“I thought we were outworked for sure,” Keefe admitted postgame, via NHL.com. “I thought they played with more structure. We’ve been playing kind of a pretty loose game. The Rangers came out and played with purpose.”

Hadn’t it been for a late surge against the Chicago Blackhawks (27-34-14), the Devils would be mired in a three-game losing streak. New Jersey has spiraled out of control in the NHL season, just when New York is finding the most success it’s had all year.

Rangers caught Devils by surprise

Keefe and the Devils thought they had the Rangers all figured out. No matter how much they struggled throughout the season, they believed a matchup against the Blueshirts was always going to be favorable. However, New York suddenly showed its teeth and finally answered back against New Jersey.

The loss at Madison Square Garden sends the Devils back to square one. Whatever they thought they had going against the Rangers may be futile now. For Keefe and company, it’s a sad note to end the season series on.

Rangers finally get one over Devils

It took the Blueshirts until the last Battle of the Hudson, but they finally defeated the Devils in the 2025–26 NHL campaign. The Rangers had already been swept in the season series by the rival New York Islanders and avoided humiliation with a 4–1 win at home over New Jersey.

Had they lost to Keefe and the Devils again, the Rangers would have recorded their first-ever winless year against their cross-town rivals. Still, a 1–6–0 record against teams in the New York metro area is far from the goal for the Blueshirts. At this stage, Mike Sullivan and company are content with their baby steps, but there’s a lot of work left to be done.

Where Rangers, Devils, and Islanders stand

In a shocking turn of events, the Rangers are currently the hottest team in the New York metro area. The Devils’ season is all but over, as they sit 10 points behind the last wild card spot. The Rangers are officially eliminated, but playing with no pressure has led to their most success of the season.

As for the Islanders, they are sitting in a playoff spot but are dangerously flirting with the abyss. The Isles are just one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets for third in the Metropolitan Division. If they don’t secure a divisional spot, they will enter the dogfight of the wild-card race, where only two sides out of a six-team battle will make it out alive.

Having lost two in a row, alarms are going off on Long Island. The Islanders will face five teams in playoff position (or on the playoff bubble) in their last six outings of the season. To say they will be playing for their lives would be an understatement.

“Teams that showed serious interest in Matthew Knies included Anaheim, Chicago, Montreal, New Jersey and Utah… There were some teams who didn’t believe the Maple Leafs were serious about it, but now recognize the possibility,” NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said.

Knies, in the first year of his six-year, $46.5 million contract, drew attention as a young, cost‑controlled forward with long‑term upside. The Devils explored the possibility of adding him, but the idea of moving a cornerstone prospect halted any chance of a deal.

High asking price stopped the deal

New Jersey’s interest was legitimate, but the inclusion of Nemec became the breaking point. The Devils view him as a foundational piece of their future, making it nearly impossible to justify a trade centered around such a premium asset.

Devils focused on long‑term plan

General manager Tom Fitzgerald reiterated during the NHL Trade Deadline that the organization’s priority remains long‑term growth. From there, the Devils’ stance became clear: they stayed active in discussions, but protecting long‑term assets outweighed any short‑term opportunity.

The front office ultimately determined that parting with key future pieces didn’t fit the organization’s broader plan, reinforcing a patient, development‑focused approach.

Even though a deal didn’t happen, Knies is expected to remain a name to watch heading into the NHL Draft, where conversations could resurface if Toronto revisits his availability.

“We weren’t good enough all night long,” Sullivan admitted, per NHL.com. “We pushed in the third period, but it’s hard to win games when you only play a period.”

The Rangers lost 6-3 to the Devils at Madison Square Garden, where home fans have been treated to rough outings night in and night out in the 2025-26 NHL season. New York is now 9-17-6 when playing on home ice—only the Vancouver Canucks have a worse home record, and that’s far from a reason for celebration in The Big Apple.

Rangers remain winless against Tri-state area rivals

As if losing wasn’t painful enough in the NHL, doing so against fierce opponents stings even more. For Rangers fans in “The City,” there’s nothing worse than dropping games to their neighbors in Long Island and Newark. Still, so far this season, the Blueshirts have yet to defeat the Devils or Islanders.

