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[New Jersey Devils]

Jack Hughes Cannot Win the Game By Himself: Devils Fall 4-2 to Stars

He tried. He really did. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Devils’ star came back from the break struggling to get assists once more, but he fired away once paired up with Nico Hischier. It was too late, though.

First Period​

In his return to the team, Nico Hischier centered Timo Meier and Stefan Noesen. Back from an oblique injury, Hischier was set to give his team a boost after the Four Nations Face-Off break. After a couple minutes of back-and-forth neutral zone hockey, Johnny Kovacevic passed ahead to Nate Bastian for a rush chance. Casey DeSmith squeezed his arm tight to freeze play. The Devils were then able to get a couple of offensive zone faceoff for Hughes and Hischier. The next chance came on a high shot from Ondrej Palat, which was blockered away after Hughes set him up. Jake Allen would not be so lucky on the other end, as Simon Nemec was in no-man's land as Evgenii Dadonov had two whacks at the puck right in front of Allen. The Dallas Stars took a quick 1-0 lead.

The Devils went to the penalty kill for Brenden Dillon going at Lian Bischel when he hit Dougie Hamilton after an offsides whistle. Ken Daneyko was up in arms over the call. Wyatt Johnston knocked Nico Hischier off a draw, who didn't get out to the point as a result, and Jake Allen let in a goal from the high slot. 2-0, Dallas, with Thomas Harley getting the marker.

Jesper Bratt backhanded a perfect feed for Ondrej Palat, but Palat shot it off the blocker. That would have been a nice moment to get closer in the game. Thomas Harley later tripped Jesper Bratt as Bratt went around the net, and the Devils went to the power play. The first unit of the power play had some good movement and chances, but Stefan Noesen just missed a puck by the net that would have given them a goal. Against the second unit, DeSmith poked a Dawson Mercer toe drag away and stopped a Timo Meier one-timer.

The Devils tilted the ice pretty well in the several minutes following their power play. However, Casey DeSmith made 12 stops in the period, stopping about 1.23 expected goals. Still, the Devils had yet to get chances at even strength for their best scorers, so they still had room to improve going into the second period.

Second Period​

The Devils came out strong for the early shifts of the second period, though Jake Allen was tested two and a half minutes in, with Mikael Granlund getting a big chance in front that was denied. The third line then got hemmed in, with Luke Hughes clearing the puck at one point but not getting it far enough down the ice for the fowards to be willing to go to the bench. The third line and the Hughes-Nemec pairing was on for two and a half minutes by the time Allen froze a point slap shot.

After the Devils got a change, they pushed back into the offensive zone for a faceoff. Giving the fourth line an offensive zone draw, Curtis Lazar won the puck back to Luke Hughes just 30 game-time seconds after his long shift ended, and Hughes took a few of shots at the goal as he zipped around the offensive zone, but he was a bit off, trying was trying to hit the corners.

Nico Hischier got his stick up on Oskar Back, drawing blood and a four-minute penalty about seven and a hafl minutes into the period. The Devils did well early in the kill, clearing the puck down the ice a few times. Luke Hughes made an appearance on the penalty kill with his brother and Bratt on the ice, clearing the puck after picking it from the boards. Curtis Lazar blocked a Thomas Harley shot and tried to break away for a chance, but Harley reached around enough to prevent a shot. Jake Allen made his first save of the kill with just 20 seconds to go on Evgenii Dadonov, who had a dangerous chance at the side of the net.

Nico Hischier came out of the box, and the Prudential Center crowd chanted as the Devils worked the puck into the offensive zone — but Jack Hughes lost the puck after coming ont the ice, forcing the Deivls to regroup. Hughes set up Brett Pesce for a one-timer in the circle, which was stopped. Pesce knocked the puck through the middle to set Meier up for a second chance on the other side of goal, but DeSmith stopped it again.

Timo Meier was spun down as he kicked the puck to himself to get a short rush on goal. He went into the net, but the Devils kept possession as they got an extra attacker on. After the puck was touched up, Cody Ceci listed over to the box, not even arguing the call, as he got his money’s worth on the hook.

Sheldon Keefe sent out the team’s first unit to start the power play. Hischier won the puck back, and Dougie Hamilton fired a wide-open chance from the circle off DeSmith’s glove. The Devils kept possession through a few more draws, as the Devils continued to test DeSmith. The Stars finally won a draw 30 seconds into the penalty, and the Devils rushed up the ice without issue. The Devils had a couple shots, fcing the puck intot he corner so the Stars could not clear. Hamilton had one more chance and fired it wide, allowing the Stars to kill the rest of the penalty, as the Devils lost the offensive zone.

Third Period​

Jack Hughes forced his way into the slot right off the draw, but Casey DeSmith padded a shot away and covered the loose puck. Off the draw, Dougie Hamilton nailed the far iron with a low shot above the pad. The Devils kept possession, and Jack Hughes had a chance coming down the left side that went off the side of the net.

Near the six-minute mark, Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec fought off a two-on-two, but Dawson Mercer was weak against Matt Duchene as the third ones into the fray, with Duchene getting a free backhand as he waltzed across Allen — but Allen made the stop. After a TV timeout around eight minutes in, Hughes and Bratt winged Hischier as the Devils had a great offensive zone shift that ended with a loose puck just beyond the crease, which was cleared away to Wyatt Johnston. Dougie Hamilton, skating back, deflected the puck a bit with his skate, allowing him to chop at Johnston’s stick during the shot, which Allen saved.

Back in the offensive zone, the Devils again pressured DeSmith with a chance by the crease. Timo Meier tried jamming it into the net, but he fell down as the puck slipped away, drawing a holding call. Nico deflected a puck through his legs early, but DeSmith stopped it. The Devils had some beautiful puck movement after regaining the offensive zone, and Dougie Hamilton faked shot from the slot to set up a one-timer goal for Jack Hughes! The Devils made it a 2-1 game with over 10 minutes to go in the period!

Matt Duchene made it a 3-1 game after Jake Allen came from behind the net, not playing the puck away as he allowed Pesce to come to it for a reversal. The Devils turned the puck over, and Duchene had a shot from the high slot that beat Allen low, below the blocker. All three forwards were in the neutral zone during the failed breakout.

The Hughes-Hischier-Bratt line came right back. Looking like they were playing with anger — definitely a purpose — the Devils got into the zone with Hughes speeding to the net and trying to cut across. He waited out wide for the puck, and Bratt found him for a shot that rang off the iron and in! The Devils made it 3-2 with over eight minutes to play.

Back on the ice again, Jack Hughes worked from behind goal as Dougie Hamilton was calling for a pass at the point. His lane to Dougie was cut off, and Hughes went to the other side of the net to open up a pass to Bratt in front. Bratt whacked twice, but DeSmith held the lead for Dallas. On the other end, Jake Allen made two big stops with the help of Nico Hischier, who made sure the loose puck didn’t get away from his pad, allowing him to freeze it.

After a beautiful breakup on Granlund by Luke Hughes, Jack was sprung aheaed for a rush chance that was blocked by Ceci. Cotter had the puck behind the net, and Hamilton pinched in for a low one-timer that was stopped and frozen. To cap off an adventurous shift for the third line, Ondrej Palat hesitated with an open chance and had to go to a wide backhand, banking it off the side of the net.

The Hischier line came on with just over two minutes to play for the next faceoff. They were forced to change off after playing too much in the defensivre zone, and the second line came onto the ice for a short bit before Hughes came back on. Hughes flipped the puck into the bench, and the Devils called timeout. Pulling the goalie, Noesen tried to set up Nico Hischier in front of the net. Hischier went wide, but he got high sticked by Ilya Lyubushkin. The Devils went to the power play for 44.0 seconds. Timo Meier served as the sixth man for the power play. Hischier won the draw, and the Devils set up. Dougie Hamilton [played it to Bratt and then shot, but the Stars cleared the puck off the rebound. Timo Meier lost the puck at the point, and Wyatt Johnston scored an empty netter. 4-2, Stars.

The Game Stats: The NHL.com Game Summary | The NHL.com Event Summary | The NHL.com Play by Play Log | The NHL.com Shot Summary | The Natural Stat Trick Game Stats

Wasting Time With Ondrej Palat​

The New Jersey Devils could have — I think would have — won this game if Sheldon Keefe lined his guys up the way he had them in the third period. Those lines were:

Bratt-Hischier-Hughes
Meier-Mercer-Noesen
Palat-Haula-Cotter

In 7:43 with Ondrej Palat on the wing of Jack Hughes, the Devils had 20 shot attempts, seven shots on goal, eight scoring chances, four of the high-danger variety, and 0.63 expected goals. They got outscored.

The Devils did not score until Hughes shifted to first-line wing with Nico Hischier in the middle. Now, do I think Nico looked good tonight? I do not. In fact, he had a chance to tie the game, but he was not his usual self tonight. But controlling the puck all the time only does the Devils good if guys like Jack Hughes are taking the shots, hence the Hughes line being unproductive with Palat on the wing. Palat found himself open numerous times, and was even hesitating to shoot with open corners to pick in the third period, turning a perfect chance into a missed backhand shot from below the goal line.

And whose bad defensive play was it that killed the team on the Duchene goal? Ondrej Palat, who skated over to the bench as the Devils held the puck behind the net, but came back into the defensive zone too late to interrupt the pass to Duchene? None other than Palat. Whether that was supposed to be a change, or Palat just not reading how heavy the forecheck was (either would be very bad for a veteran of his experience), it put the game out of reach. Not everyone can be waiting around doing nothing in the neutral zone with three Stars waiting to pounce on two Devils defensemen.

You would especially think the forwards might support a bit more with Allen waiting for the puck to reach him behind the net, but defense was an afterthought to a line whose very purpose in this situation was to give Hischier’s line 20-30 seconds of rest.

Do Something About It​

The trade deadline is looming. We’re not far out anymore.

The Devils just played a strong game against a Stanley Cup contender. They could have easily won this game if they had Jacob Markstrom or Jonas Siegenthaler (especially the latter, whose presence would have preempted the first goal even being possible). They also could win a game like this with another goal-scorer who can pick up where Jack leaves off.

Nico is going to pick it back up — his first games back are usually a bit wonky. Bratt will have his moments. Dougie won’t always miss on 15 shot attempts with multiple posts. Timo Meier needs to step up and keep playing close to the net. But it’s simply not enough. When an opponent knows they can let a Devils top six winger have free reign on the ice and probably not have to suffer for it, the Devils are going to keep having nights where they load up on chances and pump up those expected goals numbers only to fall short, being “goalied” or whatever. Just remember: once Jack started shooting, the Devils started scoring.

Your Thoughts​

What did you think of tonight’s game? How disappointing was the result to you? Did you stick through it all the way? Or did you just check your phone to see the score and think, oh, yes, they almost came back again? What needs to change? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...4-2-to-stars-allen-palat-desmith-deboer-keefe

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Only Once Since Christmas: The 2024-25 Devils Getting Goalied Revisited

Markstrom and Allen have goalied the other team 9 times this season | Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

Back on December 20, the New Jersey Devils were winning games and scoring a lot except for those 7 times the other team’s goalies frustrated them to a loss. Since then, it has only happened to the Devils once. Technically. This post also includes how often the Devils have goalied the other team this season so far.

Over two months ago, I wrote about how often the 2024-25 New Jersey Devils were getting goalied. The answer then was 7 times in 35 games. The New Jersey Devils were also lighting up teams plenty when they were not getting goalied. The result was that they were 21-11-3 with the fifth most goals scored in all situations, 115, despite the number of times they were shut out and shut down by the opposition goaltender. While December 20 does not seem to be that long ago, the New Jersey Devils did play twenty-three games since then. They suffered a slump and their record since then has been a less-impressive 10-10-3. Have they been getting goalied over that stretch? And, how often have the Devils goaltenders did it to the other team? Let us revisit the topic today and answer those questions.

The answer to the first question is surprising. The Devils have been goalied exactly one time since the previous post on December 20. It was also the only time they have been shut out since that post and since Christmas: the 0-3 loss in Los Angeles on New Year’s Day. The Devils’ offense attempted shots that totaled 3.86 expected goals. None went past Darcy Kuemper that counted. There was a goal by Timo Meier that was taken off the board due to a phantom goaltender interference ruling on Stefan Noesen from the experts in Toronto. Credit to Jackson’s recap for reminding me of that afternoon’s controversy. Not that losing 1-3 is much better than 0-3 but it does look better than a shut out. Or getting goalied.

Natural Stat Trick
2024-25 New Jersey Devils GF-xGF List by Game from December 21, 2024 to the morning of February 23, 2025. The game in red is when the Devils got goalied. Games in yellow are when the Devils goalied the other team.

Since then, it technically has not happened since. It came real close last night, though. In the Devils’ 2-4 loss to Dallas, Casey DeSmith denied many of the scoring chance attempts that were on target (36). Most notably and frustratingly against Timo Meier and Ondrej Palat (and in my opinion, one gift-wrapped PP attempt at the left post for Stefan Noesen). The Devils generated 3.97 expected goals from their attempts. The Big Deal scoring two meant that this game fell just short of the -2 difference I use for getting goalied or not. Even if you want to bend the rules and include that game, that still makes it just two times since December 20. That is still a low number since that last post.

That is because the Devils have had plenty of games since December 20 where the offense was lackluster. The data at Natural Stat Trick backs this up. The team’s shooting percentage was below the league median in all situations since December 20 at 9.9%. It was 10.81% before then. Up until December 20, the Devils led the league in expected goals per 60 with 3.59 with a shots-for rate above 30 (30.28). From December 20 until last night’s game, the expected goals rate dropped to 3.09 and the team took 26.2 shots per 60 minutes. Fewer shots, less danger, and a lower shooting percentage all equal fewer goals. The Devils did not beat any goalies badly to score more than two actual goals above expected. That is no surprise. Yet, what is the fact that no opposition goaltender kept the Devils to two goals fewer or less than expected in a game except for Kuemper. Which should have a giant asterisk on it given the review where people in Toronto found an goaltender interference that arguably did not exist.

What this ultimately means is that I think the key for the Devils to get more points on the board and in the standings is to attack more. Take more shots. Take more attempts. Drive for more carry-ins and pass-ins on zone entries. If the Devils want to make a change to their roster, then they need at least one more scorer. An actual one like Jared McCann, not Scott Laughton or Jake Evans or Ryan Donato. The Devils’ offense cannot just be a two-line effort with a bottom-six dumping-and-chasing shifts away with inconsistent-at-best attacks on most nights. There are signs of hope. The Devils went into the 4 Nations Face-Off Break scoring at least three goals in five of their previous eight games. They did not light any goalies up by out-scoring Natural Stat Trick’s expected goal model in those games. The goals came in games where they generated plenty of danger with their attempts. To me, the efforts have to be there as opposed of hoping they go on a hot streak in terms of shooting percentage. That is something tangible they can build on. More is needed, of course.

That all said, the truth is that the Devils have not been getting goalied all that much since the previous post. That is a positive but it does not matter much in the facts that they have also not scored as much or, more importantly, won as much. Let us consider the other side of this topic that I did not do on December 20. How often have the Devils goalied the other team?

The method is pretty much the same except it is from the opposition’s perspective. How many times have the Devils goaltenders kept the opposition from scoring two goals or less than expected in all situations? Credit to Jacob Markstrom, Jake Allen, and, yes, goaltending coach Dave Rogalski for this. They have done it nine (9) times - and twice since December 20. Here is the full list for the season.

Natural Stat Trick
2024-25 New Jersey Devils GF-xGF List by Game as of the morning of February 23, 2025. The games in red are when the Devils got goalied. Games in yellow are when the Devils goalied the other team. Games in blue are when the Devils goalies got lit up and games in green are when the Devils lit up the other goalie.

Aside: The Devils lit up the Caps goalie and got lit up themselves on November 30 in the 5-6 loss. It was not a good night for the goalies. The Devils got lit up and goalied in the December 8 game against Colorado. Remember that now since the Devils go to Colorado on Wednesday.

It should be no shock that most of the Devils’ shutout wins fit into this category. The shutouts against Utah, Vancouver, Edmonton, Our Hated Rivals, and Montreal all qualified. The 4-0 win over Montreal on February 8 by Jake Allen is arguably the best goaltending performance of the season to date. He let in nothing in the face of 3.89 expected goals from Montreal’s attempts. The 3-0 win over Pittsburgh on December 21 did not qualify. Sorry, Penguins, but they generated a mere 1.86 expected goals in that one. There were some impressive goaltending performances in a few 1-goal allowed wins. Such as the season opener in Prague against Buffalo, the first win over Florida in November, and the crushing of Our Hated Rivals on December 2.

For what it is worth, the split of these games where the Devils goalied the other team is close to even for Allen and Markstrom. Markstrom did it five times and Allen did it four times, including the two times since the previous post on Decemebr 20.

Also as impressive are the few times the Devils goaltending got lit up by giving up more than two goals more than expected. I highlighted those instances in blue. That did happen twice against the Capitals; each in the 5-6 losses against them. It also happened in Detroit in October, that infamous eight-goal loss to Tampa Bay in October (worst of the season, in fact), and when the Avalanche came to Newark to shutout the Devils on December 8. Like with the Devils goalie-ing the other team, the split between Allen and Markstrom is close to even: three times for Allen and twice for Markstrom.

Since that 0-4 loss to the Avs, the Devils goaltending has been rather good from this metric. It has not happened in the last 28 games. The closest it did was when Jacob Markstrom conceded four goals in Toronto on January 16 against 2.39 expected; but that was a game that required overtime and the Devils still nearly pulled it out. It also edged out the disappointing January 27 game by Jake Allen in Philadelphia. Still: just five times all season and no instances in over two months is impressive. Again, credit to Markstrom, Allen, and, yes, even Dave Rogalski.

Obviously, this will be worth revisiting one more time once the season is over. Hopefully, I can write that the Devils have A) scored more goals since this post, B) won more games since this post, and C) not been goalied all that often along the way. Could it happen? Of course. Will it happen? It might. As it would on the other side where Allen or Markstrom are on fire for the evening to the frustration of the Devils’ opponents. Could that happen again? Of course. Will it happen? It might. In the meantime, let me know what you think about the concept, the metric, the results of it since December 20, and the number of times the Devils goalied the other team this season. Thank you for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...ed-revisited-kuemper-allen-markstrom-rogalski

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Daws-some Goaltending in New Jersey Devils Bounce Back Win over Nashville, 5-0

Nico Daws was locked in against the Predators tonight for his first NHL shutout. | Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images

Nico Daws was amazing in posting his first NHL shutout as part of a 5-0 win by the New Jersey Devils against the Nashville Predators. This game recap goes into what went right, what few things did not, what milestones were made, and how often Nashville missed the net (24 times).

