Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET (some reports list ~7:09 p.m. ET)
Broadcast: Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+
This is the Devils’ 2026-27 home and season opener and the Flyers’ second game in as many nights after a franchise-record-tying 7-0 season-opening home loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.
Projected Lineups / Current Rosters
Flyers projected lineup
Forwards:
Owen Tippett – Trevor Zegras – Porter Martone
Tyson Foerster – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny
Alex Bump – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov
Carl Grundstrom – Sean Couturier – Noel Acciari Defense:
Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Simon Benoit Goaltenders: Joseph Woll / Dan Vladar (Vladar started and allowed all 7 goals on 38 shots in the opener) Scratched: Garrett Wilson, David Jiricek
Devils projected lineup
Forwards:
Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Luke Evangelista
Jesper Bratt – Jack Hughes – Anthony Mantha
Arseny Gritsyuk – Evan Rodrigues – Dawson Mercer
Amadeus Lombardi – Cody Glass – Stefan Noesen Defense:
Luke Hughes – Brett Pesce
Jonas Siegenthaler – Dougie Hamilton
Brenden Dillon – Declan Chisholm Goaltenders: Jake Allen (expected starter) / Nico Daws Scratched: Jesper Boqvist, Remi Poirier Amadeus Lombardi is set for his NHL debut.
Injury Reports
Flyers:
Denver Barkey (lower body) – out / IR
Nikita Grebenkin (upper body/undisclosed) – out
Helge Grans (lower body) – out / injured non-roster
Devils:
Connor Brown (lower body) – out this week (missed first two games expected)
Johnathan Kovacevic (knee) – out
Nick Bjugstad (pectoral) – out (longer-term, into January range)
Seamus Casey (knee) – out / non-roster
Note: Some reports listed Arseny Gritsyuk as out for season (upper body), but he appears in multiple projected lineups; treat as conflicting/status unclear.
Recent Team Forms
Flyers: Opened the season with a historic 7-0 home defeat to Pittsburgh (19 shots for, 38 against). Preseason was poor (roughly 1-3, allowing heavy goals in losses). They are on a back-to-back after a complete defensive and offensive collapse. Captain Sean Couturier noted the need for a reality check.
Devils: Finished preseason 3-0-1, including a 4-1 win at the Islanders in the finale (Luke Evangelista scored twice; Jake Allen solid). They enter with rest advantage and home-opener energy after missing the playoffs last season (42-37-3). Jack Hughes (77 points in 61 games last year) is the focal point.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Jack Hughes / Jesper Bratt / Anthony Mantha line vs. Flyers top pair (Sanheim-Ristolainen or York-Drysdale): Hughes’ speed and playmaking against a Flyers defense that was shredded for 7 goals the night before.
Nico Hischier / Timo Meier / Luke Evangelista vs. Couturier’s checking group or Michkov’s line: Hischier’s two-way play and Meier’s net-front presence against Philadelphia’s veterans and skill.
Matvei Michkov / Trevor Zegras creativity vs. Devils defense (Luke Hughes-Pesce, Siegenthaler-Hamilton): Flyers need secondary scoring after being blanked.
Travis Konecny / Tyson Foerster vs. Devils bottom-six and defense: Physical, high-energy Flyers forwards against New Jersey’s depth.
Goaltending: Jake Allen (expected) vs. Dan Vladar (or possible Woll). Vladar allowed 7 goals in the opener; Allen established himself as the primary starter last season.
Special teams and transition: Devils’ speed advantage (Hughes brothers) against a Flyers team that looked slow and disconnected.
Series History
All-time regular-season series is very close (reports range around Devils ~126-122-18-9 or similar tight margins overall). Flyers swept the three meetings in 2025-26 (including a 5-1 win at Prudential Center on April 7, 2026) and hold a recent edge (won last 3; strong in last 10). Classic Metropolitan Division rivalry with playoff history (multiple series in the 1990s–2010s). Devils historically solid on opening night.
Betting Trends
Flyers coming off a blowout on a back-to-back; Devils rested at home with strong preseason. Recent head-to-head favors Philadelphia, but situational factors (rest, home opener, Flyers’ defensive collapse) favor New Jersey. Last-season totals often went over in both teams’ games.
Game Odds
Philadelphia Flyers 5.5
New Jersey Devils – 165
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, September 30, 2026
