The New Jersey Devils are back in action today, Monday, Oct. 13, as they travel to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets. Their current record for the season sits at 1-1-0. New Jersey lost their first game of the season against the Carolina Hurricanes, 6-3. They bounced back on Saturday, Oct. 11, though, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3. The Devils will continue on their three-game road trip to start the season.
Related: Devils Place Evgenii Dadonov on IR, Recall Brian Halonen
As for the Blue Jackets, they have the same record as the Devils, 1-1-0. They lost their first game against the Nashville Predators, 2-1, on Oct. 9, and on Oct. 11, Columbus defeated the Minnesota Wild 7-4. After two games on the road, they are heading home for their home opener against the Devils.
Devils Storylines
The biggest storyline to come out ahead of the game is that Evgenii Dadonov has been placed on injured reserve (IR). The Devils called up Brian Halonen from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets. He played in four preseason games with the Devils and recorded a total of three points via one goal and two assists. After his performance in the preseason, there was definitely a chance that Halonen would have been called up to play with the Devils at some point. No one believed his call-up would be this soon, though.
Brian Halonen, New Jersey Devils (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
On top of this, Devils fans should keep an eye on rookie Arseni Gritsyuk. Against Carolina, he only spent a total of 9:52 on the ice and was a minus-2. However, he really warmed up against the Lightning. His time on the ice went up to 13:14, and he recorded two assists. His assist on Connor Brown’s goal in the first period marked his first NHL point. This is a great accomplishment, but surely he is itching to score his first goal. Perhaps he could score it against Columbus.
Gritsyuk is looking for his first NHL goal, while Jack Hughes is looking for his first of the season. He recorded an assist on Oct. 9, but that has been it so far this season in terms of points. Hughes suffered a season-ending injury on March 2, 2025, that required shoulder surgery. After a long time off the ice, Hughes is back where he belongs and is looking to make an impact. Perhaps both he and Gritsyuk could score major goals against Columbus.
Team Stats
New Jersey Devils
Season Record: 1-1-0
Top Scorers:
Luke Hughes – 0 goals (G), 4 assists (A), 4 points (P)
Jesper Bratt – 2 G, 1 A, 3 P
Connor Brown – 2 G, 0 A, 2 P
Timo Meier – 1 G, 1 A, 2 P
Nico Hischier – 1 G, 1 A, 2 P
Goalie Stats
Jacob Markstrom – 1-1-0, 4.04 goals-against average (GAA), .837 save percentage (SV%)
Columbus Blue Jackets
Season Record: 1-1-0
Top Scorers:
Kirill Marchenko – 3 G, 0 A, 3 P
Boone Jenner – 1 G, 2 A, 3 P
Zach Werenski – 1 G, 2 A, 3 P
Dimitri Voronkov – 1 G, 2 A, 3 P
Adam Fantilli – 1 G, 1 A, 2 P
Goalie Stats
Elvis Merzlikins – 1-0-0, 4.00 GAA, .923 SV%
Jet Greaves – 0-1-0, 2.04 GAA , .938 SV%
Projected Lineups
(Subject to change before puck drop)
As per The Hockey Writers projected lineup article.
New Jersey Devils
Ondrej Palat — Jack Hughes — Jesper Bratt
Timo Meier — Nico Hischier — Dawson Mercer
Arseni Gritsyuk — Cody Glass — Connor Brown
Paul Cotter — Luke Glendening — Zack MacEwen
Luke Hughes — Brett Pesce
Jonas Siegenthaler — Dougie Hamilton
Brenden Dillon — Simon Nemec
Jacob Markstrom
Jake Allen
Scratched: Brian Halonen, Dennis Cholowski, Juho Lammikko
Injured: Stefan Noesen, Marc McLaughlin, Seamus Casey, Evgenii Dadonov, Johnathan Kovacevic
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dimitri Voronokov — Sean Monahan — Kirill Marchenko
Boone Jenner — Adam Fantilli — Cole Sillinger
Kent Johnson — Charlie Coyle — Mathieu Olivier
Zach Aston-Reese — Isac Lundestrom — Miles Wood
Zach Werenski — Dante Fabbro
Ivan Provorov — Damon Severson
Denton Mateychuk — Erik Gudbranson
Elvis Merzlikins
Jet Greaves
Scratched: Yegor Chinakov, Jake Christiansen
Injured: Jordan Dumais, Luca Marelli
Next Up for the Devils
After this matchup against the Blue Jackets, the Devils will head back to New Jersey for the first time this season. They will play their home opener on Thursday, Oct. 16, when they host the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. It would be a big confidence booster for the Devils to head into this matchup with a win under their belts.
