The Devils are right back in the playoff race — kind of.

New Jersey has won four of its last five games and sits four points out of the second wild-card spot. They are, however, 14th in points percentage.

All of that’s to say: Things can change — and fast. The Devils have a 20.8% chance of making the playoffs, according to Money Puck, but their last handful of games have inspired some hope.

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General manager Tom Fitzgerald — who said he doesn’t even look at the standings — still views playoffs as the goal for this season and appears to be all-in on buying at this year’s trade deadline.

“The reality is there’s still plenty of runway for this group to come together and (it is) looking at me to help pull things together,” Fitzgerald said last week. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out: Where can we get better?”

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If they’re going to add, let’s take a look at what they have to work with.

We’re dividing Devils players — plus a few prospects/draft picks — into nine tiers and ranking them based on their likelihood of getting dealt. We’re going from most likely to be traded to least, so the lower the number is on their left, the safer they are.

Here goes:

THE DOUGIE HAMILTON CATEGORY

26. Dougie Hamilton

Defenseman Dougie Hamilton has been on a tear since he was healthy scratched on Jan. 11, posting six points in five games and routinely sitting atop the analytics charts. This is great for his trade value, right? Well, it’s complicated.

Defenseman Luke Hughes is now injured, so it would benefit Fitzgerald to hold onto his best puck-moving defenseman if the playoffs are still the goal. If Hughes returns in a few weeks, great. Don’t hesitate to deal Hamilton. If he’s out the rest of the season, Hamilton could skyrocket all the way up to the untouchables category.

THE LIKELY GONERS

25. Simon Nemec

Defenseman Simon Nemec is eligible to be offer-sheeted this summer, meaning a team can swoop in and sign him by coughing up draft picks in return. Fitzgerald didn’t sound overly confident when asked about Nemec’s contract negotiations last week.“Yeah, well, he needs a contract. Where that goes, again, that’s part of my job, but it’s not for today,” said Fitzgerald.

24. Seamus Casey

I just don’t see a spot for defenseman Seamus Casey on this team long term. He’s a skilled right-shot defenseman, but the Devils simply have too many of those. Don’t be shocked if he’s part of a blockbuster return.

I DON’T WANT TO GIVE YOU UP, BUT I WILL IF IT’S FOR JASON ROBERTSON

23. Lenni Hameenaho

Prospect winger Lenni Hameenaho has had a stellar first two NHL games. He’s constantly in the right position on the ice and looks poised for a young player. That said, if Dallas says, “We’ll give you Jason Robertson for, say, Timo Meier, Hameenaho, Nemec and a pick,” Fitzgerald should drive them to the airport himself.

22. Arseny Gritsyuk

Copy the above analysis and add the fact that Arseny Gritsyuk has A) a larger sample size and B) a better shot.

THE SWEETENERS

21. Dawson Mercer

This category is for players who aren’t quite stars, but have enough potential/value that they’d likely be involved in a blockbuster — along with a top-six forward and a pick. Despite his streakiness, center Dawson Mercer is highly respected in league circles …

20. Anton Silayev

I’m higher on defenseman Anton Silayev than most. Was he the right pick in 2024? Probably not. But he’s massive and has shutdown defenseman potential.

19. Cody Glass

Forward Cody Glass can score in spurts — he’s got four goals in his last six games — and is a great defender. I’m not sure New Jersey would want to give up the center depth, but if the price is right …

18. Jonas Siegenthaler

He’s got some no-trade protection, and he’s playing better of late, but it’s not impossible to imagine defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler’s name popping up in a trade notification (again, if the price is right…)

LIKELY SAFE

17. Evgenii Dadonov

Don’t read too much into the number rankings within this category. These are guys who were either recently signed, have enough value to warrant keeping or have enough no-trade protection to keep them from moving. Dadonov, a forward, has all three, to an extent.

16. Brenden Dillon

Defenseman Brenden Dillon has been rock solid this season. I’d be stunned to see the Devils move on from him.

15. Jonathan Kovacevic

Fitzgerald handed the defenseman a full no-trade clause, so even if the Devils wanted to deal Kovacevic, they couldn’t.

14. Connor Brown

Winger Connor Brown is quickly turning into Fitzgerald’s most underrated signing. He defends and scores and he’s great in the locker room. He’s not going anywhere.

13. Brett Pesce

Defenseman Brett Pesce hasn’t quite looked the same since returning from his hand injury, but when he’s at the top of his game, he’s one of the most reliable defensive defensemen in the league.

12. Jake Allen

Jake Allen has been New Jersey’s most reliable goaltender this season. Fitzgerald would be a fool for moving him.

DOES ANYBODY EVEN WANT THEM?

11. Paul Cotter

This category is reserved for players whose performance on the ice is a no-trade clause in and of itself. Paul Cotter has played better the last two games at center, but he’s still one of the Devils’ worst players. Nobody’s trading for him.

10. Luke Glendening

Center Luke Glendening has been an absolute zero for the Devils this year. It’s no coincidence that the team rattled off two wins in a row the second they benched him.

9. Stefan Noesen

Forward Stefan Noesen has had a season to forget. Injuries surely played a role — he’s currently on long-term injured reserve for a knee injury — but seven points in 38 games is unacceptable for a player with his cap hit ($2.75 million).

SHOULD BE GONERS BUT PROBABLY WON’T BE BECAUSE OF THEIR NMCs, CONTRACTS

8. Ondrej Palat

Winger Ondrej Palat has one assist for every million dollars he’s making this year (six). He has 10 points total. He has a full no-move clause.

7. Jacob Markstrom

Jacob Markstrom had one of the worst goalie performances in NHL history on Jan. 6, when he gave up nine goals on 24 shots against the New York Islanders. He has an .894 save percentage in 75 games with the Devils, including a 3.27 goals-against average and .882 SV% this year. His two-year, $12 million contract (with a restrictive no-trade clause) begins next year.

I REALLY DON’T WANT TO GIVE YOU UP … BUT I’LL LISTEN IF THE PRICE IS GOOD ENOUGH

6. 2026 first-round pick

The Devils could either sneak into the playoffs or be right in the mix for the No. 1 pick. They should not trade their 2026 first-rounder unless it’s for an ice-tilting star.

5. Timo Meier

Meier has a full no-move clause, so would he even waive in the event of a blockbuster move? The winger might if he can put up the kind of shots he did in San Jose.

4. Jesper Bratt

Let’s make one thing clear: I’m not advocating for the Devils to trade any player in this category. But if the front office thinks the core needs a major shakeup — and some fans have been pounding the table for that — Bratt might be the first major piece to go.

THE UNTOUCHABLES

3. Nico Hischier

I considered adding Hischier to the previous category, but if Fitzgerald didn’t give up the two-way center for defenseman Quinn Hughes, he’s probably not trading him at all.

2. Luke Hughes

His last name is Hughes, and the Devils aren’t going to tick off their superstar player by trading his brother. They’re just not.

1. Jack Hughes

I have nothing to add here. The Devils aren’t trading Jack Hughes unless he demands a deal.