The Isles have swept the season series (4-0), outscoring the Blueshirts 14-3 over those four games. The Rangers–Islanders rivalry has been anything but an even fight this campaign. It’s no wonder the Islanders are third in the Metropolitan Division while the Rangers are dead last.

Rangers can make history of the wrong kind

The Devils are seventh in the division, though, and yet they are still blowing New York out of the water. The Devils and Rangers are scheduled for their final regular-season matchup on March 31. If New York is unable to secure a win, then it will finish the campaign 0-3 against New Jersey.

Moreover, it would be the first time in franchise history that the Rangers fail to register a single regular-season victory over their Tri-State area neighbors. With nothing else left to play for, the Blueshirts must play for the pride of Manhattan on March 31 and avoid making embarrassing history.

“I think in the first 40 minutes, there wasn’t a lot to like there,” Miller said, according to NHL.com. “A credit to the Devils. They came out with a lot of pace and tempo, and we gave some of their players too much time and space.”

The defeat snapped the Rangers’ recent surge and highlighted ongoing inconsistencies, as the team dropped back after winning four of its previous six games. New York struggled defensively and allowed key scoring opportunities throughout the night.

Head coach Mike Sullivan, who recently acknowledged J.T. Miller’s tough season amid the Rangers’ struggles, summed up the team’s performance: “We weren’t good enough all night long… it’s hard to win games when you only play a period.”

Rangers unable to sustain comeback effort

New York showed signs of life in the third period, cutting into the deficit, but ultimately could not complete the comeback. Goals from Mika Zibanejad, Vladislav Gavrikov and Conor Sheary were not enough to overcome defensive lapses.

As the Rangers continue their push late in the season, consistency remains the key challenge if they hope to regain momentum. The coming stretch will reveal whether they can translate late‑game surges into complete performances.

Sullivan and the Blueshirts have a lot of work to do. Despite keeping Vincent Trocheck in town—a decision that caused the Rangers and Chris Drury to catch a shot from Wild GM Bill Guerin—New York has yet to figure itself out. As a result, the Rangers keep shooting themselves on the foot, losing against despised foes night in and night out.

The 6-3 defeat at the hands of the Devils in “The Garden State” was no different to other rough losses the Rangers were handed in the 2025-26 NHL campaign. Still, Sullivan had enough, putting certain players on notice with an unminced statement.

“They gained a ton of momentum on their penalty kill and their power play,” Sullivan admitted, according to NHL.com. “A big part of this game is momentum, and we didn’t get any juice from our special teams today.”

Who did Sullivan call out?

With his message, Sullivan put many players on the spotlight. Among them, household names like Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox, the latter was the only player in New York to finish the night with a -2 plus/minus.

As Fox’s future with the team is reportedly in doubt heading into the offseason, it was far from an encouraging outing fresh off the trade deadline. Much has to change for him and the Rangers to get back on their feet. The way things are trending, it can’t continue much longer, or there could be more roster casualties this summer.

Rangers struggles’ extend to New Jersey

With the 6–3 loss at Prudential Center, the Rangers remain winless against NHL teams in the Tri-State area. The Blueshirts were swept 0-4-0 and outscored 14-3 by the New York Islanders in the 2025-26 season series. Now, they’ve started their series against the New Jersey Devils on the wrong foot.

New York and New Jersey will meet two more times on March 18 and March 31, both at Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers recently snapped their 101-day winless drought in regulation and are 8-15-6 this season.

The way the year has unfolded, playing at home may be more of a burden than a blessing for Mike Sullivan and company.

Crosby confirmed the injury required further evaluation upon his return to the NHL, with the Penguins closely monitoring his recovery during the post-Olympic break and adjusting practice workloads accordingly.

As the franchise gears up to face the New Jersey Devils, the focus has shifted to medical updates, on-ice participation and how quickly its captain can regain full rhythm after the setback overseas.

Is Sidney Crosby playing today for the Penguins?

