On Wednesday, the New Jersey Devils held a locker cleanout, marking the end of the 2025-26 season. After failing to qualify for the playoffs, the organization will head back to the drawing board during the offseason. There are plenty of issues to address this summer, including scoring and goaltending inconsistencies. Now, they have to solidify the team’s identity moving forward, as they welcome Sunny Mehta as their new general manager (GM).

But despite such a tumultuous season, Devils fans have a lot to look forward to next season. With ample young talent and a star-studded core, there’s no doubt that success is in the team’s near future.

To celebrate the end of the season, here are a few players who deserve recognition for their efforts all season long. Without further ado, here are the Devils’ 2025-26 team awards for The Hockey Writers.

MVP: Jack Hughes

It should come as no surprise that Jack Hughes was the Devils’ most valuable player this season. He missed a significant amount of time, even undergoing hand surgery at one point, but came back stronger than ever. Hughes wrapped up the season as the club’s leader in both points (77) and assists (50). Not only that, but he also led the team in on-ice goals per 60 minutes, recording an average of 4.38.

He took the world by storm in February, when his overtime goal at the Winter Olympics propelled Team USA to victory. After the NHL resumed, his point production skyrocketed, finishing the season with 41 points in 25 games.

Should Hughes remain healthy for the 2026-27 season, the sky is the limit for what he can accomplish. For the last three seasons, he’s missed 20 or more games due to injury after breaking the single-season franchise point record in 2022-23. Regardless, there’s no doubt his role as an elite scorer will continue next season.

Best Forward: Nico Hischier

Once again, Nico Hischier has proven why he’s the heart and soul of the Devils. He remains their best all-situations player, capable of making a difference at both ends of the ice. Hischier excels at winning faceoffs, drawing penalties, and making plays, going toe-to-toe with opponents’ top lines night after night. 

His elite offensive production continued this season, leading the team with 28 goals and 11 power-play goals. Likewise, he also set numerous career highs. Hischier’s 1,008 faceoff wins marked a career best, leading the NHL by a margin of 169. In terms of his defensive game, he set a new high with 63 blocked shots, which is another important facet of his two-way game.

Aside from his on-ice talent, Hischier just wants to see the Devils succeed. After finishing his ninth season in New Jersey, he expressed his desire to win during his exit interview. “All we can do is go into summer and work hard on ourselves and come back and get ready for a great year,” said Hischier.

This summer, one of Mehta’s first actions as the Devils’ new GM should be to extend the captain, ensuring that his leadership will be locked in for many seasons to come.

Best Defenseman: Jonas Siegenthaler

In the face of such a devastating season, the Devils needed a solid, steady presence, which they had on the blue line in Jonas Siegenthaler. The Swiss defenseman skated in all 82 games for the first time in his career and played a major role in the Devils’ penalty kill. Even though he struggled at the start of the season without his shutdown partner, Johnathan Kovacevic, he finished strong, ending with a respectable 16 points.