PuckCast Edge
Betting edges, stake sizing, props priced against the line, fantasy tiers and the graded ledger. $14.99 a month in season, or $99 for the year.
2026-27 forecast · Fri, Mar 5, 7:00 PM ET
Jake Allen · 0.904 SV%
The preseason ratings make New Jersey Devils 54.0% to win at home — barely a lean at all, worth 4.0 points over a coin flip, which grades C. Over a full season those same ratings project NJD for 94 points and VGK for 96.
A preseason forecast from each team's regressed rating and home ice, the ratings behind the projected standings. The full model read, with the starting goalies, rest and form, publishes within seven days of the game and replaces this page’s numbers. How the model works
VGK controlled play at 5v5 last season, 54.7% of the expected goals to 49.0%; NJD's power play ran at 21.9% against a VGK kill at 82.2%.
In goal, neither team has named a starter. Last season Jake Allen (NJD) saved -7.2 goals above expected to Adin Hill's -23.2, on save percentages of 0.904 and 0.871.
None of that is the model read. This is a rating-and-home-ice forecast; the full prediction — confirmed goalies, rest and form, priced against the market — publishes inside the seven days before puck drop and replaces these numbers. New Jersey Devils over Vegas Golden Knights is where it starts, not where it ends.
No starter is named this far out. These are each side’s projected starters on the current roster, with last season’s numbers.
VGK
Adin Hill
27 games, 2025-26
NJD
Jake Allen
37 games, 2025-26
| VGK | Metric | NJD |
|---|---|---|
| 54.7% | xGF% (5v5) | 49.0% |
| 53.5% | Shot share | 51.9% |
| 3.3 | Goals for / game | 2.8 |
| 2.9 | Goals against / game | 3.1 |
| 24.7% | Power play | 21.9% |
| 82.2% | Penalty kill | 79.3% |
| 51.3% | Faceoffs | 50.5% |
Vegas Golden Knights
| Player | Pos | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 25 | 63 | 87 | |
| C | 27 | 55 | 82 | |
| R | 17 | 34 | 51 | |
| D | 8 | 34 | 42 |
New Jersey Devils
| Player | Pos | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 31 | 53 | 84 |
| Date | Game | Pick | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-17 | NJD @ VGK | VGK | NJD 2–1 VGK | Missed |
| 2025-12-05 | VGK @ NJD | VGK | VGK 3–0 NJD | Correct |
| Team | Proj. points | Playoff odds |
|---|---|---|
| Vegas Golden Knights | 96 | 58.1% |
| New Jersey Devils | 94 | 42.3% |
Forecast method preseason-elo-v1; ratings as of 2026-08-19.
| L | 22 | 51 | 72 |
| C | 29 | 40 | 68 |
| D | 8 | 38 | 47 |