The New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers had their first encounter of the 2026-2027 season Monday night. The Rangers lost to the Devils in preseason 2-3. After Monday, the Rangers look better defensively, while the Devils look better offensively.
New Jersey Devils
During the offseason, the Devils were trying to improve the use of Jack Hughes without exhausting him. The Devils wanted to gain young talent from the draft to get Jack Hughes the support he needs to prevent the same mid or end of the season burnout. Along with that, the Devils were securing players from other teams in the Eastern Conference. This will make the burnout less likely so the Devils can focus on their strategy for a playoff run.
After the first two preseason games, the New Jersey Devils look like the better team offensively compared to their Hudson River rival. Jack Hughes is looking healthier compared to last season. Hughes did not score any goals in the first preseason game against the Islanders, but scored one goal during the game last night. Head Coach Sheldon Keefe and his staff are doing a great job so far not over working Hughes before the regular season. Jack Hughes will not have to worry about the Winter Olympics this upcoming season. The Devils look great offensively heading into the season.
New York Rangers
During the off season the Rangers wanted to expand and improve their defensive strategy by acquiring veteran defensemen and forwards from the Western Conference. The Rangers have witnessed how competitive the Western Conference is. The idea was to secure some Western Conference defensemen, like Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson who will both be crucial for the Rangers’ success this season.
After the first preseason game, the New York Rangers look better defensively than the Devils. The past few times the Rangers have encountered the Devils, they were severely underprepared. Head Coach Mike Sullivan is putting his defense to great use this season. The Devils and the Islanders are teams that, in order to beat them, your defense must be on point. Braden Schneider has had a great run so far during preseason. Schneider has been helping Spencer Martin and Igor Shesterkin by controlling the puck before it ends up in the goalie’s net.
Going Forward
Both the Rangers and the Devils are looking at a redemption season. The Devils are being versatile with their roster, while the Rangers are changing their defensive tactics along with their puck control. This is going to determine which team will look better going into regular season play.
