New Jersey Devils 2026-27 Player Projections: Arseny Gritsyuk – The Hockey Writers – New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils are facing a ton of pressure heading into the 2026-27 season. They have a strong team, but last season, they crumbled and missed the postseason after a solid start. The Devils are determined not to let that happen again.

Each player has a role to fill, and as we gear up for the season, we can start predicting how each player will perform as we continue our Devils’ player projections through the forward group. Next up is Arseny Gritsyuk.

2025-26 Performance

The 2025-26 season marked Gritsyuk’s debut in the NHL. He played in 66 games and recorded 31 points via 13 goals and 18 assists. He unfortunately was dealt a season-ending upper-body injury in March, resulting in the need for surgery and time away from the ice to recover.

Gritsyuk made his NHL debut in the Devils’ season debut on Oct. 9, 2025. He took 16 shifts and spent a total of 9:52 on the ice. In the Devils’ following game on Oct. 11, he recorded not one but two assists to help the Devils take down the Tampa Bay Lightning in their first win of the season.

On Oct. 22, he scored the first goal of his NHL career, a fantastic power-play goal, with an assist from Timo Meier in the third period.

Gritsyuk had two separate three-game point streaks. His first was Nov. 12 to Nov. 18, where he recorded an assist on the 12th, a goal on the 15th, and closed out the streak with an assist on the 18th. His second was from March 3 to March 7, where he scored a goal on the 3rd, scored a goal and recorded an assist on the 4th, and finally, recorded an assist on March 7.

Gritsyuk also had six multi-point games, which is a testament to his level of production.

The Devils had many injuries last season, so Gritsyuk bounced between the top six and the bottom six. In a way, this constant change was great for him because he got a chance to play with different linemates and learn from several different players.

Expectations for 2026-27

Heading into the 2026-27 season, Gritsyuk will likely remain a steady force on the Devils’ bottom six. Devils management was great at upgrading the team at forward this offseason, picking up Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and most recently, Luke Evangelista.

With several NHL veterans with known compete levels coming in, there’s a strong chance Evangelista and Mantha will slot into the top six. This leaves Gritsyuk on the bottom six, but this is not a bad thing. Playing in the bottom six is a chance for him to level up his play style and continue to hone his skills.

Upcoming Milestones

Gritsyuk has 66 NHL games under his belt, making him just 34 games shy of his 100th NHL game. Every NHL game is a great accomplishment for these athletes, and hitting 100 will be a great moment for Gritsyuk. He should hit this mark before the calendar year ends, provided he stays healthy.

With the 2025-26 season being his debut in the NHL, Gritsyuk isn’t super close to many points milestones. He only has 13 goals and 18 assists, so the chance of breaking 100 in either of these categories feels unlikely. However, if he has a strong breakout season, he could potentially hit 100 total points. He’d have to produce a little over double what he did in his debut season. After a strong offseason of recovery and training, we’ll see what Gritsyuk is capable of producing.

Projections for the 2026-27 Season

My bold prediction for Gritsyuk in the 2026-27 season is that he will surpass 40 points. If it weren’t for the injury he sustained at the end of the season, he would have been close to 35 points.

There’s a chance Gritsyuk has a great breakout heading into his sophomore NHL season. He can prove to the Devils why they signed him to a three-year extension, which kicks in this season.

Other Projections