Look, being a Devils fan right now is basically like riding a rollercoaster that only has three wheels and a loose seatbelt. You want to believe. You see the flashes of brilliance from Jack Hughes and the way Nico Hischier carries this team on his back, but then you look at the standings.
As of mid-January 2026, the NJ Devils playoff chances feel like they're hanging by a very thin, very expensive thread.
Honestly, if you just glance at the raw numbers, it’s easy to panic. The team is sitting at 24-21-2 with 50 points. That puts them 6th in the Metropolitan Division. Not exactly the "Cup or bust" energy we were promised back in October when the betting odds had them at +1400 to win it all. But hockey isn't played on a spreadsheet. Or maybe it is, and the spreadsheet is just really mad at New Jersey lately.
The Brutal Reality of the Metro Division Standings
The Metropolitan Division is a meat grinder. Period.
You’ve got the Hurricanes out in front like they’re playing a different sport, and then a massive logjam of teams like the Islanders, Penguins, and Capitals all fighting for those top three spots. The Devils are currently looking up at a four-point gap just to catch the Capitals and Penguins, who both have 54 points.
It’s frustrating.
You’ve got a team that can drop nine goals to the Islanders one night—yeah, that 0-9 disaster on January 6th still stings—and then turn around and grind out a tough 3-2 overtime win against Seattle. Consistency has been a ghost. Sheldon Keefe has the boys playing a high-event style, but when the puck doesn't bounce your way, or when the goaltending takes a nap, things get ugly fast.
Current Metro snapshot:
- Carolina Hurricanes: 60 pts
- NY Islanders: 57 pts
- Pittsburgh Penguins: 54 pts
- Washington Capitals: 54 pts
- Philadelphia Flyers: 52 pts
- New Jersey Devils: 50 pts
We aren't out of it. But we're definitely out of the "room for error" phase. Every game from here on out is basically a Game 7.
Why the NJ Devils Playoff Chances Aren't Dead Yet
If you're looking for a reason to keep your jersey on, it’s the schedule.
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Analytics from Pucks and Pitchforks and other strength-of-schedule trackers suggest the Devils have one of the easiest remaining paths in the entire NHL. While the Penguins are staring down a gauntlet of top-tier teams, the Devils have a lot of dates left with teams that are already thinking about the draft lottery.
Then there's the Jack Hughes factor.
He's been dealing with a nagging finger injury that kept him out for a chunk of November, and the team looked lost without him. Since he's been back in the lineup, the power play has actually started to look like a power play again. He just notched two helpers in the win against Seattle. When Jack is Jack, this team can outscore its problems.
The Injury Ward is Finally Emptying Out
Let’s be real: injuries have absolutely gutted this roster.
- Simon Nemec is dealing with a lower-body issue that’s kept him day-to-day.
- Stefan Noesen just went on LTIR for knee surgery.
- Zack MacEwen is done for the year with an ACL tear.
But the big news? Dougie Hamilton is back in the mix, and Brett Pesce is finally finding his rhythm after that upper-body injury earlier in the season. Having a stable blue line is the only way this team survives the February push. You can't win in this league if you're constantly playing guys from the Utica Comets in top-four minutes. No offense to the Comets, but there's a reason it's the AHL.
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Goaltending: The $X Factor
Jacob Markstrom was supposed to be the savior. The guy who finally stopped the "save percentage starting with an 8" era in Newark.
It hasn't quite been the fairy tale we wanted. His .891 save percentage is... fine? It’s league average-ish, but the Devils didn't trade for "average." They traded for a brick wall. He’s had some stellar nights, but that 3.41 GAA reflects a team that gives up way too many high-danger chances.
If Markstrom can find that Vezina-caliber form for a 10-game stretch, the Devils will leapfrog the Flyers and Capitals in a heartbeat. If he stays at .891? We're going to be watching the draft lottery again.
What Needs to Happen Next
If you're looking for actionable signs that the NJ Devils playoff chances are actually improving, watch these three things over the next two weeks:
- The 5-on-5 Scoring Gap: The Devils are currently 28th in the league in goals for. That’s insane for a team with this much talent. They need to stop relying on the power play and start finding dirty goals in front of the net.
- The Road Trip Performance: The upcoming swing through Western Canada (Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver) is the season. If they come back with 4 or 5 points, they’re in the hunt. If they get swept? It’s fire sale time at the trade deadline.
- The Trade Deadline Aggression: Tom Fitzgerald has a history of being aggressive. If the Devils stay within 2-3 points of a Wild Card spot by March, expect him to move a prospect or a pick for a bottom-six forward who can actually kill a penalty.
Basically, the math says we have about a 35-40% chance right now depending on which model you trust. It's not great. It's also not zero. Keep an eye on the Wednesday night games; those "four-point" games against division rivals like the Flyers are where the season will be won or lost.
The most important next step for any fan tracking this race is to monitor the Points Percentage (PTS%) rather than just total points. Because the Devils have played a few more games than some of their rivals, they actually need to maintain a .650 win rate through February just to pull even in the "games in hand" category. Every overtime loss is a dagger; they need regulation wins to bridge the gap.