New Jersey Devils ELIMINATED

Metropolitan Division, Eastern Conference

Current Standings

GP	W	L	OTL	PTS	GF	GA	DIFF	PTS %	Last 10
82	42	37	3	87	230	254	-24	53.0%

Playoff Probabilities

0.0%

Make Playoffs

0.0%

Win Division

0.0%

Win Conference

0.0%

Win Stanley Cup

Based on 100,000 simulations run on Apr 17, 2026

Analysis

Summary

The New Jersey Devils are on the fringes of the Eastern Conference race with just a 1.5% playoff probability, reflecting how steep their climb has become. At 58 points through 57 games, they would need a near-perfect finish and significant help from multiple teams ahead of them to stay alive.

Record and Recent Performance

New Jersey’s 28-27-2 record translates to a 50.9% points percentage, well below typical playoff pace, and their minus-29 goal differential underscores season-long defensive issues. The team strength rating of 43.8% places them near the bottom of the conference, and recent form at 40.0% suggests they have not shown the sustained surge required to close gaps in the standings. Even with modestly better home (44.6%) and away (44.4%) splits, the Devils have played like a sub-.500 team overall.

The Competition

The Devils sit 15th in the conference, already 11 points behind the Islanders at the current cutline of 69 points and projected to finish at 96.7. Teams directly ahead such as Washington (65 points), Columbus (65), and Ottawa (63) all project well above New Jersey’s 84.9-point finish, while stronger contenders like Boston, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo are tracking near or above 100 points. With so many teams to pass and several of them posting significantly higher strength ratings, gaining ground is highly unrealistic at this stage.

Remaining Schedule

New Jersey has 25 games left with a favorable 14 at home and an average overall schedule difficulty, facing opponents with a 52.2% strength rating. That said, the model expects just 26.9 additional points from those games, which would leave them more than 10 points short of the projected playoff cutoff. Even outperforming expectations by several wins would still require multiple teams above them to collapse simultaneously.

Outlook

While the Devils are not mathematically eliminated, their playoff path is extremely narrow and depends on a dramatic and sustained turnaround that has not appeared all season. Realistically, the final stretch is more about player development, evaluating the roster, and building momentum for next year rather than chasing a postseason berth.

Generated Feb 08, 2026 5:15 PM — AI-generated, may contain inaccuracies

Bandwagon Options

Your team's playoff hopes are fading — here are some teams worth cheering for:

Colorado Avalanche

Central · Western

W	L	OTL	PTS	Diff	Str	Playoff	Cup
55	16	11	121	+99	69.3%	100.0%	0.0%

If you miss watching elite, game-breaking talent every night, Colorado delivers with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar driving one of the most explosive teams in the league. They play fast, aggressive, skill-heavy hockey that’s easy to fall in love with. As a Western Conference powerhouse, you can jump on without dealing with Metro baggage.

Dallas Stars

Central · Western

W	L	OTL	PTS	Diff	Str	Playoff	Cup
50	20	12	112	+53	65.7%	100.0%	0.0%

Dallas is a balanced contender with depth down the middle, strong goaltending, and a blue line that can both defend and push play. They’re built the way Devils fans appreciate — structured but still dangerous offensively. It’s a steady, professional group that looks built for a long run out West.

Buffalo Sabres

Atlantic · Eastern

W	L	OTL	PTS	Diff	Str	Playoff	Cup
50	23	9	109	+47	62.3%	100.0%	0.0%

If you want to stick in the East without cheering a rival, Buffalo is a fun, offense-first team that feels a bit like a Devils cousin. They’ve leaned into young skill and play with pace, and their fan base is starving for a breakthrough. There’s something relatable about riding with a talented group trying to take the next step.

Anaheim Ducks

Pacific · Western

W	L	OTL	PTS	Diff	Str	Playoff	Cup
43	33	6	92	-15	46.5%	100.0%	0.0%

Anaheim is your underdog-with-upside option. They’re not the flashiest contender, but they’ve scratched and clawed their way into the picture and play a scrappy, resilient style. It’s low-pressure bandwagoning — if they make noise, you look like a genius for hopping on early.

Generated Mar 08, 2026 1:51 AM — AI-generated, may contain inaccuracies

Required Win Percentage for Playoffs

—

Coin Flip (50%)

Even odds

—

Likely (75%)

Probable scenario

—

Near-Certain (95%)

Safe scenario

Win percentage needed in remaining games to achieve each playoff probability threshold. A checkmark (✓) means the team has mathematically clinched a playoff spot. A dash (—) means the threshold is impossible to reach.

Points Distribution vs. Cutline

Projected to finish with 87–87 points (middle 50%). The playoff cutline is typically 98–98 points. Finishes above the cutline in 0.0% of simulations.

