oilers, tying the game at one with a power-play goal assisted by the Hughes brothers, and he added an assist on Jack Hughes’s goal at the end of the second period.
When the Devils signed Anthony Mantha to a two-year deal in July, the expectation was that he would play on the top line alongside Hughes and Jesper Bratt. That combination showed promising chemistry, but it took time for all three players to find the same page.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe then moved Mantha to the third line on the left wing alongside Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist.
The move was not a demotion. Rodrigues is an adept playmaker, Boqvist offers elite speed, and Mantha is a power forward with strong finishing ability.
According to MoneyPuck, the Mantha-Rodrigues-Boqvist line averages 4.87 goals every 60 minutes, along with 46.79 shot attempts.
Mantha can also transition seamlessly through the lineup. In the few shifts he played with Hughes and Bratt against the St.
Louis Blues, he scored the goal that put the Devils up by two and recorded three points in the second period. Mantha has four goals and eight points in his last eight games.
After the win over the Blues, he said, “It feels great. A game like tonight obviously probably gives us more confidence as a line.
If your top guys are playing great and then your bottom six are doing the same thing, then like I said before, we’re going to be really hard to play against.”
The Devils’ fourth line has also improved considerably this season, largely due to Amadeus Lombardi. He made his NHL debut during the home opener and has appeared in all but two games so far in 2026-27.
Mehta acquired the young forward with a high ceiling in a low-risk trade just before the 2026 NHL Draft, in exchange for a fourth-round pick. Before the trade, Lombardi spent four seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League, recording 69 points across 163 games.
Lombardi has now secured a full-time role, taking over the spot previously held by Stefan Noesen. He has four assists this season, two of them in the Devils’ 7-1 win over the New York Rangers, and he is still seeking his first NHL goal.
He has also recorded a career-high four shots on goal twice. His defensive responsibility, ability to break the puck out, and work ethic have strengthened the fourth line.
The Devils have benefited from reliable depth scoring to start 2026-27, which had been a liability in past seasons. Versatile veterans Mantha and Brown, along with young talent such as Lombardi, make secondary scoring a key factor in the team’s playoff hopes.