It was a night of milestones at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The New Jersey Devils shut out the Nashville Predators, 5-0. The victory featured the following achievements:

• Ondrej Palat scored the game’s first goal. The goal was his 500th point in the NHL.
• Palat buried a feed from Luke Hughes to beat Justus Annunen after Hughes picked up a rebound from a toe save from a Dougie Hamilton shot. With the secondary assist, Hamilton earned his 500th point in the NHL.
• As confirmed by the NHL, it was the first time in league history that two players registered their 500th career point on the same goal.
• The Big Deal, Jack Hughes picked up a secondary assist on Seamus Casey’s goal, which made it 3-0. This extended a road point streak to 10 games. Which is a Devils franchise record.
• With three assists tonight - all primaries - Nico Hischier is now tied with Bruce Driver in all-time Devils scoring with 399 points.
• Stefan Noesen buried a power play goal in the third period to make it 4-0. It is the first time he has ever reached 10 power play goals in a season.
• Tonight’s shutout win was the first time the Devils ever shutout the Predators in Nashville. It is also their first shutout win over Nashville since November 10, 2013 - which was also a 5-0 win.
• Most of all: this was the first ever NHL shutout for goaltender Nico Daws

Of all of the achievements, the last one was the most important. Daws came in and played wonderfully. Nashville gave him plenty to work with as the Predators managed to attempted 84 shots against the Devils. As it has been going for the Preds this season, less than 35% (29 shots) of them ever got to Daws. Daws got them all. From point-blank shots from Steven Stamkos to a breakaway by Colton Sissons to bombs from the center point by Roman Josi to all manners of shots ranging from legitimately tough stops to easy-looking routine saves. Daws may not be the quickest but he read the game incredibly well tonight, bailing out a Devils defense was that was far from effective. Again, they conceded 84 shot attempts tonight.

To be fair, Daws was beaten twice. Ryan O’Reilly beat him with a rebound attempt. The post denied him a score. Late in regulation, Fedor Svechkov attempted a low angle shot. Brett Pesce blocked the shot but the puck laid loose behind him. Svechkov followed his shot to bury a puck past Daws. Except that did not count either. The Devils challenged it for an offside that should have been called 22 seconds earlier. Even before the MSG broadcast could bring up the potential offside, the review was done and the referee said that the play was indeed offside. The eventual replay from MSG showed that, yes, the Predators were offside by quite a bit. Such breaks combined with Nashville heinous shooting accuracy helped this shutout happen.

The primary reason was Daws, though. He has to feel fantastic about the result. With Jacob Markstrom on the trip, Daws has to know his time in New Jersey will end soon. But he performed very well in Pittsburgh earlier this month and this game should leave a great impression on the coaching staff. With no goals allowed against 29 shots, 48 scoring chance attempts, and 16 high-danger attempts with 9 high-danger shots, the data backs up what the eyes saw. Daws absolutely goalied the Predators to a big loss this evening. Credit to Nashville for at least trying to get one given that they attempted 32 shots (13 on net) in the third. Still, Nico Daws let in nothing against 3.76 expected goals. That makes this night one of the best goaltending performances of the season. One that rivals Jake Allen’s shutout in Montreal on February 8.

There were plenty of positives in the Devils’ performance. Their offensive efforts bore more fruits tonight as opposed to yesterday against Dallas. They pulled away even further when the opposition gave them opportunity to do so. That they played with as much pace as they did after playing at all last night is encouraging. The biggest component for this victory was Daws.

The Game Stats: The NHL.com Game Summary / The NHL.com Event Summary / The NHL.com Play by Play Log / The NHL.com Shot Summary / The Natural Stat Trick Game Stats

The Game Highlights: From Sportsnet’s Youtube channel, here is the highlight video of this victory. Marvel at Daws’ stops and the Devils’ goals.

The Criticisms of This Game: I have two main complaints about this win. I want to get them out of the way before a recap full of praise.

First, the defensive structure was really off. Yes, the Devils had a hand in stuffing 31 shots from the Predators. Yes, the Devils may have influenced some of those 24 shots that Nashville missed on. Yes, the third period was tilted against the Devils because Nashville just wanted to get something on the board and never fully gave up on the game even when the score ballooned. Still, the Devils conceded 84 shot attempts. That is a remarkably high number and it reflected how poorly the Devils struggled to get the puck out of their own end on various shifts. Nashville’s best efforts - as well as Daws’ best efforts - came as a result of Nashville being able to keep the puck in the zone, win a second or third puck after a shot, or quickly recover if the exit only got to the neutral zone. Of course, Nashville did not make the most of those with their misses and blocks. And Daws stopped whatever that did get to him.

The uniquely bad accuracy from the Predators led to some odd stat lines, such as the Devils being out-attempted 12-23 when Luke Hughes took a shift but the Devils out-shot them 9-7 (and out-scored them 2-0). I bring this up as an issue because a win like this tends to have a team think everything is fine. If the Devils defend like this against Colorado on Wednesday, then it could get ugly even if the Devils’ goaltender has a great night. Therefore, I want to point out that there is a lot to clean up with respect to moving the puck within the defensive zone, getting zone exits, and ensuring guys are accounted for around the net and in the slot.

Second, the line of Paul Cotter, Erik Haula, and Nathan Bastian was absolute garbage. They “contributed” to some of the problems I just wrote about. A similar line with Haula and Cotter with Dawson Mercer had a marathon shift that somehow did not end up with Dallas scoring in the second period. In this game, it was Cotter, Haula, and Bastian getting absolutely worked over for two minutes - extended in part to a tired Seamus Casey icing a puck over 90 seconds into that. Credit again to Daws for bailing them out. But this line was uniquely bad on defense tonight and two-thirds of them were just as bad last night. It will not surprise you to know that the trio were on the ice for just six shooting attempts in 5-on-5 play by the Devils. The Devils’ bottom six has been an offensive black hole for close to two months running now. When they are getting gashed on defense in addition, then their ugliness is even more obvious. And they were gashed tonight; the Predators had at least 20 against them.

I do not know what the fix is here. Head coach Sheldon Keefe mixed up the lines for this game. Some understood the re-assignment and stepped up their games. Dawson Mercer was actually noticeable. Tomas Tatar did not look out of place next to Nico Hischier and Stefan Noesen and even added a goal. Some were Justin Dowling who was very much Justin Dowling. But Justin Dowling and the Devils were at least decent in spots. The Haula line was a huge negative. Something has to give here and the answer may have to come from Tom Fitzgerald - and before March 7 instead of July 1.

OK, One More Complaint: It would have been cool if The Big Deal (twice), Nico Hischier, or Jesper Bratt scored on a breakaway against Justus Annunen. As evident by the score, it did not matter much. The goals came anyway.

Good Passes Can Lead to Good Goals: The common thread between all five goals the Devils scored tonight was their puck movement prior to each one. Palat’s goal was a result of Luke Hughes correctly sliding the puck across under pressure instead of forcing a shot under pressure. Dougie Hamilton’s goal came after Nico Hischier recovered a pass from Jesper Bratt off his stick and sent a simple one for Hamilton to rip it. Casey’s goal came from a simple pass from Luke Hughes to the center point after he took a pass off the board from his brother. Noesen’s power play goal was the end of a lovely passing sequence that started with Hischier collecting a shot off the post and ended with Hischier sending it to Noesen in the bumper. Tatar’s goal was a shot that went in off Andreas Englund’s skate and the shot happened after Hischier feathered a pass to him to curl into the slot. They may have not been incredible saucers or pinpoint stretch passes or crazy reads. They were effective passes made with the right reads in mind. They were rewarded multiple times tonight.

What I liked was how the Devils kept going even if Annunen made a big stop, such as denying a breakaway. Or if a play went awry, such as a 2-on-1 led by Mercer that missed Timo Meier. They made a point of it to keep attacking as long as they needed it - they did not need it so much in 5-on-5 in the third period - and they put more of their attempts on target. That also helped lessen the frustration that comes with not scoring since shots were not repeatedly missing the net or getting blocked by a body part. Something that was very much the case for Nashville. The team had the right mentality on offense to go with the passes.

Of course, three of the five shots themselves were great. Tatar had the benefit of Andres Englund’s skate and Palat surely was not going to miss a near-empty net (right?). They did it but the other three goals had standout shots. Dougie Hamilton’s goal was an inch-perfect shot to the top corner from the outside half of the circle. The window to beat Annunen was small and Hamilton did it. Casey’s goal was a wrist shot through traffic that went in off the post, which was another good placement. Noesen’s one-timer was low and beat Annunen five-hole whereas the other four breakaway attempts did not. The finish was there because they had the components and the mindset to make it happen. And they did.

The Return of Seamus Casey: Simon Nemec was roaming for two periods against Dallas before getting the bench. It was no surprise to see Casey take his spot for this game. It was a surprise to see Casey paired with Luke Hughes. While they created the goal to make it 3-0, the pairing did struggle at times. Especially with the Haula line in front of him. In 5-on-5, the Devils were out-attempted 8-14 with Casey-Hughes yet out-shot them 5-4. A change was made in-game to pair him with Brett Pesce and that went much, much better. To the tune of attempts being 6-1 and shots being 5-0.

It is easy to say that he scored and so he is in for the next game. It is also partially correct. The goal was great and more offense from outside of the team’s big scorers is always a plus. For me, the big difference was that Casey tried to stay where he needed to be. Nemec’s problem in the Dallas game and with his previous call up was that he kept going to places where he should not. Whether it is high up in the zone on defense, pinching in where there is a Devil, or just not being aware of what his spot became as the opposition continued to attack. Casey does have some ways to go to defend at this level, but he was at least closer to where he needed to be more often. That will help him in be in position. With more experience, he will thrive. He will likely get a real good test against Colorado on Wednesday.

About Those Big Scorers: Plenty of contributions. The Big Deal only had an assist. But 8 shots on 8 attempts is rather effective. He was flying early on and helped make the offense go. Nico Hischier really looked in form and was definitely a straw that helped stir the drink with three assists. Jesper Bratt was also lively on the attack and picked up two helpers. Hamilton makes big dollars and his goal and assist along with finishing second to The Big Deal in attempts (7) showed why his offense is effective. The only downside was that Timo Meier’s biggest play was denying a rebound attempt for Nashville. His move off the Hischier line did not yield much good for Meier. Not that one’s offense is going to get juiced alongside Justin Dowling. Alas, Keefe has to try something and someone had to play with him (or the guy he replaced, Curtis Lazar).

Let’s Hear it for Special Teams: The Devils’ special teams were very, very good tonight. The penalty kill was awesome for the first two kills, where they kept Nashville to one (1) shot on net. The two in the third period were trickier as the Predators really controlled the zone much better and they were more aggressive to get pucks on frame. To the tune of six power play shots across the two power plays they got in the third. Fortunately, Daws made the stops and the Devils would eventually get clears. The penalties themselves were not too egregious. The high-stick on Dowling was sold a bit but I get it; you cannot hit a guy in the head at all with the stick. The other three were straight forward, with Pesce’s hook on Stamkos done to try to keep Stamkos from scoring. Still, the Devils went 4-for-4 and that is always worth praise.

The Devils’ power play was perfect. Michael McCarron ended his team’s long offensive shift by cross-checking Brenden Dillon down away from the puck. Over a minute later, Noesen scored on the team’s second shot of the power play. Technically, three but posts do not count as shots on the scoresheet. 1-for-1 and it really pulled the game out of reach for the Preds at 4-0.

And credit to the video coach for picking up that Nashville was offside on the Svechkov goal. It restored the shutout bid for Daws, which he earned. It was a good challenge and it worked out wonderfully.

One More Thing: I had to check NST after the game if Nashville was one of the worst shooting teams in the league when it came to shots over shooting attempts. It turns out that they are not. It appears to be Carolina. This makes sense since their offensive philosophy is to fire the puck, get the puck, fire the puck, get the puck, and fire the puck some more. As a result, they have over 4,000 shooting attempts and only 1,818 (45.26%) get on net. You would not have known that from this game though. The Predators were that bad at putting pucks on target tonight. That was led by Filip Forsberg putting 4 of his 13 attempts on target, Roman Josi going 3-for-11, and Brady Skjei putting just two shots on frame out of 11 tries.

Your Take: The Devils won by a hefty margin with Nico Daws’ sensational shutout performance in Nashville. They won a second game in a back-to-back set, they won on the road, and they have a win in their pockets going into Denver this Wednesday. Now I want to know what you think. How do you think the Devils played in this game? How much were you impressed by Daws tonight? Who impressed you the most in this game among the skaters? What could have been better by the Devils? What should be better by their next game? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this victory in the comments.

Thanks to Ian for the game preview and the People Who Matter who followed along in the Gamethread and/or on X with @AAtJerseyBlog. Thank you for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...e-predators-hamilton-casey-palat-noesen-tatar

 

[New Jersey Devils]

The Devils Need Brenden Dillon to Perfect His Game

Dillon needs to do a bit better in the defensive zone. | Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images

Intense, high-flying hits and on-ice leadership are very helpful things brought to the Devils by Brenden Dillon. However, it still seems like he hasn't fully found his game within Sheldon Keefe's system.

When Brenden Dillon signed for three years with the New Jersey Devils in July of last year, I was relieved — or even thrilled — that as big of a physical presence as him would be joining the Devils’ blueline. The possibilities for Dillon seemed plentiful to me. Whether he would be paired with Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, Luke Hughes, or even Simon Nemec — I thought Dillon’s physicality and track record in the defensive zone would help turn the Devils into a much scarier team.

In effect, Dillon has made the Devils more physical. He can be a game-stopper every now and then with huge hits in the neutral zone: that is not what is missing from his game. The problem for the Devils is what happens once Dillon has to defend beyond the neutral zone and closer to Markstrom, Allen, or Daws.

Evolving-Hockey
Brenden Dillon has been fortunate in the offensive zone, but his all-around game is off.

At both five-on-five and on the penalty kill, the Devils allow more chances with Brenden Dillon on the ice. Even accounting for being on the ice with Dougie Hamilton, Dillon has not had good defensive results. Of all eight Devils defensemen, Dillon has the worst goals against per 60 minutes at 2.74, just above Dougie at 2.67. Dillon’s expected goals against of 2.6 xGA/60 is a bit better — fourth on the team — but the three above him are Dougie, Nemec, and Casey (Nemec and Casey being far worse in this area). The way this pairing has been interacting in terms of goal results has me wondering what the best fits really are.

HockeyViz
Dougie Hamilton would probably like a partner that limits the defensive danger from his offensive push, but Dillon has been running and gunning, himself.

Just take these pairing splits:

Dillon-Hamilton: 3.59 GF/60, 2.82 GA/60 (+0.77 net G/60)
Dillon-non 7 RD: 1.53 GF/60, 2.44 GA/60 (-0.89 net G/60)
not 5 LD-Hamilton: 3.0 GF/60, 2.18 GA/60 (+0.82 net G/60)
Hughes-Hamilton: 4.19 GF/60, 0.84 GA/60 (+3.35 net G/60)

While any other partner might not be a good option for Dougie Hamilton this season, Luke Hughes has already made the necessary defensive strides to be his partner. As a result, Dougie’s performance is far and away at its best when he is paired with 43. Dillon, on the other hand, is generally in much more dire straights when playing away from Dougie. If the Devils are going to be best set up for a playoff run, though, they need to maximize Dougie Hamilton while getting the most out of Brenden Dillon.

Watching him play, I often feel like Dillon has the wrong approach. At 34 years old, with such a strong defensive track record, I do not often enjoy watching Dillon try to stretch passes from the defensive zone slot to the far blueline, with Dougie standing still 20 feet to his right, only for the pass to be deflected or intercepted (see Dillon’s abnormally low breakout success). On the other hand, I do not usually have a problem with the way Dillon plays in the offensive zone. To me, he seems less limited there than Jonas Siegenthaler and Johnny Kovaceivc — but he is still not a very good passer.

And if we look at who is producing scoring chances through passing, it's the same two guys. By quite a bit, actually. pic.twitter.com/yUNhGfd3LP

— CJ Turtoro (@CJTDevil) January 19, 2025​

So, say the Devils are in the playoffs with Jonas Siegenthaler in the lineup. I think it’s a no-brainer to use Siegenthaler and Kovacevic as a shutdown pairing once more. But as far as balancing defense and offense goes, it seems like a good idea to me to pair Pesce’s passing ability and superior netfront defense with Dillon’s physicality. They have not played much together, but Dillon and Pesce have kept things even (2.19 GF & GA/60), with good possession and expected goals numbers, when on the ice together. By comparison, Dillon-Kovacevic (5.37 GA/60) is a match made in hell.

By removing Dillon from some high-stakes situations, I believe he can regain some of the defensive impact that made him such an important member of the teams he previously played for in his career. Last year, for example, the Jets gave up around half a goal fewer per 60 five-on-five minutes with Dillon on the ice. But it’s not like the goaltending is letting him down: Dillon just concedes more high-danger chances and rushes than Siegenthaler and Hughes do. Also, by pairing him with Pesce, Dillon could be removed from what I see as his most harmful impact on the team: his breakout passes.

I like to look at Pesce’s style of defense as proactive rather than reactive — as in, Pesce tries to cut plays down in the neutral zone before they can develop into zone entries against. Dillon has that in his game with his big hits — and some of that has rubbed off on Dougie Hamilton — but Dillon needs a less offensively-focused partner to return to his historical defensive impacts. Pesce is already difficult for opponents to beat with passes, but adding Dillon would make it dangerous to both pass and skate through the neutral zone.

Of course, this is difficult to work out in the present moment. Siegenthaler is out, it seems, at least a month or more. As long as Sheldon Keefe rolls with his Hughes-Casey/Nemec third pairing, Dillon is going to continue getting chances to prove himself on the top pair. But if Dillon continues to have trouble preventing chances against, I would not want him on a pair that is likely to get well over 20 minutes of ice time in the playoffs. Over the next several games, I would like to see him simplify things: sit back a bit, try to line some guys up, and make sure the passing lanes around the net are very well defended. I don’t need to see him hustling up the ice with the puck or trying to stretch passes with a 70-point defenseman waiting for the puck to be moved.

