The New Jersey Devils have hired Jessica Campbell as Manager, Player Development, a move the club said completes its development staff. General Manager Sunny Mehta announced the addition along with Bryan McCabe, giving the Devils a new group focused on prospect development.
The hire matters now because Campbell arrives after two years as an assistant coach with the Seattle Kraken, where she recently stepped down from that role. The Devils did not spell out what prompted the change, but they did make clear that her new job is part of a broader push to guide the organization’s draft picks and young players.
In Campbell’s case, the title points to work that sits between coaching and personnel. As Manager, Player Development, she is expected to help oversee the growth of prospects already in the system, a job that fits inside a department reporting to Devils Assistant General Manager and Utica Comets General Manager Braden Birch. The staff will also work with Development Coaches Eric Weinrich, Mark Voakes, and Esa Pirnes.
Campbell’s addition comes alongside McCabe, who was named Vice President, Prospect Personnel and Assistant General Manager, Utica Comets. The Devils are pairing a former NHL player who spent 15 seasons in the league with a development staff built to track the next wave of talent. McCabe spent the last 14 seasons with the Florida Panthers organization in player development roles, giving the group another veteran voice with a long history in prospect work.
What remains unanswered is the part the club did not define: the day-to-day scope of Campbell’s new job. The title suggests close work with players as they move from draft status to pro readiness, but the Devils did not detail which tasks she will handle first. For now, the clearest takeaway is that New Jersey has filled out its development side and put Campbell at the center of it.
