New Jersey Devils’ 2025-26 Report Cards: Jonas Siegenthaler – The Hockey Writers – New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils‘ 2025-26 season ended suddenly, as the team missed the postseason with a 42-37-3 record. After a commanding start, the Devils collapsed upon their return from the Olympic break, missing the playoffs. They will look to have an intense offseason to add depth, scoring, and strength on the blue line.

Every player on the roster contributed throughout the season, although some had a greater impact. This installment highlights defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, who delivered an okay performance.

2025-26 Performance With the Devils

In the 2025-26 season, Siegenthaler played in all 82 games. He recorded 16 points via 16 assists. His first assist of the season was recorded on Oct. 22 against the Minnesota Wild. Time ticked down in the game, and the Wild had pulled their goaltender to try and even out the 3-1 score. Instead, Siegenthaler gained control of the puck in the Wild’s zone and passed it to Jesper Bratt, who sent it down the ice into the empty net.

Siegenthaler was streaky throughout the season with his assists, but his best performance was in March. He recorded two assists on March 24, and then again in the Devils’ next game on March 26, recorded two more.

However, at the end of the day, Sigenthaler’s main goal is not to record points; his job is to defend against the opposing team. His best plus-minus for the season was recorded on April 2 against the Washington Capitals, when he recorded a plus-4.

Unfortunately for Sigenthaler, he had a negative plus-minus overall for the season, with a minus-9. This was also the lowest plus-minus of his NHL career thus far. He still did a fair job overall for the season on defense.

Impact with the Devils

Siegenthaler played on the left side of defense, either on the first or second pairing, alongside Simon Nemec or Dougie Hamilton. With how high he was on the list of defensive pairings, it proved that the Devils needed Siegenthaler to step up and prove himself.

On top of this, pairing Siegenthaler with Nemec was proof the Devils believed in him as a defensive player. This was only Nemec’s third season in the NHL, his second full-time season. He was still getting a handle on the NHL level of hockey, and the Devils pairing him with Siegenthaler proved himself to be a veteran player worthy of training a younger player.

Now that Nemec has been traded to the Flames, Siegenthaler might not have to step into that trainer role, and he and Hamilton can hold down the second defensive pairing heading into the 2026-27 season.

Future with the Devils

Siegenthaler is entering the fourth year of his current five-year contract with the Devils. He currently receives an average annual value (AAV) of 3.4 million. Siegenthaler still has two more seasons on his current contract, mostly ensuring him two more seasons of NHL play with the Devils. When his contract expires in 2027-28, Siegenthaler will be 31 years old.

Provided Siegenthaler stays healthy, he is anticipating hitting a major milestone in his NHL career: 500 games played. He is currently at 449 games. Siegenthaler is also about to hit 100 career points, just 18 points shy of hitting the mark. The 2026-27 season is shaping up to be a big one for Siegenthaler, with two huge milestones on the rise. Let’s just hope he stays healthy in order to reach these exciting career milestones.

Overall Grade

For the 2025-26 season, Sigenthaler receives a C. He did a decent job on the defensive side, but his worst plus-minus of his career knocked him down a bit. When he did step up on the offensive side of things, Siegenthaler only recorded assists, but that was still an accomplishment coming from a defenseman.

The 2026-27 season is shaping up to be a big one for Siegenthaler, as he closes in on two major career milestones. Hopefully, he can keep his performance high and stay healthy so that he reaches these incredible career highs.