If the New Jersey Devils want to make this playoff appearance more than an experience-building exercise, Dillon has to be the kind of player he was in Winnipeg. But through nearly three-quarters of a season, I do not think Dillon has meshed all that well with what Sheldon Keefe and Ryan McGill are trying to do, defensively. With his physicality and willingness to protect his teammates, it has not become an overbearing issue yet, but the blueline has its share of room to grow for this team to reach its full potential.

Your Thoughts​

What have you thought of Brenden Dillon this season? Do you think this is the best we will see from him? Do you feel like the stats accurately reflect his play? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...-game-dougie-hamilton-luke-hughes-brett-pesce

 

[New Jersey Devils]

DitD & Open Post - 2/24/25: Left Wanting Edition

Team USA forward Jack Hughes (86) skates with the puck against Team Canada during the third period during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden. | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

New Jersey Devils & Related Hockey Links for 2/24/25

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

Jonas Siegenthaler on LTIR:

The #NJDevils put Siegenthaler on LTIR.

They are still under the cap and not yet using LTIRhttps://t.co/sypUdVAHQo

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) February 22, 2025​

Nico Hischier returned to the lineup and Jack Hughes scored twice in the third period of Saturday’s game against the Stars, but the Devils couldn’t find the tying goal. Dallas took a 4-2 win. [Devils NHL]

Then on Sunday, Nico Daws earned his first NHL shutout as the Devils claimed a 5-0 victory on the road against the Predators. [Devils NHL]

“The difference in the (4 Nations) tournament? Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid combined for seven goals. Jack Hughes, Kyle Connor, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and J.T. Miller combined for zero. There’s no doubt Hughes and Connor, in particular, left you wanting more.” [The Athletic ($)]

Hockey Links​

“What was supposed to be a midseason appetizer for the 2026 Winter Olympics has evolved into a transcendent event for hockey, which has lacked a best-on-best event since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. That was never more apparent than the first U.S. vs Canada showdown in Montreal, which produced three fights in the first nine seconds of the game followed by an elite representation of the sport as played by two bitter rivals. The audience was massive — with 9.3 million viewers, it was the most-watched non-Olympic hockey game ever in the United States.” [ESPN]

Kevin Lankinen gets a five-year contract extension:

Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the club has agreed to terms with goaltender Kevin Lankinen on a 5-year contract extension with a $4.5M AAV.

DETAILS | https://t.co/XniqSp5kLn pic.twitter.com/wZXI7rtVv7

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 21, 2025​

Ovechkin’s chase draws closer:

Alex Ovechkin scored a hat trick to record the 882nd goal of his career, 200 of which have come since Jan. 1, 2020. He is now just 13 goals away from completing The #Gr8Chase and is on pace to pass Wayne Gretzky (894) at home versus Chicago on April 4.#NHLStats:… pic.twitter.com/On917qgarr

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 23, 2025​

Cool moment the other night in Columbus:

Touching moment. Today is baby Johnny Gaudreau’s first birthday. During the timeout, the crowd at Nationwide sang happy birthday to him. Fantastic. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/YJO4h5tdMS

— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) February 23, 2025​

Notable injury news:

Hampus Lindholm “unlikely” to return this season, per Don Sweeney. Having a follow up surgery next week related to the fractured patella tendon he suffered

— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) February 23, 2025​

Renaud Lavoie is suggesting there's some concern that Mathew Tkachuk's season might be over. He did not confirm it, just said "we're waiting for important medical results, we're hearing his year might be over, we don't want it to be, but there's some concern." https://t.co/sX0EOAVrV5

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) February 23, 2025​

“The 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on June 27 and 28, the NHL announced Saturday. This will be the second time Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Kings have hosted the draft, but this year’s will be different; top prospects will be in attendance joined by fans and media, while NHL team executives, scouts and coaches will participate virtually.” [NHL.com]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...s-in-the-details-2-24-25-left-wanting-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Matyas Melovsky, Fourth in the Q

Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images

After a seven point game, Matyas Melovsky was fourth in the QMJHL in points per game heading into this past weekend, a fraction of a point behind teammate Justin Poirier. This post highlights a player who may turn out to be a very big steal from the 2024 draft.

This happened shortly after writing last week’s article.

Matyáš Melovský recorded a hat trick and added four assists for a career-high 7-point night in Baie-Comeau’s 14-0 win over Saint John.

The #NJDevils prospect is currently 10th in QMJHL scoring with 67 points (22G, 45A) in 46 games. pic.twitter.com/vaDC1BbsFB

— Czech Prospects (@CZprospects) February 21, 2025​

As the post mentions, Melovsky was 10th in the QMJHL in scoring with 67 points at the time, improving to 70, as of Monday. However, as Melovsky missed a few games this season, the winger/center has averaged 1.47 points per game, good enough for fourth in the league heading into this past weekend’s games. Melovsky’s seven point game was astonishing, giving me flashbacks of some of the horrible lopsided losses I suffered playing club hockey for Seton Hall many years ago, as Baie-Comeau thumped St. John 14-0.

Melovsky has had a breakout season, making him look like a steal as a 6th round, 171st overall pick in last year’s draft. At 20 year’s old, Melovsky should be signed this summer and provide the Devils system with some much needed center depth. As a physical two-way player strong in transition, Melovsky will not need to be an offensive force to carve out a niche at the professional level. It will be interesting to see how Melovsky adjusts.

Around the Pool:​

• Goaltender Isaac Poulter and the Utica Comets defeated the hapless Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday, 4-2. Defensive prospect Topias Vilen picked up another assist, his fifteenth of the year, continuing his hot streak.
• Big stick taps are in order as winger Petr Hauser finally scored his first goal in Czech’s top league.

Petr Hauser ('22, 5th Rd) finally scored his first goal this season in the Czech Extraliga in game #21. The 21 year old has struggled mightily for playing time this season in .

He started the play with a dump in and followed it up with a one-timer in the slot. #NJDevils https://t.co/WKCAM42lDn pic.twitter.com/vNZX2qLCHd

— Daniel Rebain (@pvtmcbain) February 23, 2025​

• Mikhail Yegorov keeps shining, his GAA falling to 1.98 since joining the BU Terriers. Here’s a look at some of his work on a penalty shot.

Mikhail Yegorov's save on Dylan Hryckowian's penalty shot: pic.twitter.com/mPkhCM3eCt

— Boston Hockey Blog (@BOShockeyblog) February 22, 2025​

• Lastly, I missed this OT game winner from defenseman Ethan Edwards last week. Edwards has had a strong season for the University of Michigan, tallying five goals and fourteen assists, while providing strong defensive play. Whether Edwards will sign with the Devils after his final season of NCAA hockey remains to be seen.

Michigan knocks off #4 Minnesota at home with an overtime power-play goal from Ethan Edwards ('20, 4th Rd).

One-T -> back of the net, for his 5th goal of the season. #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/41FLxTtiov

— Daniel Rebain (@pvtmcbain) February 15, 2025​

Your Take​

Tell us what you think below.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...ospect-update-matyas-melovsky-fourth-in-the-q

 

[New Jersey Devils]

DitD & Open Post - 2/26/25: Strong Goaltending Edition

New Jersey Devils goaltender Nico Daws (50) celebrates the win with his teammates against the Nashville Predators during the third half at Bridgestone Arena. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

New Jersey Devils & Related Hockey Links for 2/26/25

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

We’re still getting strong goaltending, even in Jacob Markstrom’s absence:

The #NJDevils have played 10 games since Jacob Markstrom suffered an injury.

They rank 1st in save percentage, 1st high-danger save percentage, and have given up fewer goals than all but the Winnipeg Jets in that time.

Jake Allen and Nico Daws have done a truly marvellous job.

— Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell) February 25, 2025​

Some history for Jesper Bratt:

The Brattman Legacy.#NJDevils | @Verizon pic.twitter.com/7KTcJlyC1i

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) February 24, 2025​

Hockey Links​

An impressive mark:

IT'S ANOTHER 30-GOAL SEASON FOR ALEX OVECHKIN! #Gr8Chase

Alex Ovechkin's 19th 30-goal season comes at age 39 making him one of just four players to achieve the feat at this age or older. Ovechkin joins Gordie Howe, Johnny Bucyk, and Teemu Selanne. pic.twitter.com/ZS9Rg0ew4E

— NHL (@NHL) February 26, 2025​

A trade:

UPDATE: The #RedWings have traded Ville Husso to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for future considerations. pic.twitter.com/Tsj140lUfc

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 25, 2025​

Brock Nelson, Rickard Rakell, Seth Jones? A look at names on the trade block as we near the deadline: [The Athletic ($)]

Could the Hurricanes see fit to trade Mikko Rantanen, who they just acquired? [TSN]

A three-game suspension for Trevor Zegras:

Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras has been suspended for three games for interference against Detroit’s Michael Rasmussen. https://t.co/HziR0pQ04t

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) February 24, 2025​

“Now that we’ve had several days to digest the tournament, it’s time to examine whose Milano Cortina Olympic stocks changed for better or worse. The crucial criterion for this exercise: I’m addressing players whose 2026 participation isn’t or wasn’t a sure thing. Elias Pettersson flopping for Sweden doesn’t jeopardize his shot of making the team or dressing for games, for instance.” [Daily Faceoff]

“Today, teams trying to find the next wave of talent need scouts to do a lot more than tap on their keyboard. They’ve got to tap into a new world of technology that features full-length games at their fingertips and advanced analytics that they’re delivering to prospects younger than ever before.” [The Athletic ($)]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...he-details-2-26-25-strong-goaltending-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils Potential Trade Targets: Forwards

Could a Palms reunion make sense for the Devils? | Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images

The Devils need to add forwards at the trade deadline, which is coming up next week. Who else around the league will be available?

Over the last month or so, I have taken a look at forwards from several Western Conference teams that could potentially make sense as a trade target for the New Jersey Devils. Some of those players such as JT Miller have since been on the move, but most of those players are still with their current clubs.

However, the trade deadline is quickly approaching as it is now 9 days away. Time is of the essence as we have so many more players to cover and get to and frankly, not enough time with which to do so.

This week, I’m going to empty the tank on potential trade targets from a variety of teams. Some will definitely be sellers. Some might not be even though they probably should be. But I think its worth trying to cover as much ground as we can. Odds are, I won’t get to everyone....I didn’t exactly have Curtis Lazar as a trade target on my bingo card two years ago when I wrote a similar series of articles leading up to the deadline that year, but there are a lot of interesting players who can lengthen the Devils lineup and help them match up better for a playoff series. For this exercise, I’m going to list a team with their obvious trade candidates and try to pick one additional player who might be “off the board”, so to speak, but could theoretically be available if the right offer was to be made.

Before we begin though, a little housekeeping. If you’re reading this article and wondering “wait, what about Ryan O’Reilly or Jared McCann”, I didn’t forget them. I already wrote about those guys. You can check my thoughts on said players at the links below.

Utah Hockey Club - Nick Bjugstad, Alexander Kerfoot

Seattle Kraken - Jared McCann, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Brandon Tanev

Vancouver Canucks - JT Miller (who has since been traded), Elias Pettersson, Conor Garland, Brock Boeser, Teddy Blueger

Nashville Predators - Ryan O’Reilly, Tomas Novak, Colton Sissons

New York Islanders​

The two obvious trade candidates with the Islanders are their two biggest pending UFA in Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri.

Nelson is a life-long Islander who is closing in on 900 games with the franchise, and while he’s having a little bit of a down season, his counting stats aren’t too off of his average pace of 52 points per season. Nelson can play center or wing, he’s topped the 30 goal plateau in each of the last three seasons, and while he’s not known for his prowess in the dot, he has performed well there this season winning over 53% of draws.

Nelson will be a popular name at the deadline for teams looking for a second-line center or just another forward to round out a Top Nine, assuming he’s ever on the trading block in the first place. Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Islanders and Nelson’s representation were having discussion about a potential contract extension that would essentially make Nelson an Islander for life. Nelson’s roots and his heart might be on Long Island, but his M-NTC only covers half the league and as of this writing, the Islanders and Nelson have yet to agree to terms. Nelson has a $6M AAV that will assuredly need to be retained regardless of who deals for him.

Kyle Palmieri, the one-time Devils fan favorite over his six seasons in New Jersey, is in the final year of a four-year contract extension he signed after the Devils traded him to the Islanders in 2021. At the time, the Devils were an also-ran while the Islanders were a team in contention for the postseason. Now, the roles are reversed with the Devils in a top-3 spot in the Metropolitan and the Islanders on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

Palmieri has been a consistent source of secondary scoring throughout his career. The problem is that when he was on the Devils, he was one of the primary sources of offense due to the lack of talent elsewhere on the roster. But we are talking about a player who has twice scored 30 goals in a season, is having a fine season this season, and wouldn’t be asked to do anything more than what he’s doing now. Palmieri has long shown a willingness to get to the dirty areas of the ice to try to create offense. He’d be an ideal fit for a Devils third line where offense has more or less gone to die.

The million dollar question(s) with the Islanders is “Will Lou sell if he’s this close to a playoff spot”, and if so, would he sell to the Devils? While I think I know the answer, I also think anyone who definitively knows what Lou Lamoriello is thinking is full of it.

One thing that has always been true about Lou Lamoriello is that he is loyal to his guys, almost to a fault. Nelson and Palmieri are two of the players remaining from the roster that made at least one of the back-to-back Eastern Conference Final appearances that the Islanders have been chasing since 2021. The Islanders haven’t always made the playoffs since then, and when they have, they’re typically one-and-done. Their core is getting older and Lou has handed out long-term deals to so-called core guys and bottom six players like Halloween candy. Despite the fact that the Islanders have lost four straight and sit seven points out of the final playoff spot, Lou has a long history of not selling at the deadline. Part of that is because his teams are usually in contention but there’s also probably some stubbornness and ego mixed in there as well where he doesn’t want to wave the white flag on a season if he doesn’t have to.

I think its far more likely that Lou tries to extend Nelson, Palmieri, or both. I think its more likely that he buys or does nothing than it is he sells. And if Lou decides to sell, I think there’s a whole other set of hurdles to clear. Will Lou be willing to trade to a team in division, let alone THE team where he carved out of Hall of Fame career before being unceremoniously kicked upstairs in 2015 when it was clear his time had come and gone? He was willing to trade with the Devils when it came to buying players he was familiar with in Palmieri and Travis Zajac, but will that be the case if he’s selling? Would Nelson even be attainable with how in-demand he might be as a center? Does either player have NJ on their no-trade list?

I think Palmieri is the more attainable of the two where something like a 2nd and 4th round pick should get a deal done. That would be a similar return to what the Devils got from the Jets last year in the Tyler Toffoli trade. I just have my doubts that it will happen for the reasons I’ve pointed out.

Wild Card: Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Pageau is a good defensive forward who can play in all situations and wins the majority of his faceoffs. He’s not the biggest guy at 5’11” but he is a right-handed center who’s not afraid to block shots or throw a hit.

With another year on his deal and him also being one of “Lou’s guys”, I have my doubts he is available either. But I am looking at a Devils team with a glaring hole at 3C and a potential solution in Pageau, albeit a short-term fix.

Proposed Deal: Devils trade a 2026 1st round pick, 2025 4th round pick, Nolan Foote, and Chase Stillman to the Islanders for Kyle Palmieri and JG Pageau (both 50% retained)

Essentially, I’m offering the reverse of the deal that sent Palmieri and Travis Zajac to Long Island, with the added ironic twist that the Devils took Stillman with the 1st round pick they got from the Islanders in said trade.

Is it a fair offer? It’s probably the only offer that will end with Kyle Palmieri returning a first round pick, and Pageau could potentially be a valuable role player for a Devils third line that is in use of one. I don’t know that I’m necessarily banging the drum for that particular trade to happen, but if it did, I think I’d at least understand it.

Chicago Blackhawks​

The popular name in terms of a rental with the Blackhawks is Ryan Donato, and while I think he could make some sense, I think there’s a misunderstanding of who and what he actually is and what he does.

Donato is listed as a center and has taken more faceoffs than ever this season, but I view that as being out of necessity due to Connor Bedard’s inefficiency in the dot. He’s really more of a winger moonlighting as center, which, while flexibility is nice to have, I think this is one of those cases where if you think he’s the answer at 3C, you’re probably analyzing this player incorrectly.

Donato is having a career season in terms of offense, and yes, part of that is due to playing on a line with Bedard. The Devils wouldn’t have any trouble fitting him in on an expiring deal worth $2M AAV. I think he’s a decent target for a 3rd line LW with the idea being of moving Paul Cotter back down to the 4th line and someone on the 4th line out of the lineup. But with a 15.3 shooting percentage, I think its fair to question whether Donato’s production is sustainable, and if his game is well rounded enough to play top minutes on a good hockey team. Would Donato continue to produce if he’s away from an elite-level talent like Connor Bedard or Jack Hughes, assuming he were to come to New Jersey. Donato has long had issues with his defensive side of the game, and that would seem to run counterproductive to what Sheldon Keefe is looking for as well.

Wild Card: Craig Smith

Smith is a player who was an analytics darling a few years ago when he was in Nashville, but since leaving for Boston in free agency, his game has been in a steady decline regardless of where he’s been. He’s basically a fourth liner at this point, and while I think he’s ok defensively, he’s not overly physical. He’s also not a center despite being listed as one. He might have one more playoff run in him, but at age 35, I’d let someone else take that gamble.

Proposed Deal: None

I’d pass on what Chicago has to offer. I’m not really interested in paying top market value for a rental Donato who is on a shooting bender that will eventually run dry, and if he’s not scoring goals, he’s not doing enough in other areas where his contributions would be a net positive.

Pittsburgh Penguins​

The most interesting name the Penguins have (outside of their core guys who aren’t getting moved) is Rickard Rakell.

Rakell is enjoying one of the better seasons of his career and will come close to matching his career-high in goals. He’s clearly been a beneficiary of playing primarily with an all-time great in Sidney Crosby and a good veteran winger in Bryan Rust, although Rust is injured at the moment.

What makes Rakell particularly intriguing is that he’s signed for three more seasons after this one at $5M AAV. In a rising cap environment, that number is a steal for a player who is capable of flirting with 30 goals and 60 points in any given season. The Devils might have a problem when it comes to finishing, and Rakell could be a solution to said problem.

