Overview

• The season opener is a rematch of last spring’s first round, when Carolina ousted New Jersey 4–1 with a 5–4 double‑OT clincher on April 29.
• After missing practices with a preseason injury, Pesce returned to full participation and said he feels ready to play his milestone game against his former team.
• New Jersey’s projected lines include Evgenii Dadonov with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, Simon Nemec stepping in on defense, and Zack MacEwen listed as the extra forward, with Johnathan Kovacevic still out.
• The Devils reinforced depth by adding Connor Brown, Evgenii Dadonov, Luke Glendening and Zack MacEwen, re‑signing Cody Glass, and committing five years to goalie Jake Allen to keep the tandem with Jacob Markström intact.
• Special teams and scoring balance remain focal points after eight shutouts and a postseason power‑play drought last year, with Brad Shaw now overseeing the defense and penalty kill and rookie Arseny Gritsyuk poised for his NHL debut.