The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils versus the New York Islanders
The Time: 1:00 PM ET
The Broadcast: Local TV — MSGSN/MSG and DAZN Streaming, NHLN; Radio — Devils Hockey Radio
Shaking Out the Lines and Roles
Yesterday, I did a bit of an overview of the trends going on at Devils training camp. In addition to those lines, the third day of camp featured the first look at special teams units.
And the penalty killing units:
Hischier — Rodrigues — Pesce —Hughes
Glass — Brown — Siegenthaler — Hamilton
Boqvist — Noesen — Dillon — Chisholm
Of course, these players will not all play today. Since it is preseason, the Devils only need to play a limited number of veterans, while the rest of players involved will be from Utica. Most of those players will not necessarily be fighting for an immediate NHL job, but for the right to be called up from Utica at some point during the season in case of injuries. Given the looks in camp so far, the true “battles” seem to be:
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Unless someone else really plays out of their mind during pre-season, this is more or less the spread of possibilities for the Devils in camp. They do not have a ton to worry about, but with the injuries to Bjugstad (long-term) and Kovacevic (short-term?), things are a tad more open than they were a few weeks ago.
The Islanders
Today will be our first look at the Islanders for this season. Per Andrew Gross, the Islanders have been using the following forward lines in practice:
Holmstrom — Horvat — Palmieri
Schenn — Ritchie — Maccelli
Eklund — Pageau — Heineman
Duclair — Cizikas — Palat
Engvall — MacLean — Chaffee
With pairings:
Pelech — Schaefer
Romanov — Pulock
Aitcheson — DeAngelo
George — Mayfield
Warren — Kessel
Gross also shared the non-NHL lines and pairings, some of which will be featured in today’s game. But the big stories for the Islanders include Matthew Schaefer being tried out on the right side, largely due to the arrivals of Kashawn Aitcheson and Isaiah George, per Peter DeBoer. But they will also be watching Kyle Palmieri, who is returning from injury after missing most of last season after an ACL repair. Palmieri will turn 36 this season, so his rehabilitation will be something to keep an eye on.
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Among the forwards, the Islanders have few newcomers. Matias Maccelli and Victor Eklund are the two to watch. Maccelli had 39 points for the Maple Leafs last season, while Eklund will be playing his first full NHL season this year. Last season, Eklund had 24 points in 43 games for Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League before scoring 10 points in nine AHL games along with an assist in his NHL debut. Eklund was New York’s first-round draft pick in 2025.
A New Bag Policy
A warning for those attending today’s game:
This policy is being met with widespread contempt, especially given the short notice. For people taking bags off of public transit into Newark, they will be forced into using the lockers at the Prudential Center. Hopefully that does not turn into an absolute disaster.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of today’s game? Will you be watching? Who do you want to see on the ice? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
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