Of course, Pittsburgh knows this and they don’t HAVE to trade Rakell (who can only block deals to 8 teams), so they’re not going to accept a bunch of magic beans for him. But the Penguins aren’t going anywhere this season and Kyle Dubas is playing the long game in Pittsburgh as the Penguins continue to try to get younger and accumulate assets for the post-Crosby era.

Another name that has popped up of late is Anthony Beauvillier and I can see why the Penguins might be trying to sell high on the journeyman. Beauvillier has some speed but is basically a hail mary, D-tier signing if you’re hoping he recaptures his form from his years with the Islanders.

Wild Card: Michael Bunting

Kyle Dubas loves him some Michael Bunting, who enjoyed his breakout in Toronto under him and was one of the key pieces the Penguins got back in the Jake Guentzel trade last year.

Bunting hasn’t been quite able to recapture his scoring touch since leaving the Maple Leafs, perhaps a byproduct of no longer playing on a line with Auston Matthews, but he’s still a decent source of secondary offense at a fair price. Under contract through next season at $4.5M AAV, I think its fair to wonder if the Penguins would deal Bunting now, but he is a notable player that Sheldon Keefe has familiarity with. Whether or not that was necessarily a positive familiarity where Keefe would be open to a reunion is up for debate though.

Bunting does have a history of getting under the skin of the opposition. Heck, it wasn’t too long ago where half of this Devils roster wanted a piece of him. Guys who do that are good to have come playoff time. He can also chip in on the second power play unit. I do question whether the rest of his game is well rounded enough for four playoff rounds though.

Proposed Deal: Dawson Mercer for Rickard Rakell

Pittsburgh isn’t losing anything in terms of team control and they’re getting the younger player with theoretical upside who steps into their lineup right now. If Mercer has another level to gain, this deal wouldn’t look great for the Devils, but I’m of the belief that Mercer’s development has plateaued and this might be who he ultimately is as a player. Rakell is a smidge more expensive than Mercer but you are getting one more year of cost certainty on the back end in a rising cap environment and Rakell is more of a proven commodity. The $1M difference in AAV seems like a fair price to get a player who has shown he is capable of a 30-goal season.

If the skeleton of this proposed deal looks familiar, it’s because there are shades of the Pavel Zacha-for-Erik Haula swap here that Fitzgerald has indeed done before. Like in that deal, the Devils would be giving up age in Mercer for the player who may be deemed a better fit. The Devils would be assuming some risk, as Rakell is also on a bit of a shooting bender this year, and he does turn 32 this spring.

I would guess that this trade doesn’t happen in part because the Penguins don’t trade Rakell. At least, not now. They are still trying to pretend they’re competing for a playoff spot and trading their most productive winger would be the equivalent of waving the white flag. I would also guess this deal probably requires the Devils to include an addition piece or two. Maybe this is a deal that happens in the offseason when more teams have money to play with and the Penguins can maximize the return, but by then, the Devils will likely turn their attention elsewhere as well when it comes to finding a scoring winger.

Montreal Canadiens​

Jake Evans has been a popular name linked to the Devils as a potential deadline addition, and its easy to see why.

The pending UFA center has excelled in his walk year thanks in part to a likely unsustainable 19.6 shooting percentage, but he is going to set a career high in points this season while winning over half of his faceoffs the last three seasons. Evans can play in all situations and would theoretically give the Devils a right-handed center option that can immediately slot in to their third line. Even acknowledging that he will cool off offensively (you could say he already has as he has 1 goal and 3 assists since New Year’s Day), he does enough other things where he’s a valuable player.

The asking price for Evans is reportedly a second-round pick, which is high for what is a third line player, but he does play a premium position and comes at a fairly low AAV of $1.7M. Toronto and Tampa Bay have reportedly been checking in on Evans as well, so if the Devils want him, they might want to act sooner rather than later before he’s off the board.

Wild Card: Joel Armia

Armia is an interesting bottom six forward. He has plenty of size, he has playoff experience from Montreal’s surprise run to the Cup Final a few years ago, and while he’s not known for his offensive prowess, he’s on pace to top his career highs in scoring in his age 31 season.

My only hangup with Armia is that even at $3.4M AAV, he’s a little expensive for the Devils given their cap situation given his role. The Devils should be looking to add multiple forwards and Armia would be eating up a chunk of their remaining space. It’s also not as easy as “have Montreal retain half”, as they’re already retaining salary on two players and might prefer to save that last retention slot for David Savard to secure a better return. I like the player, but I’d probably pass here.

Proposed Deal: Devils trade the best of their second round picks (NJ, EDM, WPG) to Montreal for Jake Evans

The Devils solve their 3C issue for the rest of this season with Evans and get the inside track on potentially resigning him as a UFA.

Is a second round pick for Jake Evans an overpay? Perhaps, but there’s not a ton of supply when it comes to centers (especially right-handed) and the demand is high, so the market is what it is. I will say though that Evans, while was on an unsustainable shooting bender, he does enough other things on the ice where he should have value. He can kill penalties. He can win faceoffs. He will throw the body around a little bit. And he comes at a low $1.7M AAV price for the rest of the season. If you can get him for ‘just’ a second round pick, you’re probably doing well there.

I wouldn’t be happy if Evans was the only move the Devils made. But if he was one of the moves they made, I can get on board with that.

St. Louis Blues​

The Blues have been in a steady decline as an organizations since they won the Stanley Cup back in 2019, and as a result, it might be time for them to retool if not outright rebuild. All of this has reportedly put captain Brayden Schenn on the block.

Schenn, who has three years left at $6.5M AAV, is a battle-tested veteran with a lot of playoff experience. He’s a physical presence who typically wins about half of his faceoffs and chips in roughly 50-60 points annually. He is having a bit of a down year this season, at least in terms of the counting stats, but he’s a big name with playoff experience. I don’t think he’s a realistic fit for the Devils but I do think teams will fall over themselves to add a player like him.

Radek Faksa is a pending UFA with a reputation for being a good defensive center. He’s also excellent in the faceoff circle, hovering around 55% over the last five years. I think he could be a more realistic target, especially if the Blues retained half of his $3.25M AAV.

Wild Card: Oskar Sundqvist

Sundqvist could be another potential target, and what I like about him is that he’s signed for next season at a reasonable $1.5M AAV. He has been playing 3C for the Blues and while he’s not necessarily anything to write home about offensively, he has a high-compete level. He has playoff experience as he was a key depth player for the Blues during their title run. He can play in all situations. Unlike Faksa, he is right-handed.

Proposed Trade: Devils trade the 2025 VGK third round pick to Blues for Oskar Sundqvist

I don’t know whether Sundqvist would fit better as a 3C or 4C but I look at the Devils situation in the short-term and regardless, they need additional help at center. The team may or may not decide to move on from one or both of Erik Haula and Curtis Lazar given how ineffective they’ve both been. Sundqvist would not only give the Devils cost certainty for next season with one of their bottom six centers, he also shouldn’t stop the Devils from pursuing a better 3C come summer time. I do think the Blues would be smart to take a Top 100 pick for a 30-year old bottom six player though, especially after giving up so much draft capital with the Broberg and Holloway offer sheets.

Anaheim Ducks​

The name I keep circling back to with the Ducks is veteran center Ryan Strome, who wouldn’t be an ideal fit but could help the Devils 3C issues.

Strome, who was recently listed on The Athletic’s Trade Board, is a playmaking right-handed center who is typically good for at least 40 points a season. He’s been durable throughout his playing career and could really be a boost to a Devils third line that could use a little more offensive creativity.

Strome historically hasn’t been great in the faceoff dot, with a career percentage of 44.6%, he’s average at best defensively, and he doesn’t kill penalties, so he doesn’t come without his flaws. He’s more or less a polar opposite version of what Erik Haula theoretically does well when he’s going good. But Strome doesn’t have any trade protection and he’s signed for two more years at $5M AAV.

The Ducks don’t really need to trade him unless they’re ready to open a Top Six slot for Mason McTavish. They’re nowhere near the cap ceiling, they’re likely operating under an internal cap, and the Strome deal helps keep them above the floor. I don’t know what the floor will be next season, but it’s $65M now and the Ducks have just under $56M committed to next year’s roster with Strome on the roster. The Ducks will need to spend money, and while they do have a few notable RFAs, that hill only gets steeper if they dump Strome somewhere.

Wild Card: Mason McTavish

For the record, I don’t expect McTavish to be moved or be available, but bear with me for a moment.

Greg Wyshynski had a throwaway line in an article back in December on how Kevin Weekes heard there was trade buzz surrounding the former 3rd overall pick. There hasn’t been much said about McTavish since, but Ducks GM Pat Verbeek tends to play things close to the chest and it does go noted that he has yet to claim a Top Six role in Anaheim.

I think its way too early for the Ducks to consider giving up on McTavish, but I also look at a Ducks team that has Jacob Trouba, Radko Gudas, and Drew Helleson as their RHD at the NHL level and I wonder if the Devils RHD organizational depth would intrigue Verbeek. Particularly with both Gudas and Trouba scheduled to hit UFA after next season.

Still, I think if McTavish is even remotely available, the Devils need to do due diligence and check in there. If you want to solve the 3C issue for the next half decade, the answer is right there. And if you’re of the mindset that Jack Hughes is better off on the wing anyways, you could always slot McTavish between Hughes and Bratt and let that line cook.

McTavish isn’t without his flaws as he still has work to do on the defensive side of the game. He’s also another left-handed center on a team that could use a righty. But the talent is certainly there.

Proposed Trade: Simon Nemec for Mason McTavish

There’s not a lot of precedent for two fairly recent former Top 5 picks being traded for one another but the deal that saw Patrik Laine traded for Pierre Luc Dubois is one of them.

Circumstances are a little different as those players grew a little disgruntled in their situations and requested a deal, but we’ve already heard a little grumbling from Nemec’s agent about him not being in the NHL. And while McTavish’s camp has been buttoned up, one would think he’d embrace a larger role on a better team elsewhere. So maybe at the end of the day, its not all that different.

McTavish is due a new contract as he will be coming off of his ELC and that will be an interesting negotiation but that’s also a tomorrow problem. I’m more concerned about solving the today problem of “how can this team beat Carolina in the first round of the playoffs”, which I think McTavish can be part of the solution to. I’m also concerned about the Devils center depth issue, and while I don’t necessarily love robbing Peter to pay Paul, I do think dipping into the Devils RHD organizational depth to plug a more glaring hole could make sense. Even if they wind up losing Johnathan Kovacevic as a UFA, they would be in good position over the next couple seasons with a Hamilton-Pesce-Casey trio on the right side.

Philadelphia Flyers​

Philadelphia has made it abundantly clear that they are in it for the long haul, as evidenced by their recent trade that shipped Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost to Calgary for Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, and draft picks. They are rebuilding and remain in asset accumulation mode.

I think Kuzmenko could be available in the right deal. I also think he isn’t worth his $5.5M AAV and given the questions surrounding his two-way game in the past, he seems like an odd fit for a John Tortorella coached team. I get the logic that maybe this move was made specifically for Matvei Michkov, but I think its more likely Philadelphia is hoping to pump and dump Kuzmenko and eat half his salary on the way out for more draft capital.

Admittedly, I’m not a big Kuzmenko guy, and even acknowledging that you’re just looking for secondary scoring out of him, I think he’s mostly lived off of his 39 goal debut season two years ago where he shot 27.3%. That level of production was never sustainable, and I don’t think he plays a complete enough game where I’m all that interested even at half price.

Wild Card: Scott Laughton

Scott Laughton has seemingly been on the trading block ever since Danny Briere took over as Flyers GM, yet he remains on the Flyers roster at a reasonable $3M AAV through next season.

I don’t doubt that Laughton might be available at the right price, but I do think the Flyers are setting a higher than expected price for a guy who has topped 40 points in a season once. Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts recently that the asking price was a first round pick. I think that’s a non-starter for the Devils.

It’s not that I don’t like Laughton. He’s been a good leader for the Flyers during this retooling of the roster and he can play in all situations. He has value. But I’m not really interested at that price tag.

Proposed Trade: None

Boston Bruins​

Everything that has happened with the Boston Bruins this season is screaming for them to be a seller at the deadline. They’ve lost Hampus Lindholm for the season. They might have lost Charlie McAvoy for the season. This is a team in an unfamiliar position that should probably sell. But what do they even have?

The popular name with the Bruins has been pending UFA Trent Frederic, who has the profile of the type of player GMs fall over themselves to add at the deadline to round out their bottom six. He’s big. He hits people. He’ll block shots. And while he’s more of a winger than a center, he can chip in a little bit offensively as well.

I don’t know what Boston is going to do long-term and if they’ll decide this year was an aberration and try to retool next season. Their core is mostly in place as David Pastrnak, McAvoy, both Elias and Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and Jeremy Swayman are signed long-term. So trading a Charlie Coyle or Morgan Geekie might seem counterproductive.

That said, I think Coyle probably makes a little bit of sense (never mind the fact that he has a NMC and M-NTC). He’s signed for one more year after this one at $5.25M which isn’t ideal. He’s also having a bit of a down year as his assist numbers are way down, which also isn’t ideal. Boston has been playing him on the wing a bunch this season, which makes me question whether or not his defensive game has slipped or if they’re just that desperate for offense in the Top Six.

I don’t want to entirely dismiss Geekie, but it should be noted that he too has played more wing than center for the Bruins. He also wouldn’t be a pure rental as he is scheduled to be an RFA after the season. He might be a solid sell-high candidate if Boston indeed is looking towards the future, and even if he’s not a center, he should be able to slot in to a third line role and contribute.

Wild Card: Brad Marchand

Let’s get weird here.

The Bruins captain is a pending UFA after the season, and while he is getting older (he turns 37 in May), he’s still productive offensively.

I normally don’t think scoring wingers are worth a first round pick at the deadline, but if Marchand is actually available, I could see teams willing to give theirs up to bring him on for a potential Cup run. He’s a big game player (138 points in 157 playoff games) who brings a ring to the room and a reputation for getting under the skin of the opposition. GMs will be lining up to add that guy.

Should the Devils though? Greg Wyshynski threw the idea out there while simultaneously wishcasting Ondrej Palat’s contract off of the books. While I don’t dispute that Marchand would give the Devils some much needed secondary offense and I don’t doubt that there’s a legion of Devils fans willing to volunteer to drive Palat to the airport, potentially trading a 1st for an expiring contract winger probably isn’t the best use of their assets at this time. That seems like more of a Vegas move, and lo and behold, they’ll have LTIR money to blow thanks to the Shea Theodore injury and his old coach there to boot. Granted, the Golden Knights don’t have their first until 2027, but what does Vegas care about that if they can win now?

Proposed Trade: Probably None

I suppose I could be talked into a Morgan Geekie, Trent Frederic, or Charlie Coyle trade. I also think there are also other players I’d prefer to pursue.

Buffalo Sabres​

The Buffalo Sabres will not be making the playoffs this year, and after changing coaches yet again this past offseason as well as the supporting cast, one does wonder if we’re getting close to the breaking point for their core where they need to make a deal just to shake things up.

Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway are two pending UFAs who could theoretically help the Devils in different ways. Zucker is another guy who is having a career year shooting the puck, but he’s been a reliable source of secondary offense in the past. Greenway is more of a defensive specialist and physical presence who would strengthen the bottom six and make the Devils tougher to match up against come playoff time.

Dylan Cozens has been a popular name in trade rumors as he’s in the second year of a long-term deal paying him $7.1M AAV. He’s also had a rough year this year as his scoring is down. He has been more physical this year and he is improving in the faceoff circle. He also has good size and is right-handed.

I don’t know if Cozens will get moved....frankly, I doubt it in season....but I do know that he is a bit too expensive for a Devils team that is already up against the cap. Even with a reduced, 3C role on a better coached team than the one he’s on now, that’s probably a little too pricey to justify.

Wild Card: Alex Tuch

In terms of adding secondary offense from the wing, nobody has been higher on my list for about six seasons now than Alex Tuch.

Tuch, who went to the Sabres in the Jack Eichel trade, would give the Devils some much needed size upfront, but he also is typically good for 55-ish points per season and he’s on pace to do that once again. Tuch is also on a team-friendly contract that pays him $4.75M AAV through the end of next season, so he would not be a pure rental. He can block trades to only five teams.

Tuch, who hails from upstate New York, has been vocal about how much he wants to be part of the solution for Buffalo. I think he’s right in that he can be part of the solution, and had the team not named Rasmus Dahlin captain, I think an argument could be made for giving Tuch the ‘C’. But he’s also probably their best trade chip outside of their core guys, all of whom are locked up long-term. He also got hurt in their win over the Rangers this past weekend, potentially putting a damper on any trade speculation.

Proposed Trade: None, other than your run of the mill “here’s a pick for your winger at 50% retained” deal.

Even if Tuch is healthy and attainable, I think the Sabres will ask a lot for him. I also think the Sabres will likely wait until the offseason to make any foundational “shake up the core” type of moves.

If the Devils want to trade a 2nd for Zucker (50% retained) or a 4th for Greenway, I don’t have any issues with that. But like I mentioned before with Evans, I wouldn’t want for that to be the only move the Devils make.

Carolina Hurricanes​

Wait, are they really about to flip Mikko Rantanen a month after trading for him?

It sure seems that that might be a possibility as the Canes took a swing at signing Rantanen during the Four Nations break, even if Carolina isn’t initiating trade talks? And while it would be humiliating for them to turn around and flip him so quickly, Rantanen hasn’t exactly been a seamless fit in Raleigh.

Still, there’s probably nothing to see here. Rantanen may or may not wind up staying or going but Carolina isn’t going to trade with a Devils team that they know they’re going to have to match up with in Round 1.

New York Rangers​

It’s even less likely the Devils swing a deadline deal with their archrivals, although they have done one before. It was a decent idea on paper, but didn’t work out.

New York is close enough to a playoff spot where they’re probably not looking to subtract. Nor am I all that interested in giving up a late round pick for....Jimmy Vesey? Reilly Smith at 75% retention? Jonny Brodzinski?

Never mind. Forget I said anything.

San Jose Sharks​

While I could continue to go around the league and hit just about every team, I’ll finish this up with the Sharks.

