The New Jersey Devils enter the 2025-26 season with high expectations, but the path to the Stanley Cup will be anything but easy. Their schedule is one of the hardest of the competition, with their first two games on the road opens Stanley Cup finalists, 15 sets Back-to-Back matches and a Hudson River Rivalry series against the New York Rangers, all in the month of March. The Devils struggled against a few teams last season, and five of those teams stand out again as their most difficult obstacles this season.
Carolina Hurricanes
The intensity between the devils and hurricanes remains as fierce as always. While the two clubs are splitting their regular seasonal meetings last season, Carolina had the upper hand if it matters the most, so that New Jersey was beaten from the play-offs in both 2023 and 2025. Special teams were a striking issue, because the Devils 0-out-15 went during the Power Play during the Hurricanes’ Victory 4-1 series. Even with injuries to important players such as Luke Hughes, Brenden Dillon and Johnathan Kovacevic, New Jersey struggled to match Carolina’s ruthless forecheck. Each matchup between these two teams feels like a play -off preview, and the consistent beat of Carolina in the regular season will be essential for the growth of New Jersey and the classification of the Metropolitan Division.
Dallas Stars
The devils have often found problems against opponents of the Western conference and last season was no different. They only went 1-7-0 against Western teams after a piece after the Tournament break of Four Nations. In their two matchups last season, the Devils were short of both times; Dallas set the tone early in every game, so that New Jersey would play from behind and tried to dig out of a shortage of two goals on both occasions.
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Historically, the stars have prevailed in this matchup, with a 63-44-9-4 General record Against New Jersey. With a deep, experienced selection led by dynamic attackers Mikko Rantanen and Matt Duchene and a solid defensive core around Miro Heiskanen, the Stars challenges the speed and skill of the Devils, making them a consistently difficult opponent. The addition of former stars Vooruit Evgenii Dadonov to the Bottom-Six core of the Devils will be essential when beating the Western powerhouse. Like most of their matches in the second half of the season, the Devils will have to find a way to start on their toes and keep offensive pressure during a full 60 -minute match.
Winnipeg Jets
The jets were one of the most fragile defensive teams of the competition last season, anchored by Vezina-Kaliber goalting and a tough blue line. The Devils have passed two brutal offensive closures against Winnipeg and dropped a loss of 6-1 at home and a 4-0 defeat on the road. The jets set up a clinic in both matchups, New Jersey stinked from the opening of the Puck Drop and did not leave a chance to set up a comeback.
The Devils could not generate anything offensive, whereby goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck handed his seventh shutout of the 2024-25 season and the 50th victory of the team. The Winners of the trophy of the presidents were unbeatable and head coach Sheldon Keefe Noted to the media”We were not our best today, certainly not even in the neighborhood, but it was better than what it should have been … We should definitely keep track of our trust. It will be our biggest challenge.” The devils will undoubtedly look to take revenge this season, but it will not be an easy achievement.
Vegas Golden Knights
Devils fans remember the first meeting against the Vegas Golden Knights in T-Mobile Arena. Not only received the devils Get shutout 2-0But Jack Hughes sustained a seasonal shoulder injury after his skate became entangled with Jack Eichel and threw him into the shelves. The Devils struggled all season with injuries long, started to start without goalkeeper Jacob Markstrom and captain Nico Hischier, and the losing of Hughes was the last component to unravel for an already struggling attacking team.
The Golden Knights have a talent for closing speed and attacking pushes, and New Jersey struggled to process their depth. This coming season will turn out to be an even bigger challenge, because Mitch Marner will now skate on their top line with Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev. The Devils need a complete, healthy schedule to compete with what will probably be an Elite Vegas team.
Columbus Blue Jackets
At first glance, the Blue Jackets may not seem like one of the most difficult opponents of the Devils. However, Columbus made a strong play-off push last season, and you can expect that their intensity and competitiveness will be even greater in 2025-26. Although the Devils ended with 2-1 against Columbus last season, every match was closely disputed. In a busy Metropolitan Division, Points would let Columbus come back to chase New Jersey in the Playoff race. They are an underrated opponent who will definitely want to argue for themselves this season, and how the devils deal with the blue jackets can be the difference between making the late season comfortable and fighting for a wildcard place.
The 2025-26 season promises to test the Devils like never before. From Playoff-Kaliber Rivals to Power Patuits in the Western Conference, the Devils will face numerous challenges that require consistency, depth and a healthy schedule. How the devils act against these five teams will show their willingness to compete for the coveted Stanley Cup.
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