Since Sunny Mehta arrived as the top guy on the Devils, he’s been on a mission to overhaul the franchise with changes on the roster and on the coaching staff. Now, he might look into Laine, as the team needs shooting. The Islanders have also shown some restricted interest on Laine.

At one point, Laine was expected to be one of the top scorers in the NHL. Now, he has no team. Since Laine missed so many games the last two seasons due to injuries and other shenanigans, Mehta could offer him a minimum salary with bonus additions and Laine might just accept it.

If Laine is still good at shooting, the Devils need him

Laine has created a reputation of being quite a headache. However, if he proves to still have a 98.37 MPH top shot, the Devils could, at a bargain price, be very tempted to give him a shot at redemption.

However, if Laine is not capable to provide top-tier shooting, then he has no prominent future in the NHL. Laine is not fast and no one in the league regards him as a tough guy. One workout would give the Devils all the info needed for them to see if Laine can help the team or not.

How do the Devils project for next season?

The New Jersey Devils project as a bounce-back playoff threat for the 2026 NHL season under new GM Sunny Mehta, relying on a healthy core led by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. Mehta also revamped the goaltending depth, and the team has hopes on young pieces like Luke Hughes.

The team added veteran depth like Evan Rodrigues and signed forward Anthony Mantha to a two-year deal. Still, the Devils have some doubters. They need to find ways to score consistently and they could be dangerous.

However, Larkin has been spending a lot of time with the Hughes brothers (Quinn, Jack, and Luke), leading fans to wonder if there could be a fifth club added to the list in the not-so-distant future.

On Saturday night, Larkin joined the Hughes brothers and other friends for a night out at an exclusive nightclub in New York City. NBA stars like Jalen Brunson and Michael Porter Jr. were also among the attendees. Still, Larkin’s appearance alongside the stars from the Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils made waves across the NHL.

Larkin and the Devils

For the time being, there has been no progress in trade talks, though. Still, reports indicate Larkin is fully convinced on leaving the Red Wings. It may not be long before Larkin, still the team’s captain, realizes he’ll have to broaden his options and make the task a bit easier on his organization.

Thus, and considering Larkin’s friendship with Jack and Luke Hughes, many believe the New Jersey Devils could become the fifth option if Detroit asks Larkin to add another team to his trade list.

Larkin’s preferred teams

Larkin has made it clear he’ll be willing to waive his NTC if an offer comes through from one of the following teams: the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, or Dallas Stars. That’s the list, at least for the time being.

Detroit has no leverage, and whether it will ask its captain to expand the list or make do with it, only time will tell. The relationship seems past the point of no return and, even though the Red Wings reportedly demoted Steve Yzerman in an effort to keep Larkin, the trust has been broken.

Red Wings in a tough spot

Calling the Red Wings’ situation a shipwreck may be an exaggeration, but the captain is jumping ship regardless. Larkin’s trade request also triggered a domino effect, such as Patrick Kane’s decision to leave Detroit and take an apparent shot at the Red Wings while addressing his return to the Chicago Blackhawks. Many more pieces could soon fall.

As painful as it may be for the front office in Motor City to admit, Larkin isn’t the only headache awaiting the next general manager to take over following Yzerman’s demotion.

Why Devils make sense

The Devils make sense, as they boast a young core with plenty of promise. Had New Jersey not parted ways with GM Tom Fitzgerald, the Devils would have had another element working in their favor, as Fitzgerald was a member of Team USA’s management staff at the Olympics. Clearly, that event has had a major impact on Larkin and his career.

Whether New Jersey is a destination Larkin is seriously considering—and perhaps one that is on the bubble—remains to be seen. What’s clearer is that Minnesota emerges as the top landing spot for Larkin, and him spending time with Quinn Hughes only fuels that belief.

Still, it begs the question of whether the two younger Hughes brothers are doing their part to lure Larkin to New Jersey and, while they’re at it, bending Quinn’s ear as well. After all, Quinn could become a UFA next summer and playing with his brothers was always dream of his—one he never kept a secret.

As things stand, Larkin is holding his ground. However, it hasn’t done him much good. He hasn’t been traded yet, and with every passing day, more fans in Motor City are turning on him as the Michigan native’s story turns into a villain arc.

It did not take long for the winger to hoist his first Stanley Cup, as he won the Cup in 1986 with the Habs. Wherever he went in the NHL, wins followed. His style of play continues to influence players across the league.

Lemieux was the classic prototype of a forward you love when he is on your team and hate when he is not. More often than not, that description fits natural-born winners best, and Lemieux was no exception. His immediate impact on the Canadiens earned him an eternal place among the franchise’s most beloved players.

In fact, Lemieux recently raised the torch in Montreal’s pregame ritual before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. His appearance at Bell Centre earlier this week makes his passing all the more difficult to digest and comprehend—if there is even a way to do so.

Lemieux’s Stanley Cup conquests

Though unrelated to Mario Lemieux, Claude made his last name proud with a remarkable career. He joined a very short list of players to have won the Stanley Cup with three different teams. Claude Lemieux hoisted Lord Stanley four times in his career: in 1986 with the Montreal Canadiens, 1995 with the Colorado Avalanche, and 1996 and 2000 with the New Jersey Devils.

Furthermore, Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy for his production during the 1995 conquest. During those Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Quebecker registered 16 points (13 goals and 3 assists) in 20 games for the Devils.

Lemieux represented Canada Hockey multiple times and helped his country crown itself champion in the 1985 World Junior Hockey Championship and the 1987 Canada Cup. Time and again, Claude proved to be a winner. Winning was all he did in the NHL, and it is what he will forever be remembered for in Montreal, Denver, Newark, and across the entire league.

Lemieux’s stats

Across his long NHL career—which extended over three different decades and two different centuries—Lemieux played 1,215 games, registering 379 goals and 407 assists for a total of 786 points. He ended his career with a 0.65 points-per-game average.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, however, he became a different beast—an untamable one at that. Across 234 postseason games, Lemieux recorded 158 points (80 G, 78 A), posting a 0.68 points-per-game average.

Following his crowning with the Devils in 2000, Lemieux had one-year stints with the Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars in 2001-02 and 2002-03, respectively. After a five-year hiatus, Lemieux returned for his final NHL season in 2008-09, in which he played one game for the San Jose Sharks before hanging up the skates.

“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.