The Sharks already got out in front of things by dealing Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars for a 1st and 4th round pick, so there’s already not much there. In addition, San Jose has used all of their salary retention slots so any trade requiring retention would require a third party, which will only raise the cost.

The one name that jumps out is Nico Sturm, who is basically a faceoff specialist at this point, winning 58.5% of his draws in his time in San Jose. He’s still winning faceoffs at a big margin, but he hasn’t taken as many this year. I don’t know if that’s a byproduct of the Sharks trying to work in some younger centers this year but it goes noted.

Sturm does kill penalties, so he could make sense as a 4C option. He also has postseason experience as he was part of the Avalanche team that won a Stanley Cup a few years ago. He’s not going to contribute a whole lot offensively, but for a team that has specific needs like the Devils (4C, faceoff specialist), he could make sense and shouldn’t cost a ton.

Wild Card: Fabian Zetterlund

Fabian Zetterlund was one of the key pieces that went to the Sharks in the Timo Meier trade two seasons ago.

Zetterlund has played well since heading to San Jose, averaging about .5 PPG while consistently playing top minutes on a bad Sharks team, which would raise the question “wait, why would the Sharks trade Zetterlund”. And the short answer is that they probably shouldn’t and won’t. I wouldn’t necessarily call him a core piece like I might a Jesper Bratt but Zetterlund has been a solid role player for San Jose.

The Devils wouldn’t necessarily say whether or not they want a do-over on the Meier trade, but there was probably some reluctance on their end to give up Zetterlund in the first place. After all, he was drafted and developed here and was really coming into his own as an established NHL regular prior to the Meier deal.

There’s no reason for the Sharks to give up Zetterlund unless they either know he won’t sign (which there is no indication of) or they’ll have guys who will eventually pass him on the internal depth chart. It’s probably a little too soon for the latter, although the Sharks already have arguably the deepest prospect pool in the league. They’re also going to continue to add to it with two first round picks this year, two seconds next year, and enough payroll flexibility to continue to take on short-term cap dumps in exchange for future draft capital. So the Devils would need to make it worth the Sharks while if they thought a Zetterlund reunion was doable.

Proposed Trade: Devils trade a 2026 1st round pick, 4th round pick, and Tomas Tatar to the Sharks for Zetterlund and Sturm

I put Tatar in this deal as his salary basically cancels out Strum, but the deal is essentially a slightly better deal than the one the Sharks just accepted for Granlund and Ceci.

I don’t know if the Sharks accept this deal, as you’re basically just retroactively redoing the Meier deal to put another 1st in there instead of Zetterlund, but keep in mind Zetterlund has two more years of control past this year and he already has a familiarity with most of the key players already in place. Yes, a first round pick for him is probably a smidge steep, and yes, he does need a new contract, but part of Zetterlund’s value is that he’s cheap now while you’re up against the cap right now. Getting a Zetterlund on top of Sturm while simultaneously dumping Tatar gives the Devils enough room for one more piece from somewhere else at 50% retained.

Final Thoughts​

The Devils are going to add at least one forward at the deadline this year. The key question will be just how much can they actually do given their limited cap space and somewhat limited pool of assets with which to deal from.

I’ll talk in more detail about this next week but the #1 priority for me is adding a third line center, followed by a scoring winger, and lastly an additional depth forward. Without a competent center, nothing on the third line is going to work, and while I’m not trying to be dismissive of the Devils and their need for secondary offense, there’s only so much an import winger is going to do if the Devils continue to insist on running 2 of Justin Dowling, Curtis Lazar, and the artist formerly known as Erik Haula out there.

The #1A priority for me is adding forwards who can help them better matchup against Carolina in a playoff series. Why? Because the Devils are probably going to face Carolina and Carolina’s structure can create problems for them, particularly when the Devils do not have last change. Can the Devils add the right mix of players to put them in a better chance to succeed should they meet in a seven game series? If they can’t, the Devils will be a one-and-done playoff team and will have to try again this summer.

Anyways, that is how I view the forwards at the trade deadline this year. Perhaps you view things differently. Please feel free to leave a comment below and thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2025/2/26/24366823/devils-potential-trade-targets-forwards

 

[New Jersey Devils]

New Jersey Devils Outclassed in 5-1 Loss To Colorado Avalanche

Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche stars were too much in a listless defeat

On the very first shift of the game, Nico Hischier and his line gained the offensive zone and fired a shot on net. It was all downhill from there though, as the New Jersey Devils fell 5-1 to the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night. Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, and Martin Necas collected three assists to lead the way. Jack Hughes was the lone goal scorer for New Jersey.

The Devils did have their moments throughout the evening. After allowing the Avs to outshoot them 8-1 at one point, the Devils did manage to right themselves over the second half of the first period. They didn’t create much in the way of high quality chances, but they started to tilt the ice back toward even at least. The second period was New Jersey’s best, and while Colorado dominated the last five minutes or so of that frame, the Devils did actually manage to sustain pressure and generate chances.

But that’s about it. New Jersey played decent for about 25 minutes tonight. At no point did their play rise above decent though, as I cannot remember a single shift that I would classify as significantly above average. The Hischier line did have one shift where they dominated puck possession in the Colorado zone for a long time, but all they could manage out of that was a Luke Hughes slap shot from above the circles. 25 minutes of adequate hockey and 35 minutes of terrible hockey is usually not a winning formula. And lo and behold, we got a lopsided final score as proof of concept.

To be fair to the Devils, this game was close for the vast majority of the night. It was only 1-0 entering the third period, and 2-1 until the Avalanche scored three goals in about four minutes late in the third to ice the contest. But the only reason for the game being as close as it was for as long as it was can be summed up as...Jake Allen. Until his meltdown late in the third (which, curiously, ended with Nico Daws taking over after the fifth goal with about 90 seconds left to play), Allen played very well. He made key saves in timely spots, and if it weren’t for him it would’ve been 5-1 (or worse) well before the late stages of this game.

For as good as Allen was, though, he was outshined by the other goalie in tonight’s game, Mackenzie Blackwood. At this point, what else is there to say? Blackwood pitched a 44-save shutout against the Devils back in November while a member of the San Jose Sharks. Tonight he stopped 22 of 23 shots he faced. So if my math is correct, in two games against his old team this year, Blackwood has turned aside 66 of 67 shots, good for a .985 Save%. The more time went on, the more I became utterly convinced he was going to deal New Jersey another shutout. I almost fell over when Jack Hughes actually managed to beat him, it felt like Andy Dufresne emerging into a cleansing rain.

But Blackwood’s inexplicable heroics aside, this was just a bad night all around for New Jersey. The Avalanche are perhaps the closest analogue to the Devils in the entire NHL: A team that is top heavy with big stars but with little depth to go along with it. Colorado is far from perfect, you could name a few other teams in the Western Conference that would be favored over them in a seven game series. But Colorado is also a team that is proving that it is possible to win with a roster constructed like this. New Jersey is still heavily favored to make the playoffs, and perhaps the fast-approaching trade deadline brings much needed change to the roster. But as it stands, the Devils are a team that is prone to vanishing on far too many nights. The Devils’ stars haven’t been up to the task of carrying them like the Avalanches’ stars were tonight. Another game, another dismal loss.

The Game Stats: The NHL.com Game Summary | The NHL.com Event Summary | The NHL.com Play by Play Log | The NHL.com Shot Summary | The Natural Stat Trick Game Stats

The Game Highlights: Courtesy of the NHL’s website

I Just Don’t Get It​

At one point tonight, Jack Hughes collected a turnover from Cale Makar and charged toward Mackenzie Blackwood on a breakaway.

He didn’t convert.

Unless the goaltender is named Igor Shesterkin, Hughes is simply incapable of scoring on breakaways. His shootout record is atrocious, and he always seems to have a hard time burying breakaways (again, unless it’s Shesterkin in net for some reason). Hughes is a sublimely talented player, why in the world does he struggle so much when the odds are more in his favor than ever?

I just don’t get it.

Gimme Shelter​

Did you know Seamus Casey played in this game tonight? I haven’t mentioned him yet, and even if you watched the game you’d be forgiven if you forgot. Casey played 9:38 tonight, far and away the lowest ice time among Devils defensemen and second-lowest on the entire team ahead of only Justin Dowling’s 8:35. According to the Shift Chart on Natural Stat Trick, he played four shifts in both the first and second periods, and five in the third.

It’s understandable that head coach Sheldon Keefe would want to keep Casey sheltered tonight. As mentioned, the Avalanche are a team of big time stars, and they had last change this evening. If Colorado coach Jared Bednar wanted to feed Casey to the wolves of Mackinnon, Makar, and the rest of the big boys, he could have at various points if Keefe gave Casey a normal amount of ice time. That being said, it just doesn’t feel sustainable to skate five defensemen on any given night. If this is something that Keefe will only do against top teams, then I can live with that. But if we start seeing it against everybody, that’s a bad sign. Jonas Siegenthaler’s injury really threw this blueline into chaos.

Juggling Act​

Speaking of ice time decisions, we saw Keefe juggle his lines and pairings a fair bit tonight. This is something we only saw very rarely from Keefe through much of the season, but clearly he felt like he needed to perform surgery on his combos this evening. I don’t blame him, his team gave him very little reason to keep things consistent.

The usual top pairing of Dougie Hamilton and Brenden Dillon played much of the game together, but Hamilton also got some shifts with Luke Hughes late in the game when New Jersey desperately needed offense. And as mentioned when discussing Casey, his lack of ice time forced some defensive blending throughout the game. Up front, the Hischier-Tatar-Noesen line turned into Hischier-Tatar-Meier at one point. Dowling’s limited minutes forced several forwards to take shifts on different lines at various points as well.

Tonight, nothing worked. But I have to say, I give credit to Keefe for at least trying to find a spark.

The Highs And The Lows​

The Devils’ penalty kill has been excellent this season. They started this game playing excellent hockey as well, holding Colorado off the scoresheet on their first two powerplays. This even included 58 seconds of 5-on-3 time in the first period. It was shaping up to be yet another great night for New Jersey’s penalty kill.

But then The Avalanche scored two power play goals in the third to seal the victory. Backbreaking, to say the least.

To be fair, they were somewhat fluky goals. Jake Allen saved a shot, had no idea where the puck was, and MacKinnon tapped home the loose change from right beside the net for the first PPG. And then after a shot went wide, hit the boards behind the net, then trampolined off the outside of the net itself, MacKinnon whacked it out of the air and in for the second PPG. There’s really not much the Devils penalty killers can do on either of those.

By the way, one of those power plays was brought about by Ondrej Palat tripping Martin Necas, who stayed down for a few seconds in apparent pain. As anyone who remembers Necas absorbing a hit from Timo Meier while with the Hurricanes earlier this season, this looked all too familiar. And sure enough, just like in that Devils-Canes game in December in which Necas went down like he was shot in an attempt to goad the referees into calling a major penalty (which they did) only to miraculously not miss a single SECOND of game time, Necas popped up fresh as a daisy once he saw a penalty was actually called. I’m only half-kidding when I say the league should fine or suspend him for egregious embellishment. It’s completely embarrassing, and it is now officially a pattern with this player.

Next Time Out​

The Devils are back in action on Saturday in the franchise’s first ever game in Utah. They will skate against the artist formerly known as the Coyotes, AKA The Hockey Club, at 9pm Saturday evening.

Your Take​

What did you make of tonight’s game? Were you as disappointed with the Devils as I was? When will MacKenzie Blackwood’s heater finally end? What do you expect next time out in Utah? As always, thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...alanche-mackinnon-hughes-necas-hischier-makar

 

[New Jersey Devils]

What's Stopping the New Jersey Devils From Using a Jacob Markstrom and Nico Daws Tandem?

Is Nico Daws the best choice to backup Jacob Markstrom? | Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images

Jake Allen continues to not be it for the New Jersey Devils. Should he be the odd goalie out when Markstrom returns from injury?

Let's start today by giving credit where credit is due. When goaltending was the absolute worst thing about the New Jersey Devils last season, they went out and got Jake Allen. He was the only goalie last year who looked even somewhat good in net. While the season was already a lost cause by the time he arrived, he kept the Devils competitive. Allen gave fans a reason to believe he could be a strong backup to whoever the Devils went out and got to be the starter.

Alas time marches on, and 2024-25 Jake Allen isn't 2023-24 Allen.

Well, maybe in some ways they're close. While he played well in many appearances last season, Allen's stats weren't starter level and that's still the case. In 2023-24, some of that could be chalked up to the personnel and system in front of him. While his goals against is down and save percentage up this season, his overall results have been worse. After going 6-6-1 last season as the primary option after coming over, he's 9-13-1 mostly as a secondary option this season. With the Devils wanting to compete, being in net for only 19 of a possible 46 points isn't contributing enough.

Thankfully, help is on the way, as Markstrom has been practicing for the Devils. Upon his return, the corresponding roster move should be to send Daws back to Utica, since he's still waiver exempt, right?

If the intent is to have the best 23 available players on the roster, why send Daws down? Yes, his sample size this season is very small, but in two starts, he has two wins and has looked very strong in net, both when starting and in relief. The Devils also would be counting on Daws in a relief role, while Markstrom would continue to do the heavy lifting as he did prior to his injury. I'm still not 100% sure on Daws being the long-term net solution for the Devils, but right now I think he's bringing a better chance to win than Allen is.

If the Devils organization came to this same decision, then they would need to do one of two things. The first would be to carry three goalies, which at this moment wouldn't be hard to do. Simon Nemec could be returned to Utica, as the team seems more inclined to deploy Seamus Casey right now, and again Nemec is also waiver exempt. Or the Devils could send Justin Dowling back on waivers or (finally) waive Kurtis MacDermid. No matter which option you like and/or choose here, an open spot to keep a third goalie on the roster is achievable.

The other alternative, if the Devils want to keep extra forwards and defenders around, would be to waive Allen himself. While his play leaves plenty to be desired, statically he hasn't been all that bad (especially in terms of goals saved above expected), but for some reason the Devils aren't winning with him in net. I don't think Allen has been bad enough for this to be a realistic option, but he's just too inconsistent right now for the Devils to continue relying on him even semi-regularly to help pick up points. Additionally, depth is key this late in a campaign, so the Devils should do whatever it takes to not sacrifice that depth.

I think with the final full month of the season approaching, and the Devils still needing to secure their position in the standings, they should keep three goalies on the roster, at least for now. If a trade deadline move necessitates an extra healthy scratch, fine, make use of Daws' waiver exempt status. Right now, Dowling and especially MacDermid aren't moving the needle. Send one down, and keep Allen as a scratch so you don't lose him if anything goes wrong with Markstrom or Daws. The Devils should absolutely be running that pair though, as those are the goalies right now that seem confident in net, and the players in front play accordingly as well. The Devils need as many points as possible, and again, 19 of 46 just isn't enough to keep deploying Jake Allen.

What are your thoughts on the Devils goaltending situation? Should the team go Markstrom/ Daws upon the return of the former? Is Allen still the backup in your eyes due to his statistical performance? Would you prefer three goalies be kept in Jersey, especially as the playoff push amps up? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...-using-a-jacob-markstrom-and-nico-daws-tandem

 

[New Jersey Devils]

DitD & Open Post - 2/28/25: The Palat Experiment Edition

New Jersey Devils left wing Ondrej Palat (18) watches as the puck gets past Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) for a goal in the third period at Ball Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

New Jersey Devils & Related Hockey Links for 2/28/25

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

Mackenzie Blackwood once again had New Jersey’s number as the Avalanche claimed a 5-1 win over the Devils on Wednesday. [Devils NHL]

Some Devils talk here:

New PDOcast with @harmandayal2:

•Long chat about the Devils + their future decisions
•Changing dynamic in NHL + demands for defenseman
•Dylan Samberg’s importance to what the Jets are doing
•Kent Johnson putting it all together offensively this yearhttps://t.co/eMONgUjN11

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) February 27, 2025​

“The one team everyone believes will absolutely 100-per-cent trade for a centre? New Jersey.” [Sportsnet]

“But among the teams that I believe have called Montreal on either Evans and/or Armia: Winnipeg, Toronto, Edmonton, New Jersey and Minnesota, among others.” [TSN]

“When analyzing what prevents the New Jersey Devils from taking a healthy step forward from an inconsistent team with upside, there are a few factors that you can point to. The NHL trade deadline is just eight days away, and perhaps that’s when said factors will be addressed. However, one thing is long overdue. The Devils must end the first line experiment with Ondrej Palat.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]

“The 2024-25 Devils have arguably the best power play of all time this season. How does it work and why are they so successful?” [Devils’ Advocates]

Hockey Links​

“Which forwards can actually move the needle? Which forwards can capably fill depth roles? Which forwards should teams probably avoid?” [The Athletic ($)]

On Mikko Rantanen and the Hurricanes:

What’s going on with #Canes and Mikko Rantanen?

Sources indicate even if Carolina gets a hard “no” on contract extension, they are “very much” willing to keep Rantanen for playoff run.

Latest on @SportsOnPrimeCA tonight:pic.twitter.com/AGbwN6Ol5X

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 28, 2025​

A notable loss for the Rangers:

#NYR Adam Fox is going on IR with an upper-body injury.

He’ll be out for a little bit, but team is confident he’ll be with them for the stretch run of the season.

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) February 26, 2025​

An impressive mark for Lane Hutson:

Lane Hutson is the first rookie defenceman to collect 40 assists in fewer than 60 games since Nicklas Lidstrom in 1991-92 #GoHabsGo

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) February 28, 2025​

Congrats to the Schenn brothers:

Congratulations to Brayden and Luke Schenn on becoming the first pair of brothers in #NHL history to both hit the 1,000 game milestone in the same season.

Brayden crosses the 1,000 mark tonight in Washington. pic.twitter.com/kINqwfQP6e

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 28, 2025​

Well then:

The NHL is expecting one of its largest crowds ever at this weekend's outdoor game in Columbus

Steve Mayer, president of NHL content and events, says more than 90,000 fans are set to attend the Red Wings and Blue Jackets' #StadiumSeries clash at Ohio Stadium ️ pic.twitter.com/ejYx04oAVh

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 27, 2025​

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...-details-2-28-25-the-palat-experiment-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Ranking the Trade Value of the 2024-25 New Jersey Devils Players

The trade value of a Seamus Casey? Higher than you may guess. | Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images

As the NHL Trade Deadline approaches for 2025, this post ranks all of the active New Jersey Devils players based on their perceived trade value.

