The Devils will be lucky to make it to the playoffs. Which realistically wont happen.
If they make the playoffs this season, it won't be because of luck - it'll be because they earned it, just like last year.
I'm not crazy enough to proclaim them as Cup contenders at this point, but I think they have a good chance of making the playoffs. All everybody sees from last season is that they were projected to suck, Taylor Hall had an MVP season, therefore it was a fluke and Hall just carried them to the playoffs. They don't sign anybody in free agency, so the next line of thinking is that other teams got better while the Devils must've regressed...and we don't want to predict the same playoff teams year after year, so surely the Devils will be at least one of the teams to drop out of the East.
Meanwhile, the progression this season of Nico, Zacha, Mueller, Wood, Butcher, Bratt, Coleman and Noesen (all basically 2nd/3rd year NHL players this season) is ignored, as is having a largely healthy team to start the season (missing Zajac and Boyle to start last year, while Johansson, Mueller and Palmieri all had significant injuries last year...though that's unpredictable and could be better/worse this season), not to mention Schneider was battling a lingering injury last season that has finally been addressed (remains to be seen if he can bounce back, though Kinkaid looks good early).
Whether the Devils ultimately make the playoffs again or not, they should be in the race right through the end of the season.