The talk around Sidney Crosby heading into tonight’s Penguins matchup isn’t just a roster question, it’s become the NHL’s most discussed injury situation this week. He will not be taking part in the game against the Devils.

The Penguins placed their 38-year-old captain on injured reserve this week after further evaluation of his lower-body injury, confirming Crosby’s injury in a move that underscores how seriously the club is treating his reintegration into the lineup.

Latest updates from team sources confirm that the minimum absence expected is around four weeks, meaning the timeline now overlaps with this stretch of NHL games following the Olympic break.

While the player himself acknowledged he was “close” to playing late in the Olympic run, the medical staff ultimately decided he needed more time to properly recover before resuming competitive hockey.

During a recent interview, according to NHL sources, the center not only addressed what happened at the 2026 Winter Olympics and shared his thoughts on Czech defenseman Radko Gudas, but also spoke about his return to league play.

“Feel good. Obviously I want to be back out there as soon as possible. So, just have to figure out what that looks like, how long it’s going to be and, you know, find a way to make sure that I’m at my best when I come back“, Crosby said.

He scored the gold-medal-winning overtime goal for USA, ending a 46-year drought and instantly elevating him to national spotlight status. As the team resumes play following the Olympic break, lineup decisions carry extra intrigue.

While NHL previews list him as expected to play tonight, there has been uncertainty surrounding his travel back from celebrations, including media appearances and national attention after the historic win.

Is Jack Hughes playing today for the Devils?

Yes — Jack Hughes is expected to play today for the New Jersey Devils against the Buffalo Sabres following his gold-medal run with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. According to official updates from NHL and comments from head coach Sheldon Keefe, he rejoined the team after the Olympic break.

He returns to Newark riding the momentum of a historic performance in Milan, where he delivered the overtime winner to secure Team USA’s first men’s Olympic hockey gold since 1980. The star center logged heavy minutes throughout the tournament and even battled through a facial injury during the final.

The franchise monitored his workload after the whirlwind of Olympic celebrations, travel and media obligations, but team reports indicate he participated in sessions upon returning and showed no lingering concerns.

For the Devils, his return means more than just a name in the lineup. His availability comes at a pivotal stretch of the NHL season, with New Jersey pushing to solidify its playoff position.

In the blink of an eye, the New Jersey Devils could go from potentially acquiring Hughes to not only missing out on the third brother, but also losing veteran Dougie Hamilton. At least, that’s what a report around the NHL states as the Maple Leafs are among the teams interested in the 32-year-old blueliner.

“I’d be surprised if the Maple Leafs weren’t one of the teams that had inquired at some point in time over these last couple weeks about the availability, on a reduced pay scale, of Dougie Hamilton,” insider Frank Seravalli commented on the FAN Morning Show.

Hamilton’s contract

Though injury concerns hinder his trade value in the NHL, Hamilton can still become a key player for the Maple Leafs. The former first-round pick is currently playing in the fifth season of his seven-year, $63 million contract with the Devils.

Needless to say, allocating Hamilton’s $9 million cap hit is virtually impossible for the Maple Leafs. As it stands, Toronto only has $3.9 million available in cap space. Unless the two sides work around the edges, the math won’t add up.

Injury concerns

Moreover, Toronto will most likely be unwilling to commit to such a contract for a veteran who has missed 104 games due to injuries since the 2021-22 campaign. The way the season has gone for Matthews’ Buds, adding an injury-prone player like Hamilton might be the last thing they need. Thus, if the Maple Leafs want to explore a trade for the hometown native, the Devils—or a third party team—would have to eat up some of the cap hit.

Ever since drafting Jack and Luke Hughes, the Devils have felt a need to go after Quinn and reunite the three siblings in New Jersey. For many NHL seasons, it felt more like a utopia than a real possibility. However, with the Canucks struggling dearly, the window to acquire Hughes may have opened. Still, Vancouver won’t make negotiations easy for New Jersey.