Next week is the NHL Trade Deadline for the 2024-25 regular season. The New Jersey Devils and 31 other teams in the NHL have until 3 PM ET on Friday, March 7 to get their trades into the league offices. From then on, it is a run to the postseason. The Devils will be playing that evening; they will be hosting the mighty Winnipeg Jets. For all we know, the Devils (and the Jets) could have some familiar faces missing by then. Maybe even some new faces too.

With the trade deadline being a week away, I thought it was best to perform what has become an annual tradition. Here is last year’s post for reference. This year, the situation is different. General Manager Tom Fitzgerald should be a buyer as opposed to a seller. Yet, to bring in players, someone may have to go and so knowing each Devils’ potential worth is valuable. To help prepare for what could take place by next Friday, this post lists the 2024-25 Devils players based on their perceived trade value.

Guidelines​

First and foremost, this is a post about the perceived trade value of each Devil. This post, its ranking, and the commentary that comes with each ranking is not necessarily an endorsement of the player being traded. I am not suggesting, arguing, demanding, or declaring that Fitzgerald and his staff move any specific player on the team. As with the past trade value posts, this is a list of how I think each player’s trade value may be seen by the rest of the league. Also as with past trade value posts, I may be wrong.

Second, the ranking of this trade value list is based on how much value the Devils could receive if the player was put on the trade block. No packages are considered. No throw-ins or multi-team deals were thought of. If Player X on the Devils was made available for a trade, then how much would they get in return. That is what the tiers and the ranks are based on. #1 on the list may not necessarily be the best player on the New Jersey Devils this season. It does mean that I think they would get the most in return if they were available to be dealt away.

Third, the trade value considers multiple aspects. How the player is performing this season is just one of them. How the player is performing this season in context with past seasons is another. How old is the player is another factor. How much is their cap hit is another factor. How much left do they have on their contract is another factor. What position they play is a factor. How valuable is their skillset is another factor. There is a lot that can go into this perception of trade values. It has to because 31 different teams could mean 31 different ways they look at a player.

Fourth, as with the past posts, this is only considering the value of the 2024-25 Devils. I am not including prospects like Anton Silayev or Lenni Hämeenaho. I am not including the three second round picks the Devils still own for 2025. I am not including Utica Comet or Adirondack Thunder players. Not unless they have played at least five (5) games with the New Jersey Devils this season. Not past seasons, just this one. As of February 25, that means there are 22 skaters and 2 goalies in this post for a total of 23 players. This means Shane Bowers, Nathan Légaré, Nolan Foote, Brian Halonen, Nico Daws, Daniil Misyul, and Mike Hardman all miss the cut off for this post.

Fifth and finally, this list will be revealed in reverse order from the least valuable to the most. All contract information is from PuckPedia.

Tier 1: Minimal Value: “Sure, we can do it for Future Considerations.”​

#24 Justin Dowling - Cap Hit & 2024-25 Salary: $775,000 - Two-way Contract, Pending UFA

Justin Dowling comes in last on this perceived list for one simple reason: every team in the NHL has a player like Dowling in their system. Maybe they are not 34 years old. Maybe they are not a center. Maybe they do not have 140 NHL games under their belt. But every team in the NHL has a veteran like this in their AHL affiliate, signed to a NHL deal in the hopes of getting an opportunity to play. Dowling has his between injuries to centers and said centers not playing so well when they returned. That does not mean he has actual value to others. Certainly not with a mere 22 shots on net in 40 games and getting out-played in 5-on-5. Because every team has players like him in their system, I cannot forsee someone wanting him alone.

#23 Kurtis MacDermid - Cap Hit: $1.15 million, 2024-25 Salary: $1.25 million

The Devils traded for MacDermid last season, sending a 7th round-selected KHLer in Zakhar Bardakov to Colorado for MacDermid. He has since done the following of note last season:

• He watched Jonas Sigenthaler get concussed by Matt Rempe.
• He fought some other guys. It didn’t matter much on the scoreboard.

This season, MacDermid added to this torrid list of accomplishments by watching by seeing Radko Gudas injure Curtis Lazar and doing nothing about it. More seriously, this apparent deterrent has not objectively deterred anything and his on-ice value is next to nothing since he cannot actually play for more than 5 minutes most nights. Points? MacDermid is not here to help put points on the board. Combine all of that nothing with a stupefying non-NHL-minimum contract and I cannot foresee anyone wanting MacDermid in a trade.

#22 Curtis Lazar - Cap Hit & 2024-25 Salary: $1 million - Pending UFA

Lazar was a hard-working bottom six forward you could appreciate in a fourth-line role last season. This season, he has not been appreciable. Lazar has managed to have worse 5-on-5 on-ice rates that Dowling. With one goal, three assists, and 20 shots in 33 games, you cannot even say he is chipping in any production. The injury he suffered from Radko Gudas hurt his season, sure. Yet, he has been healthy scratched for Dowling in recent games. The 30-year old has been in the league for over 500 games and I could see someone wanting to take a flyer on him for depth in the Summer. I could not see anyone wanting to trade for him, especially since they will likely be able get him relatively cheaply in July.

#21 Nathan Bastian - Cap Hit & 2024-25 Salary: $1.35 million - Pending UFA

Nathan Bastian is actually a solid defensive winger. The problem is that this is not the 1990s or early 2000s and being a one-way forward that does not add much on the scoresheet is not valuable. Bastian has three goals, five assists, and 36 shots in 41 games, which is not much except in comparison to the likes of Lazar, MacDermid, and Dowling. Bastian’s on-ice rates are great defensively but abysmal offensively. Which is the main issue with Bastian. He is as much a part of the bottom six black hole as anyone. Add in the fact that he is a pending unrestricted free agent and I do not see what value he could have for others.

Tier 2: Low Value: “Yeah, OK. It won’t take much but we need something.”​

#20 Tomas Tatar - Cap Hit & 2024-25 Salary: $1.8 million - Pending UFA

Tomas Tatar breaks ahead of the bottom tier simply because he actually has production that dwarfs that tier. Six goals, eight assists, and 50 shots in 53 games makes him look like a scorer compared to his usual bottom-six brethren. That said, there are factors against Tatar that will keep him from drawing much in value. Tatar is 34, he will be an unrestricted free agent in July, and he is not exactly cheap for a bottom-six player at $1.8 million. The thing with Tatar is that he can fill in a higher, more offensive role in a pinch. The team’s on-ice rates in 5-on-5 with Tatar have been good despite his usual teammates. Yet, he is not consistently productive or even good enough to sustain a higher role. He has not fit in well in a bottom-six role with energy players. That lack of clear role is another factor that would hurt his value to other teams.

#19 Paul Cotter - Cap Hit & 2024-25 Salary: $775,000

There is no lack of clarity of what Paul Cotter is. He is a bottom-six winger who throws hits. So many hits. He leads the Devils with 190 of them as of February 25. He is tenth in the league in hits. He throws lots of hits. Are hits all that valuable? Not really. Cotter does occasionally have some flash in his game and he did have a hot streak early in the season to boost his production to 13 goals and 19 points in 59 games. Keep in mind his 18.3% shooting percentage includes just scoring five goals so far in 2025. Cotter is cheap and 25 years old, but he is still a bottom-six winger. He is not particularly great on defense and his offense is inconsistent even without the flashy moments. Unless a team decides they need hits, they probably are not going to call Fitzgerald about Cotter.

#18 Erik Haula - Cap Hit & 2024-25 Salary: $3.15 million - No Trade Clause

Erik Haula has spent his time in New Jersey being a no-frills defensive center who can win draws at best and, at worst, a no-frills defensive center who can win draws and do not much else. This season is more of a latter. Haula’s return from an ankle injury earlier in 2025 has seen him struggle recently. Even before then, Haula has been relegated to be a part of the team’s bottom six that is a black hole of offense. There, Haula has provided just five goals, eleven points, and 76 shots on net in 47 games. Haula’s not attacking nearly as much as he did in previous seasons - mostly because he is not joined at Jack Hughes’ hip anymore. This has led him to be even less effective in getting the play to go forward. And the team’s on-ice rates against are not so good either; Haula’s on-ice xGA/60 of 2.64 is the sixth highest among all skaters this season. Haula is a center and he has the reputation of being solid defensively, as evident from his 4 Nations Face-Off appearance. That gives him at least some value. But between his season so far, that he turns 34 next month, he has a full no trade clause, and his not-totally-cheap contract, it is not a lot. Not that the Devils can afford to trade any centers. As poor as Haula’s season has been, his presence is usually an upgrade over Dowling and Lazar as centers.

#17 Brenden Dillon - Cap Hit: $4 million, 2024-25 Salary: $5 million - No Trade Clause

At the edge of tiers 2 and 3 lies Brenden Dillon. On some nights, he has been a perfectly fine defensive defenseman. He has loads of experience as he is 34 and has played over 900 games in the NHL. Dillon’s presence does not necessarily mean no offense. Granted, it helped that he played a lot with Dougie Hamilton in 5-on-5 but his on-ice rates are very much on the higher end in both directions - coming out favorably too. Dillon is not and never will be confused with an offensive player. Dillon has 12 points and 32 shots in 53 games. His lack of speed and tendency to be too rough has led him to penalties too. But when he is having a good game, he is an example of someone you do not notice and you are fine with that. Teams do want defensemen that can be like that to a degree. Whether they want a 34 year old one with a full no trade clause, well, not as much. That said, I think if he was made available, I would not be shocked that there would be a team offering more than just a late draft pick.

Tier 3: Medium Value: “All right, he’s available but it has to make sense for us.”​

#16 Ondrej Palat - Cap Hit: $6 million, 2024-25 Salary: $4.95 million - No Movement Clause

Oh, Ondrej Palat. I wrote about him as a potential buy out candidate in a post about two weeks ago. It sums up what I think of him as a player. Palat is not good enough to lead a bottom-six line. He has to be tethered to better players to get results from him - but it comes at the cost of potentially holding those better players back. This season, that is Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. It is best described with this pithy meme from Dimitri Filipovic. Palat’s contract does have the benefit of costing less salary than his cap hit. It does have the massive negative of a no movement clause. While that opens up to a modified no trade clause on July 1, the 33 year old who turns 34 in March will not get much younger and that is also working against him. Palat’s big reputation is that he has intangibles that help in the playoffs. Surely, someone in a NHL front office believes that and so that is why he is in this tier and not one below it.

#15 Jake Allen - Cap Hit: $3.85 million, 2024-25 Salary: $3.3 million - 50% Salary Retained by Montreal, 3 Team No Trade List, Pending UFA

Now this is an interesting one. Jake Allen is a goaltender and a team that badly needs goaltending help would love to have someone like Allen hit the block. After all, Allen has had a very good season so far in New Jersey. He has an overall save percentage of 91%, which puts him in a tie with Linus Ullmark, Lukas Dostal, Eric Comrie, Karel Vejmelka, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Joseph Woll prior to Wednesday’s games. Allen’s experience comes with the flexibility of being a 1B goaltender or a backup for a team. While Allen is not young at age 34, he has more than shown he is capable at his position. Moving Allen is even more possible given his retained salary and a no trade list of just three teams. The big drawback is that anyone who wants Allen may be able to get him as a free agent on July 1. That alone limits his potential trade value. But it would not be for nothing in this season.

#14 Stefan Noesen - Cap Hit & 2024-25 Salary: $2.75 million - 10 Team No Trade List

Stefan Noesen is having a career year. This is largely because Noesen plays on the primary power play unit of the New Jersey Devils, who have one of the most successful power plays in the NHL with a conversion rate of 27.9% before Wednesday’s games. That said, being on a top power play unit means needing to perform while on it and Noesen has done that. He has scored those 10 power play goals out of his 19 total goals after all. Noesen has even played mostly with top-six caliber forwards like Nico Hischier and Timo Meier for most of the season. Noesen’s game may be a simple one but it has meshed well with more talented players. To a point where he has 124 shots on net - something else that does not just happen on its own from being on a top line. As a result, the team’s on-ice rates at 5-on-5 with him are really good. Noesen is still a complementary player who is enjoying a great situation on New Jersey this season. It is not likely this will happen next season, although I hope it does. I also do not think he would be this effective on the ice or this productive on most other teams. That limits his value. But between that, his relatively cheap contract, and a workable 10-team no-trade list, the Devils could sell high on Noesen if they wanted to. It would not be for a massive amount, but better than most of the other Devils. Hence, this ranking.

#13 Johnathan Kovacevic - Cap Hit: $766,667, 2024-25 Salary: $775,000 - Pending UFA

Teams, especially contending teams, love to add defensemen by the deadline. Even if they do not yield big deals, defensive defenders who can add to the backend are in demand. Add a right-handed shot and plenty of teams would be interested in someone like Jonathan Kovacevic. He has absolutely blossomed in New Jersey this season. He is one of the league’s best shutdown defensemen in 5-on-5 this season. His 2.06 xGA/60 in 5-on-5 play is among the top ten in the NHL among defensemen with at least 500 minutes of ice time. That is simply great. Oh, and Kovacevic is only 27. There are three issues with Kovacevic though that hurt his trade value. First, is that he is very much a one-way defender. He does not add much to offense but he is exceptional at killing plays from the opposition. While in demand, it does not usually bring a lot back. Second, Kovacevic having a great season like this out of nowhere would bring up a question of whether he could do it again. Is he having a hot defensive season or has he been put in the right system to thrive? Third, and perhaps most of all, he is a pending UFA. Kovacevic stands to get paid a lot of money this July. Again, why trade for a player that you can just sign on July 1? And even if someone wanted his signing rights, those deals tend to not bring in much. That all said, Kovacevic fits in the middle of list in terms of trade value. It is a lot better than a fourth round pick in 2026.

#12 Jonas Siegenthaler - Cap Hit: $3.4 million, 2024-25 Salary: $4 million - 10 Team No Trade List, Currently on LTIR

The best case scenario for Kovacevic is that he turns into someone like Jonas Siegenthaler. The 27 (28 in May) year old did blossom earlier than Kovacevic but the situation was similar. He was not getting much of a shot with his previous team but when he joined Ryan McGill in New Jersey, he became very good at defending. Siegenthaler has bounced back from a not-so-great 2023-24 to be one of the league’s top defensive defensemen. You know that xGA/60 rate that Kovacevic has? Siegenthaler has an even lower one at 1.92 xGA/60. His on-ice rates for offense are a bit better too, which is a nice bonus. Sigenthaler is on a solid contract with a solid cap hit and at a solid age for a defender. If he was made available, then there will be plenty of calls from plenty of teams. That issue of one way defenders only draw so much value does apply. So does the fact that he is currently on Long Term Injured Reserve so trading him now is not even an option. But if he was healthy, then he would be on the verge of the high value tier.

Tier 4: High Value: “He’s not available - unless you have something to offer to make him available. Even then, it has to be really good.”​

#11 Timo Meier - Cap Hit: $8.8 million, 2024-25 Salary: $11.1 million - No Movement Clause

There is a case to be made to drop Timo Meier to a lower tier. His contract is massive. Moving it alone would be a lot for the Devils to do and for teams to take on. The no movement clause gives Meier plenty of leverage to block a deal. Meier is absolutely not playing up to his eight-figure salary with with 15 goals and 38 points in 58 games. He may be playing well defensively and his on-ice rates are good, but that is not why he was given $11.1 million this season. That said, if Meier was made available, a lot of teams would at least inquire about him. Most of the league knows that Meier is not a career 9.1% shooter. Most of the league knows he can and does drive the net (he is in the top ten in individual high danger chances in 5-on-5 play) and create his own shot - of which he has 164, third most on the Devils. They also know he is not on the rather effective primary power play unit of the Devils. A lot of teams would see moving Meier now as buying low on the player. They would still offer something of more value than a third rounder - even if you think that is what his play looks like this season.

#10 Brett Pesce - Cap Hit: $5.5 million, 2024-25 Salary: $7 million - No Trade Clause

Brett Pesce is similar to Siegenthaler and Kovacevic in that he is primarily a defensive defenseman. Unlike them, he does not take nearly as many penalties. Unlike them, he has overseen a lot of the growth of Luke Hughes. Unlike them, Pesce has averaged over a shot per game with 62. Granted, only one (a shorthanded one) went in and Pesce has just 11 points. But, unlike the two defensive aces, the team’s on-ice rates with Pesce in 5-on-5 are great in both directions. If nothing else, he is not a drain on the offense. I think many in the league like what Pesce does on the ice. I do not think it was an accident that after Quinn Hughes was unable to play for the 4 Nations Face-Off final, USA Hockey asked and brought in Brett Pesce to be an emergency fill-in. That tells me other teams covet the defenseman and that would draw some more significant deals than Siegenthaler or Kovacevic would. Pesce would come at a hefty price and he has some say in a deal given his full no-trade clause. But that is why he is in the high tier as opposed to the middle one. Unlike Siegenthaler and Kovacevic.

#9 Jacob Markstrom - Cap Hit & 2024-25 Salary: $6 million - 31.25% Salary Retained by Calgary, No Movement Clause

It took a first round pick and Kevin Bahl (and a disgruntled goalie due to a blocked deal) to get Jacob Markstrom with retained salary back in June. I do not know if that deal can be matched today but it could be quite close. Markstrom has done quite well in New Jersey. His overall save percentage is solid at 91.2%, just ahead of Allen and a heap of goalies prior to Wednesday’s games. He has played the majority of games for the Devils when available. Markstrom has been on injured reserve due to a knee injury after a collision in a game against Boston in January. It is a question as to whether the 35-year old will bounce back but I would like to think he will given the time to recover. His retained salary helps a potential move, although Markstrom can block it with his NMC. That stated, if Markstrom is made available, I would have to think it would command something similar to what the Devils got for him. That would put him in this range.

