Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Puck drop: 1:00 p.m. ET (some reports note ~1:08 p.m.)
TV/Streaming: NHL Network, Monumental Sports Network (MNMT), MSG SportsNet (MSGSN), and regional Canadian networks (SNP/SNO/SNE).
Both Metropolitan Division teams enter with identical 4-3-0 records and 8 points after seven games. This is their first meeting of the 2026-27 season.
Projected Lineups / Current Rosters
Devils projected lines
Arseny Gritsyuk – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt
Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Dawson Mercer
Anthony Mantha – Evan Rodrigues – Stefan Noesen
Amadeus Lombardi – Cody Glass – Jesper Boqvist
Defense: Luke Hughes – Brett Pesce; Jonas Siegenthaler – Dougie Hamilton; Declan Chisholm – Johnathan Kovacevic Goalies: Jake Allen (probable starter) / Nico Daws Scratches: Remi Poirier, Brenden Dillon.
Capitals projected lines:
Alex Tuch – Dylan Strome – Jordan Kyrou
Aliaksei Protas – Boone Jenner – Tom Wilson
Alex Ovechkin – Ilya Protas – Ivan Miroshnichenko
Anthony Beauvillier – Justin Sourdif – Ryan Leonard
Defense: Jakob Chychrun – Timothy Liljegren; Martin Fehervary – Vincent Desharnais; Cole Hutson – Justin Holl Goalies: Logan Thompson (probable) / Charlie Lindgren Scratches: Ethen Frank, Dylan McIlrath (subject to injury updates).
Injury Reports
Devils:
Connor Brown (lower body) — out / IR, expected back around Oct. 20.
Nick Bjugstad (pectoral/upper body) — out long-term (into January).
Luke Evangelista (illness) — out; will not travel, targeting return later in the week (e.g., Tuesday vs. Colorado).
Seamus Casey (knee) — out (weeks).
Cody Glass (maintenance) is expected to play.
Capitals:
Rasmus Sandin (knee) — out / LTIR.
Matt Roy (lower body) — day-to-day/questionable; practiced and cleared for contact but status uncertain.
Pierre-Luc Dubois (illness) — out (will miss a fourth consecutive game).
Justin Sourdif (illness) — day-to-day/questionable (missed practice).
Patrick Thomas (upper body) — out.
Key Player Matchups
Jack Hughes / Luke Hughes vs. Capitals defense (Chychrun pair): Jack Hughes leads Devils in points (around 9); Luke Hughes scored two goals in the 7-1 win over the Rangers and is generating offense from the blue line. Capitals rely on Jakob Chychrun’s production and minutes.
Nico Hischier / Timo Meier line vs. Capitals top-six: Hischier (team-leading goals) and Meier provide two-way reliability against Strome/Tuch/Kyrou or the Protas-Jenner-Wilson unit.
Alex Ovechkin and Alex Tuch: Tuch has been hot (leading Capitals in goals); Ovechkin remains a constant threat. Devils’ structure and Allen will be tested.
Special teams: Capitals have drawn more penalties early; Devils’ power play and penalty kill will be factors in a Metropolitan rivalry game. Goalie duel (Allen vs. Thompson) is pivotal given both teams’ even goal differentials.
Recent Team Forms
Devils: 4-3-0 overall. Recent results include a dominant 7-1 home win over the Rangers (Luke Hughes 2G, strong depth scoring) and a 5-4 OT win at Detroit. They have scored and allowed 23 goals (even differential). Hot offense in the last two games after some inconsistency; strong shot generation. Away record is mixed (1-1-0 early samples).
Capitals: 4-3-0 overall (stronger at home, 3-1-0). Came off a 5-4 home win over Montreal (Tuch multi-goal game). They have shown resilience but dealt with injuries and illness affecting lineup consistency. Goals for/against slightly favor them early. Starting a homestand.
Series History
Metropolitan Division rivals with a competitive recent history. Last 10 meetings have been relatively even (reports of 5-5 splits in some samples). High-scoring games are common in the matchup (several overs in recent years). This is the first of four scheduled meetings this season (others include November home-and-home and January). Devils have had success in some recent encounters, but Capitals hold home-ice advantage here.
Betting Trends
Both teams average around 3.2–3.4 goals per game. Recent Devils games have trended higher (7-1 and 5-4). Capitals home form is solid. Public money often leans toward favorites/home teams in afternoon games; injuries/illness on both sides add variance. Head-to-head has seen overs frequently.
Game Odds
New Jersey Devils 6
Washington Capitals – 118
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, October 16, 2026