Just because the Devils have Jack and Luke pulling for Quinn behind the scenes doesn’t mean they have any sway in convincing the front office in Vancity. In fact, it might be the opposite. Knowing the Devils are one piece away from boasting the Hughes trio, the ’Nucks may be setting a higher price.

“You’re probably going to have to pay a premium if you’re the Devils. It’s called the ‘Hughes brother’ tax, because they already have two. That’s certainly something to keep in mind as well,” Frank Seravalli stated on Bleacher Report’s Insider Notebook.

Vancouver is not putting Hughes on sale

Vancouver may be giving Jersey a lesson in Economy 101: it all comes down to supply and demand. Unfortunately for New Jersey, there is only one Quinn Hughes in the NHL, and he’s under contract in Vancouver through the 2026-27 season. The more the Devils want something, the more the Canucks will ask in return.

As much as Hughes may despise playing for the Canucks — as the team languishes at the bottom of the standings, the first-year head coach in Adam Foote is not paying dividends, and the organization stares with the eyes of a lost wanderer at its compass — he is still signed for this season and the next.

Hughes can ask for a trade out, but the Canucks are in no obligation to comply. Thus, there are no reasons — other than some from an ethical or moral point of view — for them to essentially give up on Hughes if the return isn’t worth it.

Better now than never

While all the arguments stated before carry weight, there is another fact that can’t be overlooked. The Canucks are seemingly headed nowhere in the NHL. The core is too inconsistent to strike fear into the rest of the league, and this past offseason saw the team lose far more key pieces than it added.

Thus, keeping Hughes might be nice and all—it can lead to jersey sales and whatnot—but one elite blueliner can’t carry a team to a Stanley Cup. Let alone one defenseman who is playing with frustration. Under the current state of the franchise, Hughes can’t lead the Canucks to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Hughes is set to hit free agency in 2027

Hughes will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027. It may seem like a long while from today, but it’s really not that much time—certainly not enough for Vancouver to magically find its identity and build a championship-caliber roster. If Hughes is still in town by then, he will most likely opt to test the market in July 2027, when he can decide where he’ll play for the first time in his career.

Thus, the Canucks may be better off shipping him out now while the market is high on Hughes. Vancouver can get a lot in return and truly put itself in a position to rebuild the squad and come back stronger. Obviously, it’s not an easy decision to make.

No going back after it’s done

These are the type of decisions that define executives’ careers. Once the trade goes through, it’s one president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin may never be able to live down.

However, trading Hughes away is a move that must be analyzed over the years to determine the winners and losers. A trade with New Jersey would mean Vancouver is placing its chips on the long-term future, while the Devils are going all in.

Regardless, no one can expect the fanbase to sit and wait idly if they see the Hughes trio playing for Stanley Cups one season after another. Vancouver is truly stuck between a rock and a hard place, but staying put will only assure a slow, torturous agony.

In what could be a major plot twist in the 2025-26 NHL season, the Rangers may swoop in for Hughes, who appears to be running out of patience with Vancouver’s mounting embarrassments.

New York wasn’t considered a serious contender in the Hughes sweepstakes—most rumors have long pointed to the Metro rival New Jersey Devils as the clear favorite. However, a new report has shifted the spotlight toward Sullivan’s Broadway Blueshirts.

“Another team to look out for is the New York Rangers,” reported David Pagnotta on The Fourth Period. “It wouldn’t shock me to see the Blueshirts taking a swing.”

Why the move would make sense for the Rangers

In many ways, trading for Hughes could be exactly what the Rangers need in the 2025–26 season. Acquiring him would revamp their aspirations of hoisting their fifth Stanley Cup (first since 1994). Moreover, with Adam Fox out with an injury, bringing Hughes into the lineup would be the perfect replacement—and could create the best defensive pairing in the NHL once Fox returns to the ice.

Though not strictly related to the on-ice product and New York’s Stanley Cup aspirations, the Rangers would also get a sugar rush from snatching the Devils’ top target away from them. Ever since drafting Jack and Luke Hughes, fans in the Garden State have daydreamed about boasting all three Hughes brothers in the lineup.