#8 Dougie Hamilton - Cap Hit: $ 9 million, 2024-25 Salary: $12.6 million - No Movement Clause

Dougie Hamilton is the highest paid New Jersey Devil this season by a lot. There is no way he could be a $12.6 million defenseman. But he is trying! Hamilton was given the big bucks to produce and produce he has. Before Wednesday’s games, Hamilton has nine goals, 31 assists, and 174 shots on net. Despite not being able to hammer slapshots like he used to, he is second on the team in shooting. Those shots are not wasted. Hamilton is on pace to reach the 50-point mark for the third time in his career. Hamilton remains an “adventure” on defense at times and his lack of speed has shown to be an issue. Yet, the team’s on-ice rates show that, in 5-on-5, Hamilton is on the ice for a ton of high event hockey that ends up being favorable for the Devils. He is the lone defender on that successful primary power play unit to a point where he in the top-20 in the NHL for defenseman production on power plays. His no movement clause - which yields a ten-team no trade list next season - is an issue for any deal beyond the contract. But, again, if he was made available now, a lot of teams would be making offers. That is what drives his placement on this list. He may not be worth a $12.6 million salary in 2024-25 but he is doing his best to earn as much of it as he could.

#7 Dawson Mercer - Cap Hit: $4 million, 2024-25 Salary: $3 million

Wait, Dawson Mercer? With the season he is having? Indeed. Mercer is having a disappointing season. After the contract extension, he has just 13 goals, 25 points, and 98 shots prior to Wednesday’s games. Instead of commanding a winger role on a first or second line, he has been bouncing around the lineup, often ending up in the bottom six. The on-ice rates with Mercer have been OK but not all that good to make much of a difference. How can he be 7th? Easy. Mercer is still a 23-year old forward in this league. His contract may seem high for his performance but if he was producing like he did in his rookie or sophomore seasons, then it would be close to a bargain. His contract is moveable and he does not have any clauses to get in the way. Mercer showing up to play in every game is also a plus; it is a reliability factor that a team can appreciate. If Mercer is made available to the other 31 teams, then 31 teams would likely ask themselves if they can offer him a better situation to perform in - and what they can do to make it work. A lot of teams would love to have a potentially productive secondary scoring winger under the age of 25 on a reasonable contract. That would drive up his value for a potential deal. Far more than older players who may or may not have humongous contracts. I think Mercer is salvageable as a player in New Jersey for what its worth. A lot of teams would be willing to take him on if the Devils feel otherwise.

Tier 4.5: High Value with Higher Risk: “I cannot have this deal bite me in the butt years from now. Don’t ask about him unless you have fair value.”​

#6 Seamus Casey - Cap Hit & 2024-25 Salary: $950,000 - Entry Level Contract

I understand the thinking that with Seamus Casey, Simon Nemec, and eventually Anton Silayev coming down the pipe, someone may have to be moved rather than just spend too much time waiting for a chance in New Jersey. Casey met the game cut off so he is on this list. And rather high. Casey does have a lot in his favor. He is 21. He has a right handed shot. He was drafted out of the USNTDP and had a successful two seasons with the University of Michigan. A lot of the league knows of his potential - and he has shown flashes of it already. He started the season in New Jersey and ripped a couple of goals. He has since returned to the Devils after the 4 Nations Face-Off, recovering from an injury-shortened tenure with Utica in the AHL. He scored another banger off the post and in against Nashville. Casey has played just nine games and the team’s on-ice rates with him so far have not been good. But that makes sense as Casey still has a lot to learn at the professional level about defending. His skating and his shot are set. There is a lot of potential in Casey. That and his super-cheap contract would command quite a bit in a deal. So much that Fitzgerald should beware what he gets in return in case Casey blossoms into a high-end offensive defenseman somewhere else. Such defensemen are worth their weight in gold in this league and the Devils have a developing player like that in Casey.

#5 Simon Nemec - Cap Hit: $918,333, 2024-25 Salary: $950,000 - Entry Level Contract

They also have one in Simon Nemec! You know, the second overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft? The same one Casey was picked in the second round? Nemec has had a rough 2024-25 campaign. He got hurt in Olympic qualifiers with Slovakia. He made the team mostly because Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce were out. When they returned, Nemec was sent back to Utica. His call ups have not been impressive - the on-ice rates were not good - and he was recently outdone this past weekend by Casey. Production is not everything but Nemec has just the one assist in 12 games; Casey has beaten that already. Does this mean he’s cooked? Absolutely not! Nemec is a 21 year old defenseman on an ELC! Nemec still has a lot to learn as does any 21 year old player. Like roaming less on the ice. Which he can learn! He showed so much promise in 2023-24. Such that the talent displayed then just does not go away. I can understand he may be frustrated that last season did not lead to more ice time in New Jersey this season. (I think the injury set him back a bit.) But he has had his opportunities. He will get more. The skill is there and, like Casey, defenders with that skill are worth a lot in this league. The key here for the Devils is to not give up on him - especially during his ELC years! - now unless a massive return is coming back. In this who’s-now-yesterday-forgotten world of sports commentary and fandom, that is a lot to ask. But the Devils need to be careful. Hence, the name of the tier.

Tier 5: The Near-Untouchables: “Absolutely not. I don’t care what someone online says, this isn’t happening.”​

#4 Nico Hischier - Cap Hit: $7.25 million, 2024-25 Salary: $8 million - 10 Team No Trade List

The captain of the New Jersey Devils is a do-it-all-and-do-it-well center. All situations, plenty of minutes and shifts, and great on-ice rates when Hischier takes a shift. All at age 26 too. Hischier has also brought the production this season. 24 goals on 144 shots prior to Wednesday’s game means he has been shooting quite hot this season. He has 22 assists to add to those points, with a good amount (19) coming from that primary power play unit. All of this on a contract that Hischier is arguably out-earning. The window to win with Hischier under this deal does have two more seasons after this one. Fitzgerald should maximize that and possibly extend it. Although it will not be so cheap in 2027. That is a future problem. If the Devils put Hischier on the block, 31 teams would be ringing up Fitzgerald to ask if it is too good to be true. Even the 10 teams Hischier would not accept a trade to would inquire. Hischier is that good.

#3 Luke Hughes - Cap Hit & 2024-25 Salary: $925,000 - Pending RFA

The Luke Hughes extension will also not be so cheap. It will also be earned. Luke Hughes has been flexing his talent this season. The team’s on-ice rates in 5-on-5 with Luke Hughes are great. Luke Hughes has learned to harness his speed to make great recoveries on defense and keep in position when able. Yes, he cycles around the offensive zone a lot with the puck to look for a different angle or draw different coverages to open up lanes for others. Luke Hughes may only have the 72 shots on net and 24 points in 50 games. When he is able to be more accurate with moving the puck, those numbers are going to skyrocket. Not many defensemen in the NHL can do that regularly. Only the very best can and Luke Hughes is one of them. Again, these defensemen are worth their weight in gold. Given the 21 year old’s trajectory, it could even be platinum one day.

#2 Jesper Bratt - Cap Hit: $7.875 million, 2024-25 Salary: $9 million - No Movement Clause

Jesper Bratt is a top-10 scorer in the entire NHL. Yes, he could shoot the puck more. I would not sweat it too much. Bratt is tied with Connor McDavid for fourth in the NHL with 51 assists. The man is very much involved in goals. Bratt is on pace to smash Scott Stevens’ record for most assists in a Devils season. He is a key part of the primary power play unit that has been so successful, as evidenced by his 26 power play points. When he is on the ice, good things have happened in 5-on-5. He is an elite winger. And at a contract he is arguably earning, if not out-performing by a bit. The no movement clause means Bratt has full control. Nevertheless, 31 teams would jump at the chance to offer a ton if Bratt was somehow made available. Only one Devil could garner more.

#1 The Big Deal, Jack Hughes - Cap Hit: $8 million, 2024-25 Salary: $8.5 million

Of course it is The Big Deal. It has to be. Jack Hughes is the Devils’ best player this season. The Devils’ on-ice rates when he takes a shift in 5-on-5 are fantastic. Hughes is a top ten scorer in this league. He leads this team in shots with 220. He leads this team in power play points with 27. If the Devils need a lift, the usual answer from the coaching staff has been to put #86 out there. The Big Deal is even a star in this league, capturing the passions of the current and next generations of fans and players. What puts him over the top on this list is his contract. His contract is an absolute bargain for a definitive first line talent for any team in the NHL. Hughes is providing $12 million worth of hockey for $4 million less. You cannot do much better than that. The Big Deal, once again, leads this list.

Your Take​

I hope you appreciated my perceived trade value rankings of 24 New Jersey Devils players who have played at least five games with the team in the 2024-25 season. Again and as always, I could be wrong in how I perceive their value and/or their ranking. That is why I want to know your take on these rankings.

How would you rank the Devils by trade value? Who did I overrate or underrate in this list? Do you agree that The Big Deal, Jack Hughes, has the most trade value? Does Mercer have more value with his lighter contract and actual youth compared to the others in his tier? Do you agree with the make up of the middle tier of Palat, Allen, Noesen, Siegenthaler, and Kovacevic? What about the bottom end, does that make sense - even with Erik Haula? Could anyone on this list improve their trade value before March 7? And who could make it worse? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about the trade value of the current Devils players on the team in the comments. Thank you for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...alat-mid-mercer-high-haula-low-tom-fitzgerald

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Game #61 Preview: New Jersey Devils at Utah Hockey Club

Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt on the ice during a game against the Utah Hockey Club. | Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images

After an ugly loss to the Avalanche, the Devils continue west to face off against the Utah Hockey Club. Let’s take a look at the matchup in this preview.

The Essentials

Matchup: New Jersey Devils at Utah Hockey Club

Date: March 1st, 2025

Time: 9:00 PM ET

Broadcast: MSGSN, Utah16

Listen: Devils Hockey Network

The Last Devils Game: On Wednesday, the Devils fell to the Colorado Avalanche by a final score of 5-1. New Jersey kept it close through two periods, allowing Artturi Lehkonen to score one goal. The third period was a different story. Colorado’s power play and Nathan MacKinnon kicked the team into gear, scoring two goals. The Avalanche never looked back. The Devils surrendered a pair of goals at even strength to Casey Mittelstadt and Logan O’Connor to cap off a very rough final period. New Jersey failed to match the compete level of the Avalanche and could only hang on while playing mediocre hockey for so long. Jackson correctly described it as a listless effort by the Devils. If you missed the game, check out Jackson’s recap.

Utah’s Last Game: On Thursday, Utah whooped the Minnesota Wild 6-1. Clayton Keller recorded a goal and four assists. Those five points are a career-high for Keller. Nick Schmaltz tallied a goal and two assists. Barrett Hayton scored a goal and added a helper. Karel Vejmelka only had to make 16 saves for Utah in the victory. Utah’s power play was effective, converting on two of their four opportunities. If you’d like to read more about the Hockey Club’s win on Thursday, check out NHL.com’s Gamecenter page.

The Last Devils - Hockey Club Game: On October 14th, the Devils shut out Utah 3-0. Jake Allen stopped all 20 shots that he faced. Seamus Casey scored his third goal of the season on the power play. Nico Hischier added another power-play goal later in the game. Stefan Noesen added a goal, and New Jersey killed all four of their penalties. The victory was a piece of the Devils’ hot start to the season, winning four of the first five games. If you missed this game, check out John’s recap.

Recent Momentum: Utah (27-24-9) has been hot lately, winning four of their previous five games and six of the last eight. The Devils (32-22-6) have been a .500 club, winning four of their previous eight games.

Lineups

Utah Hockey Club

On Thursday, Utah played the following lines and pairings.

Forwards

Clayton Keller - Logan Cooley - Nick Schmaltz

Alex Kerfoot - Barrett Hayton - Dylan Guenther

Lawson Crouse - Jack McBain - Josh Doan

Liam O’Brien - Kevin Stenlund - Nick Bjugstad

Defensemen

Mikhail Sergachev - John Marino

Olli Maatta - Sean Durzi

Ian Cole - Michael Kesserling

Goalies

Karel Vejmelka / Connor Ingram.

Karel Vejmelka has started Utah’s last three games, so the Devils may face Connor Ingram.

New Jersey Devils

Lots of changes for the #NJDevils at practice for their lineup. Dowling a placeholder for Hughes.

Palat – (Dowling) – Bratt
Meier – Hischier – Mercer
Cotter – Haula – Noesen
Tatar – Lazar – Bastian

Hughes – Hamilton
Dillon – Nemec
Pesce – Kovacevic
(MacDermid) – Casey

— Sam Kasan (@samikasan) February 28, 2025​

The adjusted defensive pairings, if implemented, are interesting. I expect Jake Allen to be the starting goalie.

What to Watch For

What Has Utah Been Doing Right

Utah has won six of eight, including three straight victories, so they must be doing something right. According to Natural Stat Trick, since February 3rd (and before Friday’s games), Utah leads the NHL in Corsi for (CF), shots (SF), expected goals (xGF), scoring chances (SCF), percentage of total scoring chances (SCF%), and high danger scoring chances (HDCF). They have recorded those statistics against some good teams, including Minnesota, Vancouver, and Washington, who would be in the playoffs if the season ended today (again, before the completion of Friday’s games). Utah has scored three or more goals in six of the last eight games. New Jersey will be facing a confident club that has been shooting and creating scoring chances at an elite level.

Who Has Been Hot?

Over the last eight games, right winger Clayton Keller has had the hot stick for Utah in terms of points. A five-point game on Thursday certainly didn’t hurt. Over the last eight games, Keller has recorded 13 points (four goals and nine assists). He leads the team in points by a wide margin, with 69 total points this season. The runners-up in points are Nick Schmaltz and Logan Cooley, who have accrued 47. Dylan Guenther has scored six goals over the last eight games, leading the team during that span. Guenther has recorded ten points since February 3rd. He has tallied 22 goals and 22 assists this season. Keep an eye on who the Devils line up against Utah’s top two forwards.

Goaltender Karel Vejmelka has held opponents to one goal in each of the last three games. According to Natural Stat Trick, Vejmelka has posted a .910 save percentage, allowing under 2.5 goals per game on average (versus all strengths). Utah’s goaltender has saved 8.33 goals above expected (GSAA). Like the rest of the team, Vejmelka has been hot, but let’s see if the Devils can put some pucks past him like they did in October.

The Effort It Takes to Score

This take is not based on any statistic but is more of a feeling while watching the Devils’ recent play. Someone in the comments section mentioned watching the Capitals play a recent game and how easy it was for them to score compared to the Devils. That comment resonated with me. The Caps have an easier time scoring than some because their shooting percentage is the best in the NHL at 13.18 percent per Natural Stat Trick (as of Friday afternoon). With the exception of a couple of recent games, it seems to take a monumental effort for the Devils to score. In his recap of Wednesday’s game, Jackson discussed Jack Hughes’ failed breakaway attempt against Colorado, which is a good example. A chance like that for another team like Washington is almost an automatic goal, but not for the Devils right now. They’ve scored against bad teams like Nashville, Montreal, and Philly, but it would be nice to see the finishing improve against good teams and in general.

Your Thoughts

Will the Devils loosen the grip on those sticks and score some goals tonight? Every team is dangerous, but is Utah as dangerous as they have been over the last eight games? Post your thoughts in the comments section below. Thank you for reading, and GO DEVILS!!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2025/3/1/24375223/new-jersey-devils-at-utah-hockey-club

 

[New Jersey Devils]

2024-25 Gamethread #61: New Jersey Devils at Utah Hockey Club

Keller will be at home for this one. | Photo by Michael Mooney/NHLI via Getty Images

March begins with a weekend back-to-back for the New Jersey Devils. They will begin it in Salt Lake City to play the Utah Hockey Club. Discuss what happens in the game as it happens here.

The last full month of the season begins with a back-to-back weekend for the New Jersey Devils. This one will be their first time ever in Salt Lake City.

The Time: 9:00 PM ET

The Broadcast: TV: MSGSN, Utah16; Audio: Devils Hockey Radio

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils at the Utah Hockey Club

The Song of the Evening: Let us continue with Spiritbox. Another strong song from the upcoming Tsunami Sea album is “Perfect Soul,” which came out as a single back in November.

The Rules: The rules remain the same as the Devils are in Utah for the first time. Please keep your language clean (this means no swearing, don’t mask it, it’s not enough, no I don’t care what Tom Fitzgerald said), respect your fellow Devils fan with no personal attacks (play nice or you will not play here), no illegal streams (this means no asking, no hints, no nothing about it), and please keep your comments relevant to this game. Go Devils!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...ghes-bratt-hischier-keller-sergachev-vejmelka

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Weekly Metropolitan Division Snapshot: 3/2/2025 - 3/8/2025

The Capitals are still on top | Photo by Sophia Price/NHLI via Getty Images

The return of the weekly Metropolitan Division snapshot - call it the eighteenth - shows Columbus Blue Jackets getting hot, the Washington Capitals dropping three straight, and adds in the Atlantic for a wild card watch. All this and more for all eight teams in the division.

Welcome to March and the return of the Metropolitan Division Snapshot for the 2024-25 season. The 4 Nations Face-Off is in the past. The NHL resumed its season on a high last weekend. Expect more drama as the NHL Trade Deadline is next Friday. What was not expected was the Columbus Blue Jackets getting hot. They swept their week to help their cause tremendously. It was also not expected for the Philadelphia Flyers to be the only other team in the division to win their week. Even the Washington Capitals are on a three-game slide - not that their hold on first place is anywhere close to slipping.

Standings via NHL.com, Playoff odds via Moneypuck, First overall draft pick odds via Tankathon
Metropolitan Division Standings as of the morning of March 02, 2025 with Wild Card Watch

With the season now resuming, I have added in two old favorites to the snapshot. From Moneypuck, playoff odds. Their model does consider how a team plays in a 5-on-5 so that does factor into their odds. From Tankathon, #1 draft lottery odds. The favorite for the 2025 NHL Draft is now Matthew Schaefer as opposed to James Hagens. Either way, whoever wins the draft lottery is going to get a prime prospect. For a few teams in the division, that percentage is more important than the playoff odds. They will be a part of these snapshots until the end of the season. If you see 0%, it means they are in the lottery but can’t win first overall due to the lottery rules.

I have also added in the wild card watch. The final two playoff spots go to the two remaining best teams in the East that are not in the top three spots in their division. This means the Atlantic Division matters and plenty of teams in the Metropolitan will have to pay attention to how they will do. I will be using a five-point cut off from the last playoff spot to decide which teams to include for the wildcard. For now, that is everyone outside of the top three in the Atlantic not named the Buffalo Sabres. This will change over time.

Likewise, I have italicized all games against the wild card watch teams as those games carry value for the wild card race in the East. As ever, the schedule for all eight teams will continue to have games within the Metropolitan highlighted and in bold. Like so:

Schedules via NHL.com
Metropolitan Division Schedule for March 2, 2025 through March 8, 2025 with Wild Card Watch teams

Here is the week that was and week that will be for all eight teams.

