The 2025-26 NHL season holds exciting potential milestones for several New Jersey Devils players. As the team aims to transition from playoff contender to championship contender, these individual achievements could play a significant role in their success.

Individual Milestones:

• Jack Hughes: The dynamic center is on the cusp of reaching 400 career points. With 351 points already under his belt, he needs just 49 more to hit this milestone. Given his offensive prowess and consistent point production, Hughes is highly likely to achieve this early in the season, assuming he remains healthy. Over the past three seasons, Hughes has averaged over a point-per-game.

• Luke Hughes: The promising young defenseman is also nearing a significant milestone. He needs just seven points to reach 100 career points. After a strong finish to the 2024-25 season, where he tallied 22 points in 22 games, reaching this mark appears very achievable for Hughes.

• Nico Hischier: The Devils' captain is approaching the 200-goal mark for his career. He needs 29 goals to reach this milestone. Having averaged 31 goals in each of the last three seasons, Hischier has a good chance of hitting 200 career goals in 2025-26. Even if he falls short of 200, 24 goals would allow him to surpass Kirk Muller and Zach Parise to move into fifth place on the Devils' all-time goal-scoring list. A 32-goal season would propel him into third place, passing Travis Zajac and Bobby Holik.

• Dawson Mercer: Assuming he stays healthy, Mercer is on track to break the Devils' all-time ironman streak. By playing his 74th game of the season, he would surpass Travis Zajac's record of 401 consecutive games played in a Devils uniform. Mercer's streak began with his NHL debut in 2021, and he has yet to miss a game.

Team Expectations and Factors:

The New Jersey Devils have high expectations for the 2025-26 season. After a few interesting seasons, the Devils are aiming for a deep playoff run. Key to their success will be the health of their roster. The team's management has focused on improving depth and stability in goaltending and defense. The Devils are counting on consistent and deeper scoring throughout the lineup.

Several factors could influence the team's performance and the achievement of individual milestones:

• Health: Staying healthy, especially key players like Jack Hughes and Jacob Markstrom, will be crucial. Injuries derailed their progress in the previous season.
• Goaltending: The performance of goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who had a strong first season with the Devils, will be vital. If he maintains a high level of play, the Devils may consider extending his contract.
• Consistency: The Devils need to improve their consistency and avoid prolonged losing streaks.
• Young Players: The continued development and contributions of young players like Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey will be important.
• New Additions: Newcomers like Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov are expected to provide depth scoring and contribute to the team's overall performance.

Overall, the 2025-26 season presents a mix of individual milestones and team aspirations for the New Jersey Devils. A healthy and consistent team effort, combined with the achievement of these milestones, could lead to a successful season and a deeper run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.