With the Canucks languishing at the bottom of the standings and Quinn Hughes making his frustration crystal clear with the state of the franchise, now seems like the best time for New Jersey to pounce and complete the Hughes gauntlet.

Will Vancouver trade Quinn Hughes?

It’s unclear whether Vancouver will be willing to deal its best defenseman—and arguably the best in the league—just yet. If the Canucks did trade Hughes away, it would seem as if they were waving the white flag on their season—and even on their long-term hopes. For fans in Vancity, Hughes is the biggest beacon of hope.

Watching the best player on the team move on would be the straw that broke the camel’s back for the fanbase in British Columbia. General manager Patrik Allvin and president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford are currently standing on thin ice, and pulling the trigger on such a move could very well be their last decision as employees of the Canucks organization.

Is Quinn Hughes a free agent next season?

No, Quinn Hughes is playing through the fifth season of his six-year, $47.10 million extension with the Vancouver Canucks. Thus, Hughes won’t become an unrestricted free agent until after the 2026-27 NHL campaign.

Therefore, the only shot the Rangers, Devils, or any team has of acquiring him at the moment is through a trade with the Canucks. If not, the rest of the league must wait until the 2027 free agency. Whether Hughes will want out of Vancouver by then remains to be seen.

In the NHL—as in life—nothing comes free. There is a price to pay, and even the languishing Canucks can demand to be compensated accordingly for their best player, Hughes. On that note, not even the Devils—who would complete the Hughes brothers gauntlet with Quinn’s addition—will get to use a discount coupon.

If New Jersey wants to be taken seriously by Vancouver, it must be willing to give up a key piece in return. Most reports indicate defenseman Simon Nemec could be part of the package sent to the Canucks. Thus, in addition to the stress caused by the NHL season, the former 2nd overall pick in 2022 must deal with the anxious fear of potentially being relocated at any given moment. However, when the 21-year-old talent was asked about the recent rumors, he voiced a very mature answer.

“I mean it’s part of being a hockey player,” Nemec admitted, via NJ.com. “Something could always happen. I’m trying not to think about it. I don’t know if it’s true or something. I’m just trying to play hockey and I will see how everything turns out.”

Sheldon Keefe’s message to the team

After a great start to the 2025-26 NHL season, the Devils have hit a slump. New Jersey has now lost five straight games—being shut out in two of them—and is clearly missing Jack Hughes, who has yet to make an appearance after suffering a freak accident during a team dinner.

With their best player out indefinitely and the loud noise surrounding a potential move for arguably the best defenseman in the league, the Devils have a lot on their plates. Being successful in the NHL regular season is all about riding the peaks and valleys, and it sure seems New Jersey needs its coaching staff to bring stability now more than ever. On that note, head coach Sheldon Keefe voiced a powerful comment on cancelling the outside noise.

“For me, to keep them focused is just to keep them focused,” Keefe stated per NJ.com. “We don’t talk about any of that sort of stuff. It’s out of our control as coaches and players. Stuff that goes on in the periphery is just that — noise at this point. Now more than ever we need to stay focused. Anytime that sort of stuff gets out and players overthink it, it can be a challenging situation.”

Update on Jack Hughes

As the Devils hope to have their alternate captain back on the lineup as soon as possible, Keefe and company know better than to rush Hughes’ recovery. “He’s been out on the ice, he was out there again today,” Keefe said about Jack Hughes on Monday. “I would say he’s on schedule but he’s far enough away that they don’t even tell me how he’s doing, I just know because I know what he’s up to.”

The initial timeline on Hughes’ injury suggested an eight-week absence. Halfway through that stretch, the Devils are pleased to see Hughes back on the ice. However, he is still wearing a cast on the pinky finger he injured. As a result, Hughes can’t hold a stick yet, and thus New Jersey is still in the dark when it comes to effectively evaluating how far along he truly is in his recovery.

Needless to say, the Devils can’t sit around and wait for Hughes to return for them to snap their current five-game losing hex. With or without Jack Hughes, New Jersey must get back on track—and it seems it will have to be the latter.