Our New Jersey Devils vs New York Islanders preview covers the odds, puck line, total, start time, TV channel and where to watch on Saturday, October 3, 2026. The New Jersey Devils (1-0-0 this season; 42-37-3 in 2025-26) visit the New York Islanders (0-1-0 this season; 43-34-5 in 2025-26) at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. Puck drop is 7:30 PM ET (7:30 PM local). TV: MSGSN / MSG (U.S. regional).
Home-opener storyline: The Islanders host their first home game of the season at UBS Arena after a 2-1 loss at Toronto on Sept. 30, when Emil Heineman scored a short-handed goal and Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves. New Jersey is 1-0-0 after Jack Hughes scored at 3:23 of overtime in a 3-2 win over Philadelphia on Oct. 1, a game in which the Devils outshot the Flyers 44-25 (NHL.com). DraftKings lists New Jersey at -130 and New York at +110 on the moneyline, with the total at 5.5.
New Jersey Devils vs New York Islanders Odds, Puck Line & Game Info
| Matchup | New Jersey Devils @ New York Islanders |
|---|---|
| 2026-27 Records | New Jersey Devils 1-0-0 | New York Islanders 0-1-0 |
| 2025-26 Records | New Jersey Devils 42-37-3 | New York Islanders 43-34-5 |
| Head Coaches | NJD: Sheldon Keefe (3rd season) | NYI: Peter DeBoer (1st full season) |
| Puck Line | NJD -1.5 (+195) | NYI +1.5 (-238) |
| Moneyline | New Jersey Devils: -130 | New York Islanders: +110 |
| Total | O/U 5.5 (o-130 / u+110) |
| Venue | UBS Arena (Elmont, N.Y.) |
| Date / Time | Saturday, October 3, 2026 — 7:30 PM ET |
| TV / How to Watch | MSGSN / MSG (U.S. regional) |
| Probable Starting Goalies | NJD: TBD (Jake Allen / Nico Daws) | NYI: TBD (Ilya Sorokin / Semyon Varlamov) |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN), cross-checked on Action Network, as of Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, ~10:22 PM ET. Totals ranged from 5.5 to 6 across books at research time. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before puck drop. Starting goalies had not been confirmed at research time.
New Jersey Devils Preview: Last Season, Offseason & Goalies
2025-26 recap: New Jersey went 42-37-3 (87 points), finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division and missed the playoffs. The Devils averaged 2.76 goals per game, sixth lowest in the NHL, although their power play ranked third over the final 20 games (29.8 percent from March 7 to April 17) (NHL.com). GM Tom Fitzgerald was fired April 6 and replaced by Sunny Mehta, who spent the previous six seasons in Florida’s front office.
Offseason moves: New Jersey traded goalie Jacob Markstrom to Florida for forwards Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves, and sent defenseman Simon Nemec to Calgary. The Devils signed right wing Anthony Mantha to a two-year, $9.5 million contract after he set NHL career highs with 33 goals and 64 points for Pittsburgh, acquired Luke Evangelista (career-high 56 points) from Nashville on Sept. 1 and added defenseman Declan Chisholm from Washington.
Key players & coach: Jack Hughes led the team with 77 points (27 goals, 50 assists) in 61 games last season, Jesper Bratt had 71 points and captain Nico Hischier scored a team-high 28 goals. Timo Meier, Luke Hughes, Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce are also key pieces. Sheldon Keefe is in his third season as coach.
Goalies: Jake Allen went 17-17-2 with a 2.74 GAA and .904 save percentage in 37 games last season, and he made 23 saves on 25 shots in the opener. Nico Daws, 25, is the backup. New Jersey had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Season opener recap: New Jersey beat Philadelphia 3-2 in overtime at Prudential Center on Oct. 1. Hamilton scored late in the second period, Luke Hughes tied it 2-2 at 9:44 of the third, and Jack Hughes won it from Bratt at 3:23 of overtime. Evangelista had an assist in his Devils debut (NHL.com).
Injuries: Forward Connor Brown (lower body) is listed as out. Defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic (knee), forward Nick Bjugstad (pectoral surgery) and defenseman Seamus Casey (knee) are on injured reserve (ESPN).
New York Islanders Preview: Home Opener Without Barzal
2025-26 recap: The Islanders went 43-34-5 (91 points) and finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division, missing the playoffs for the second straight season after holding third place as late as April 4. GM Mathieu Darche fired coach Patrick Roy on April 5 with four games left and named Peter DeBoer coach (Islanders.com). The power play ranked 30th (16.5 percent). Defenseman Matthew Schaefer was the unanimous Calder Trophy winner after scoring 23 goals and 59 points as an 18-year-old (NHL.com).
Offseason moves: Longtime captain Anders Lee signed with Utah after 14 seasons with the Islanders, and goalie David Rittich left for New Jersey. New York signed forward Matias Maccelli (39 points with Toronto last season), goalie Vitek Vanecek and defenseman Matthew Kessel, and re-signed defenseman Tony DeAngelo. Rocky Thompson was hired as an assistant coach to run the power play.
Key players & coach: Mathew Barzal led the team with 72 points last season, and Bo Horvat scored a team-high 31 goals. Brayden Schenn, Simon Holmstrom, Heineman (22 goals), Kyle Palmieri, Calum Ritchie and Jean-Gabriel Pageau add depth. Schaefer, Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov lead the defense. DeBoer has coached two teams to the Stanley Cup Final.
Goalies: Sorokin finished second in Vezina Trophy voting after going 29-24-2 with a 2.68 GAA, .906 save percentage and seven shutouts in 55 games, and he made 24 saves on 26 shots in the opener. Semyon Varlamov, who has not played an NHL game since Nov. 29, 2024, because of knee injuries, is the backup (NHL.com). The Islanders had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Season opener recap: Toronto beat the Islanders 2-1 on Sept. 30. Colton Sissons and Easton Cowan (power play) scored for the Maple Leafs in the first period, and Heineman scored short-handed from Horvat at 14:09 of the third. Anthony Stolarz made 26 saves for Toronto (NHL.com).
Injuries: Barzal (knee), who aggravated a prior injury and did not play in the preseason, is on injured reserve (NHL.com, ESPN).
Key Matchup Notes: Devils vs Islanders
- Schedule spot: It is the Islanders’ home opener after two days off. New Jersey played Thursday and had Friday off.
- Last season: The Islanders won all four meetings, including a 9-0 home win on Jan. 6 and a 3-2 overtime win in Newark on Nov. 10, 2025 (NHL.com).
- Power play: The Islanders ranked 30th on the power play last season (16.5 percent) and scored a short-handed goal but no power-play goal in their opener.
- In goal: Sorokin, last season’s Vezina runner-up, had seven shutouts. Allen posted a .904 save percentage in 37 games for New Jersey.
- Shot volume: New Jersey put 44 shots on goal in its opener. The Islanders outshot Toronto 27-26 but scored once.
- Odds snapshot: New Jersey -130 / New York +110 on the moneyline, Devils -1.5 (+195) on the puck line, total 5.5 (DraftKings).
How to Watch New Jersey Devils vs New York Islanders
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
Puck drop: 7:30 PM ET (7:30 PM local)
Venue: UBS Arena, Elmont, N.Y.
TV: In the U.S., MSGSN carries the game in the Islanders’ market and MSG in the Devils’ market (NHL.com). ESPN also lists ESPN+ streaming. No national TV broadcast is listed in the U.S. or Canada at research time.
Check the puck line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 3, 2026 puck drop, and look for confirmed starting goalies closer to game time.