87 98

Team points Playoff cutline (8th place) Cutline middle 50% range

Team Projection

Low (10th pctile): 87 pts

Median (50th): 87 pts

High (90th pctile): 87 pts

Playoff Cutline

Low (10th pctile): 98 pts

Median (50th): 98 pts

High (90th pctile): 98 pts

Playoff Race — Eastern Conference

#	Team	PTS	GP	Left	STR	L10	SOS	Proj PTS	Playoff %
4	MTL	106	82	0	60.9%	70.0%	50.0%	106.0	100.0%
5	BOS	100	82	0	57.4%	60.0%	50.0%	100.0	100.0%
6	OTT	99	82	0	59.2%	65.0%	50.0%	99.0	100.0%
7	PIT	98	82	0	55.2%	50.0%	50.0%	98.0	100.0%
8	PHI	98	82	0	57.6%	70.0%	50.0%	98.0	100.0%

9	WSH	95	82	0	60.2%	80.0%	50.0%	95.0	0.0%
10	DET	92	82	0	46.1%	30.0%	50.0%	92.0	0.0%
11	CBJ	92	82	0	46.8%	25.0%	50.0%	92.0	0.0%
12	NYI	91	82	0	46.8%	30.0%	50.0%	91.0	0.0%
13	NJD	87	82	0	49.4%	55.0%	50.0%	87.0	0.0%
14	FLA	84	82	0	49.0%	55.0%	50.0%	84.0	0.0%

Team Strength Metrics

Overall Strength	Home Strength	Away Strength	Pythagorean Win %	Recent Form
49.4%	51.1%	48.8%	45.1%	55.0%

Player Statistics

#	Player	Pos	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	HIT	BLK	TOI
86	Jack Hughes	C	61	27	50	77	0	4	33	21:18
63	Jesper Bratt	L	82	22	49	71	-11	74	24	18:45
13	Nico Hischier	C	82	28	37	65	-6	58	63	20:42
28	Timo Meier	R	77	24	20	44	-16	131	52	18:30
16	Connor Brown	R	75	18	25	43	-1	25	37	17:33
91	Dawson Mercer	C	82	20	22	42	-2	33	47	18:13
7	Dougie Hamilton	D	77	12	26	38	-2	87	78	21:32
43	Luke Hughes	D	68	6	29	35	-4	19	54	23:00
81	Arseny Gritsyuk	R	66	13	18	31	-3	58	18	15:10
12	Cody Glass	C	70	19	7	26	+3	42	40	13:36
17	Simon Nemec	D	68	11	15	26	-11	23	104	19:40
71	Jonas Siegenthaler	D	82	0	16	16	-9	92	138	19:28
47	Paul Cotter	L	79	9	6	15	-24	192	22	10:39
5	Brenden Dillon	D	82	3	12	15	-13	202	103	17:59
81	Ondrej Palat	L	51	4	6	10	-5	89	41	12:44
29	Lenni Hameenaho	R	33	2	6	8	-3	20	16	12:11
8	Johnathan Kovacevic	D	34	0	8	8	0	57	38	17:50
11	Stefan Noesen	R	38	3	4	7	-12	33	15	11:45
22	Brett Pesce	D	37	1	6	7	-11	11	80	20:18
41	Luke Glendening → PHI	C	52	0	4	4	-11	66	45	9:54
45	Colton White	D	23	0	4	4	+2	23	16	12:15
42	Maxim Tsyplakov	R	22	1	1	2	-8	37	4	8:28
44	Dennis Cholowski	D	17	0	2	2	-6	3	17	14:40
83	Juho Lammikko	C	24	0	2	2	-4	40	14	9:52
72	Nick Bjugstad	C	26	0	2	2	-4	35	10	9:57
33	Evgenii Dadonov	L	24	1	0	1	-6	7	12	10:39
48	Brian Halonen	L	6	0	1	1	0	10	0	7:46
38	Topias Vilen	D	2	0	0	0	+1	0	1	14:59
21	Marc McLaughlin	C	7	0	0	0	-2	4	2	8:11
15	Zack MacEwen	R	3	0	0	0	0	6	1	6:20

Recent Games (Last 10)

Date	Opponent	Location	Score	Result	Opp Strength	Playoff Impact
Apr 14	Boston Bruins	Away	4 - 0	L	57.4%	0.0%
Apr 12	Ottawa Senators	Home	4 - 3 (OT)	W	59.2%	0.0%
Apr 11	Detroit Red Wings	Away	3 - 5	W	46.1%	0.0%
Apr 09	Pittsburgh Penguins	Home	2 - 5	L	55.2%	0.0%
Apr 07	Philadelphia Flyers	Home	1 - 5	L	57.6%	-0.2%
Apr 05	Montréal Canadiens	Away	0 - 3	W	60.9%	+0.2%
Apr 04	Montréal Canadiens	Home	3 - 4 (OT)	OTL	60.9%	-0.2%
Apr 02	Washington Capitals	Home	7 - 3	W	60.2%	0.0%
Mar 31	New York Rangers	Away	4 - 1	L	49.9%	-0.2%
Mar 29	Chicago Blackhawks	Home	5 - 3	W	36.9%	+0.1%