Devils’ Gameday Preview: Connor Hellebuyck Set to Make His Debut

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, the New Jersey Devils will begin their three-game road trip in Dallas, facing off against the Stars in the first matchup of a back-to-back. The club swept their second homestand of the season after beating the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Saturday, and are on the hunt for their fourth-straight win. The Stars, on the other hand, are on a five-game winning streak, most recently defeating the New York Islanders 6-3 on Sunday.

Here is everything to know ahead of puck drop at 8:00 PM ET.

Storylines

Undeniably, the biggest storyline unfolding is newcomer Connor Hellebuyck receiving the nod as the starter against the Stars. After being traded to the Devils on Friday from the Winnipeg Jets, he hit the ice immediately, joining the team for his first official practice of the season on Monday.

The veteran goaltender made it very clear that his aim was to be game-ready as soon as possible. When asked about his return after practice, he told reporters, “If you’re asking me, I’m ready today. But I don’t make every decision around here.” Head coach Sheldon Keefe shared yesterday that there were still a few protocols left to clear, but announced that Hellebuyck would make his season debut earlier this afternoon.

Connor Hellebuyck. Tonight. Let’s get it. https://t.co/6E7yUS8rOj

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) October 27, 2026

Up front, the Devils’ current leading goal scorer is none other than Arseny Gritsyuk, who has scored in his last five games and kept his streak alive with an empty-net goal against the Kings. Now that he’s on the top line, Gritsyuk has been playing significant minutes, and is currently on pace for 69 points this season.

Brenden Dillon is expected to remain in the lineup after a strong performance on Saturday. Across 14:51 of ice time, he recorded four hits and one blocked shot and was on the ice for 17 shot attempts, one goal, and six high-danger chances. As a result, Declan Chisholm will be a healthy scratch for the second-consecutive game.

In recent games, the Devils have been enjoying defensive stability, which has paved the way for dominance in all three zones. They’ve given up only two goals in their last two games and have not allowed an opponent to score on the man advantage since Oct. 17. But will they be able to fend off the Stars’ high-octane offense?

Team Stats

New Jersey Devils

Season Record: 7-4-0

Top Scorers:

• Jack Hughes — 3 goals (G), 9 assists (A), 12 points (P)
• Jesper Bratt — 2 G, 8 A, 10 P
• Arseny Gritsyuk — 6 G, 3 A, 9 P
• Nico Hischier — 5 G, 2 A, 7 P
• Luke Evangelista — 3 G, 4 A, 7 P

Goalie Stats:

• Connor Hellebuyck — 0-0-0
• Jake Allen — 5-2-0, 2.84 goals against average (GAA), .886 save percentage (SV%)

Dallas Stars

Season Record: 7-3-1

Top Scorers:

• Mikko Rantanen — 6 G, 8 A, 14 P
• Jason Robertson — 5 G, 8 A, 13 P
• Roope Hintz — 5 G, 5 A, 10 P
• Miro Heiskanen — 3 G, 5 A, 8 P
• Wyatt Johnston — 2 G, 6 A, 8 P

Goalie Stats:

• Casey DeSmith — 1-1-0, 1.94 GAA, .925 SV%
• Jake Oettinger — 6-2-1, 1.43 GAA, .929 SV%

Projected Lineup

(Subject to change before puck drop)

New Jersey Devils

Arseny Gritsyuk — Jack Hughes — Jesper Bratt
Timo Meier — Nico Hischier — Luke Evangelista
Anthony Mantha — Evan Rodrigues — Jesper Boqvist
Amadeus Lombardi — Cody Glass — Connor Brown

Luke Hughes — Brett Pesce
Jonas Siegenthaler — Dougie Hamilton
Brenden Dillon — Johnathan Kovacevic

Connor Hellebuyck
Jake Allen

Scratched: Declan Chisholm, Remi Poirier

Injured: Seamus Casey

Dallas Stars

Jason Robertson — Roope Hintz — Tyler Seguin
Joel Kiviranta — Wyatt Johnston — Mikko Rantanen
Jamie Benn — Arttu Hyry — Dylan Hryckowian
Colin Blackwell — Justin Hryckowian — Matthew Seminoff

Thomas Harley — Miro Heiskanen
Lian Bichsel — Nils Lundkvist
Kyle Capobianco — Tyler Myers

Casey DeSmith
Jake Oettinger

Scratched: David Perron

Injured: Matt Duchene, Esa Lindell, Oskar Bäck, Radek Faksa, Sam Steel

Next Up for the Devils

The Devils will travel to Colorado for the second half of the back-to-back, closing out the season series against the Avalanche after a 4-3 win last week. The game will start at 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday at Ball Arena.