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Washington Capitals​

Saturday at Pittsburgh - Washington returned to their season in Pennsylvania. They pulverized the Pens. The first period was even as an Ethen Frank tip in goal was matched by Kris Letang punishing a Jakob Chychrun penalty. The second period, hoo boy. The first ten minutes were even as well. Martin Fehervary broke the tie early only for Sidney Crosby to make it 2-2 minutes later. It all fell apart after Chychrun broke the tie just after the halfway mark. Washington made it rain goals. Chychrun scored again. Aliaksei Protas scored on the shift after that. Tom Wilson tipped in a late shot from Fehervary to make it 6-2. The blowout continued in the third. Dylan Strome scored a PPG. Danton Heinan stashed in a goal to end Washington’s run of goals at 5. No matter. Brandon Duhaime made it an 8-3 game with minutes left. A huge win for the conference leaders.

Sunday vs. Edmonton - The Caps returned to DC to host the Oilers. They continued scoring goals to bury their opponent. At first, it seemed to look good for Edmonton as they held onto a 1-0 lead thanks to Leon Draisaitl. Then the Caps made it 2-1 within the final 3 minutes of the first period thanks to Wilson and Chychrun. Washington took the game further in the second period. Alex Ovechkin scored a brace and Connor McMichael made it 5-1 by the second intermission. In the third, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored an early consolation goal answered later by Dylan Strome. Jeff Skinner scored on a wraparound and Edmonton decided to pull their goalie down 3. It led to Ovechkin getting his hat trick with an empty netter. The Caps scored 15 goals for the weekend with a 7-3 win over the Oilers.

Tuesday vs. Calgary - Washington took on the Flames and were cooled off. Yes, their offensive production dropped off. Dan Vladar had himself a night in D.C. It helped that he had early goal support. Martin Pospisil and Matt Coronato scored in the first period to put the Caps down two. The score held until the third. Washington had a chance to come back when Ovechkin put home a PPG to punish a Jonathan Huberdeau slash on Ovechkin. Alas, about 9 minutes later, Huberdeau scored an insurance goal. Vladar would not be beaten again. Washington lost 3-1 to the Flames.

Thursday vs. St. Louis - Washington resumed their homestand against the Blues on Thursday. If you do not like shots on net, then this game was for you. Neither St. Louis or Washington reached 20 shots on net. Not that the Blues needed more as they put them in. Philip Broberg opened the scoring past halfway through the first period. Pierre-Luc Dubois would tied it up with just under five minutes left, but Broberg restored the lead for the visitors before the first intermission. In the second period, Connor McMichael tied it up within the final five minutes. All good? Nope. Less than a minute later, Dylan Holloway tipped in a Ryan Suter shot to make it 3-2 for the Blues. On the shift after that, Colton Parayko found the back of the net for 4-2. The Caps were stunned and did not have much of a response. A Jake Neighbours empty netter secured a 5-2 defeat for the Capitals.

Saturday vs. Tampa Bay - The Washington Capitals continued their stay at home and continued a run where they just are not going to shoot many pucks. Seriously, only 21 at home? At least they allowed only 19 to the Lightning. The problem was that, once again, the opponent did not need the shots. Late in the first period, Tom Wilson tripped up Nikita Kucherov. This was punished by Mitchell Chaffee for the Caps to go down a score. In the first half of the second period, Tampa Bay made it a two-goal deficit thanks to Gage Concalves. Late in the second period, the Caps had hope. Alexander Ovechkin scored a goal. His march towards a record continues and the Washington Capitals were down just a shot. They proceeded to get 8 on net in the third period. None went in. Brandon Hagel ended it with an empty netter. A 3-1 loss meant the the Capitals have lost three straight. Yes, they are on a losing streak.

What’s Coming Up in This Week: The Caps have three games to play on Deadline Week. All three will impact the wild card picture. They will host Ottawa on Monday, visit Manhattan to play the New York Rangers on Wednesday, and then host Detroit on Friday. The Capitals’ position is set. They can just keep on keeping on at the expense of the teams competing to play them in the first round. Just end the losing streak before it gets too out of control.

Carolina Hurricanes​

Saturday at Toronto - The Carolina Hurricanes resumed their season in Toronto on Saturday night. The Canes were whacked in the first period. The Maple Leafs needed just over 15 minutes to run up the score to 4-0. Alex Steeves, an own goal credited to Pontus Holmberg, David Kampf, and John Tavares all struck against Carolina. Not even Toronto’s big names (aside from Tavares). The Canes were seemingly done. Until the final 10 minutes of the game. With over seven minutes left, Shayne Gostisbehere tipped in a shot to make it 4-1. With over five minutes left, Andrei Svechnikov put home a clapper to make it 4-2. On the next shift, Jaccob Slavin made it a 4-3 game. Oh my goodness did they come back? No. Auston Matthews secured an empty net goal. Holmberg added a second. The Canes resumed their struggles in February with a 6-3 loss.

Tuesday at Montreal - The Canes went East to visit Quebec’s only team: Montreal. This went badly. The game itself had 38 shots on net combined for both teams. The high-volume shooting Hurricanes were kept to just 20 shots. Sam Montembault made sure none of them went in. The Canadiens would score four out of their 18 shots. Juraj Slafkovsky and Patrik Laine scored on tip ins in the first period. Nick Suzuki punished a Mikko Rantanen cross checking penalty in the second. Lane Hutson punished a Jalen Chatfield holding penalty in the third. The Hurricanes were blanked in a 4-0 loss to Montreal.

Thursday vs. Buffalo - Surely the Hurricanes would bounce back at home against Buffalo. Surely with their Hartford Whaler throwbacks. They would do so on the strength of their first period. Jordan Staal opened the scoring with a re-direction of a Jordan Martinook shot. Sebastian Aho scored close to two minutes after that. Zach Benson took a tripping call and Mikko Rantanen - yes, remember him? - scored to convert the power play. It was 3-0 for Carolina before ten minutes into the game. Buffalo would get on the board late in the first thanks to Alex Tuch, punishing a too many men on the ice call on the Canes. The Canes pulled away further in the second period with a goal from Taylor Hall. Buffalo did pull within two early in the third thanks to John Jason Peterka, but there would be no comeback. Seth Jarvis ended it with a late goal for a 5-2 win. A needed result.

Saturday vs. Edmonton - With a chance to split the week, the Hurricanes came up short. It was not for a lack of trying. Calvin Pickard just had a night to shine for Edmonton. The Canes went down first. During a power play, Mattias Janmark went up ice and fired a shot. Frederik Andersen made the stop only for the rebound to bounce off Adam Henrique and go in. That was unfortunate. It got worse in the second. Corey Perry made it a 2-0 game late in the second period. The Canes needed something to get past Pickard. Which they got early in the third. Sebastian Aho one-touched in a Mikko Rantanen shot-pass to punish a John Klingberg penalty and make it 2-1. But Pickard was on top of his game. The Hurricanes were frustrated all the way such that Rantanen hit Pickard. During the penalty kill, Evan Bouchard scored a last-second empty net goal for a 3-1 defeat of Carolina. The Canes went 1-3-0 and second place is absolutely up for grabs as a result.

What’s Coming Up in This Week: Carolina will wrap up this weekend with a home game against Calgary. They will also have impact on the wild card race. Carolina visits Detroit on Tuesday and hosts Boston on Thursday. The Canes will be off until the following Sunday, so they have time to rest and trade. They need to get it together. They could end up in third place at this rate. Or, worse, fourth.

New Jersey Devils​

Saturday vs Dallas - The Devils hosted Dallas on Saturday. Their final home game until the NHL Trade Deadline day of March 7. New Jersey started the game fine. Until the team forgot about Evgeny Dadanov, who buried a shot pass to open the scoring in the first. Later, Brenden Dillon decided to punch a separated Lian Bischel in open ice. He took an unsportsmanlike conduct call for that and Thomas Harley punished it for a 2-0 deficit. This held due to Casey DeSmith playing well. Then, in the third, Jack Hughes buried a one timer for a power play goal to make it 2-1. The Devils responded with a sleepy shift that Matt Duchene scored on for 3-1. Then Hughes made it 3-2 with another banger of a one timer. The Devils tried to push for an equalizer. But one would not come. An empty netter would seal a 4-2 loss at home.

Sunday at Nashville - Nico Daws took to the net for the Devils and he was awesome. Nashville took loads of shots (84 attempts!!) and some of them were even on target. Daws got them all. He goalied the Devils. All while the Devils pulled away on the scoreboard. Luke Hughes set up Ondrej Palat for the game’s first goal. Dougie Hamilton scored on a perfect shot from the outside of the left circle for 2-0. Seamus Casey put in a long wrister off a post and in for 3-0. In the third, Stefan Noesen hammered in a one timer for a PPG for a 4-0 score. Then Tomas Tatar scored with a shot that went off a skate. Daws kept the shutout and the Devils won big, 5-0.

Wednesday at Colorado - The Devils began their game in Colorado getting rushed down and rolled over. It took a counter-attack for Artturi Lehkonen to beat Jake Allen in front for an early deficit. Allen and Dougie Hamilton combined to keep the score reachable. The Devils got their bearings in the second but did not get anything past Mackenzie Blackwood. The third period would be decisive. An early period slashing call on Luke Hughes was punished by Nathan MacKinnon to put the Devils down two. Minutes after that, Jack Hughes brought the Devils within a shot to tie it up. A shot that never came thanks to Ondrej Palat tripping Martin Necas. MacKinnon batted in a power play goal to put the Devils down 3-1. Minutes later, Casey Mittelstadt made it 4-1 and Logan O’Connor one-touched in a Parker Kelly shot for 5-1. Jake Allen took himself out as the Devils lost big, 5-1.

Saturday at Utah - The Devils needed to make things right in Salt Lake City after that loss to Colorado, knowing they have a tough one in Las Vegas the next night. They did so. Nico Daws was strong in the net all night long. The Devils went up first when Luke Hughes fired a shot and Nico Hischier put home the rebound. The second period saw the Devils struggle to extend the lead. Then Curtis Lazar threw a hit on Liam O’Brien, Nathan Bastian lost a puck battle, and the puck stayed in for O’Brien to set up Mikhail Sergachev for a one-timer equalizer. But the Devils roared back in the third. After weeks of not scoring, Timo Meier rocketed a shot past Karel Vejmelka for a 2-1 lead early in the third. Later on, a mishandle by Jack Hughes went right to Lazar, whom fired a shot on net. And it went in for 3-1. The Devils held on to prevail and split their week at 2-2-0.

What’s Coming Up in This Week: The Devils will finish up their weekend Las Vegas tonight. They will end their 5 game road trip in Dallas on Tuesday. Then the Devils return on Deadline Day to host Winnipeg. This is a very difficult week given all three opponents are very good. Results this week can only help the Devils’ cause. They have been given the gift of Carolina sliding along so they can do more than just worry about holding onto third. Second place is possible with a good week. Although, they would probably want the team behind them to cool off.

Columbus Blue Jackets​

Saturday vs. Chicago. Columbus returned to their season at home against Chicago. It went well for the Blue Jackets. Kent Johnson opened the scoring in the first period. He doubled Columbus’ lead early in the second too; he converted a power play from a late first period penalty on Nick Foligno. Chicago made it a one shot game a bit later when Craig Smith tipped in an Alex Vlasic shot for a PPG. No worries for Columbus. Denton Mateychuk scored later in the second to make it 3-1. The Blue Jackets pulled away in the third. Zach Werenski scored one on one to make it 4-1. Adam Fantilli scored shortly thereafter. Columbus won decisively, 5-1.

Tuesday vs. Dallas - The Blue Jackets had a tougher task when they hosted Dallas on Tuesday. They rose to the challenge. It helped that they had a 2-0 lead within the first five minutes. Kirill Marchenko scored 30 seconds into the game. Mathieu Olivier made it 2-0 on a tip in of a Damon Severson shot. Dallas would not be far behind though. Jamie Benn scored minutes later to make it 2-1. In the second period, Marchenko scored early for a 3-1 lead. And Ivan Provorov scored for 4-1. Roope Hintz made it 4-2 shortly after Provorov’s goal. Jason Robertson made it a one-shot game again later in the second. Columbus got some relief in the third when James van Reimsdyk one-touched a puck from Sean Kuraly. This held up until the final 3 minutes. Mavrik Bourque made it 5-4 with over 2 minutes left. The pressure returned. It was eased in the final minute with an empty netter by Fantilli. The Blue Jackets held off Dallas for a 6-4 win.

Thursday at Detroit - This game would be a warmup for the big one at the Horseshoe on Saturday. It also had implications for the wild card. It took a period but the game’s score blew up in the second period. Alex DeBrincat struck for Detroit 27 seconds into the period. James van Riemsdyk tipped in an equalizer close to four minutes later. Before the halfway mark, Sean Kuraly batted in a puck for a 2-1 Columbus lead. Kent Johnson added a tip-in goal minutes later for 3-1. Van Reimsdyk made it a brace and a 4-1 lead with just under five minutes left. Detroit would get a power play thanks to a Damon Severson hooking call afterwards. It was quickly punished by J.T. Compher. Still, the Blue Jackets were up 4-2 and just needed to maintain in the third. Which they did as Kirill Marchenko sealed up a 5-2 win. It was a third straight win and a big warmup ahead of their Stadium Series game.

Saturday Stadium Series Game vs Detroit - Say what you want about the promotion for this game, but it was the second largest attendance for a NHL regular season game ever at the Horseshoe. It was also a massive night for Elvis Merzlikins as he faced a whopping 46 shots on net. Columbus forgot the defense at Nationwide. Of course, the Red Wings were chasing the game. After a scoreless first period, Denton Mateychuk opened the scoring in the second period. Alex DeBrincat tied it up to punish a Dante Fabbro interference call. Late in the second, Mortiz Seider tripped Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov punished that. Right on the next shift, Mathieu Olivier put in a backhander for a 3-1 lead. Detroit threw everything at the Jackets in the third to catch up. Patrick Kane put them within a goal early in the third. With over three minutes later, they got their equalizer thanks to Alex DeBrincat. But Columbus would have a hero emerge: Justin Danforth. Yes, the Justin Danforth. He scored over a minute late to make it 4-3. Detroit was stunned. They pulled their goalie. But the Jackets would get the empty netter with over a minute left thanks to Adam Fantilli. The Blue Jackets won at the Horseshoe 5-3. They went 2-0 against a Detroit team competing with them for the same wild card berths. They went 4-0-0 in the week after the 4 Nations Face-Off. They are hot and they are probably looking even higher than just WC #1. Look out, Devils and Hurricanes.

What’s Coming Up in This Week: It will be a short week for the Blue Jackets. They have two games coming up, both on the road and in the Sunshine State. On Tuesday, they will be in Tampa Bay. On Thursday, they will be in Sunrise to play Florida. Two tough games. At least they’ll be rested to a point for each. They need to get those points to keep the pressure up on New Jersey and Carolina - as well as to keep ahead of Detroit, Ottawa, Boston, Montreal, and the fifth place team in the division.

New York Rangers​

Saturday at Buffalo - The New York Rangers resumed to their season in Upstate NY. They needed a harder reset. The Rangers were blown out by the Sabres. The first period alone was a rout. Jack Quinn scored 106 seconds into the game. Then, close to the 12 minute mark, the Sabres ran up 4 goals: A tip in for Rasmus Dahlin, a backhander from Tage Thompson, a tip in by Ryan McLeod, and Dahlin converted a Sam Carrick-caused power play. The Rangers were cooked at 5-0. They would get on the board in the second period. Chris Kreider punished a Beck Malenstyn tripping penalty. Later in the second, Mika Zibanejad batted in a puck from Adam Fox for 5-2. Both were consolation goals. That was ensured with Buffalo scoring more in the third period. Thompson, McLeod, and a last-minute one from Henri Jokiharju ended it at 8-2. 8-2! To Buffalo! Brutal!

Sunday at Pittsburgh- The Rangers needed to make things better in their next game. They did so at the expense of Pittsburgh. A tip in goal by Evgeni Malkin halfway through the first was answered with a late period PPG by Will Cuylle for a 1-1 score at intermission. Late in the second, J.T. Miller put the Rangers up a goal. However, the Pens hit back in the third period. Ryan Shea tied it up 57 seconds in and he made it 3-2 for the Pens 3:31 in. The Rangers would recover. Jimmy Vesey scored shortly after to tie it up. Adam Fox broke the tie past the halfway mark. Miller sealed up the 5-3 win with an empty net goal. A much needed win for the Rangers. If only to remove some of the bitterness from the 8-2 loss to Buffalo.

Tuesday at New York Islanders - The Rangers visited their hated rivals in the Islanders on Tuesday. The Rangers piled it on and never looked back. Urho Vaakanainen opened the scoring for the Rangers. Alexander Romanov tied it up, but Jonny Brodzinkski scored twice to put the Rangers up 3-1 by the first intermission. Miller added a fourth goal in the second. Matt Rempe tipped in a fifth. The Rangers could cruise to a win and they did so. A 5-1 win over a hated rival is always a good thing. The only downside was that Adam Fox picked up a significant enough upper body injury to go on injured reserve. Given that Fox is the Rangers’ best defenseman, this is a significant issue.

Friday vs. Toronto - The Rangers returned to MSG to host Toronto. The Rangers did their best to pin back the Maple Leafs. They even out-shot them 14-4 in the first period. Only that one of those four shots was a PPG by Oliver Ekman-Larsson within the first two minutes. The Rangers would tie it up later on in the first when Mika Zibanejad tipped in a Will Borgen shot to tie it up. But Toronto struck again in a more even shooting (9-7) period. William Nylander poked a shot within the first minute to make it 2-1. The Rangers rose up in the third to tie it up early on. While killing a Sam Carrick penalty, Will Cuylle rushed up to put in a shorthanded goal to make it 2-2. But while the Rangers outshot Toronto 12-6, one of those six did go in after the Cuylle equalizer. Matthew Knies finished a pass in front by Auston Matthews. That put New York down 3-2 and they would not recover. The Rangers lost and split their week. They remain behind plenty of teams in the wild card race.

What’s Coming Up in This Week: The Rangers will get to play four games in seven nights. At least three are at home. The Blueshirts will host Nashville on Sunday and the Islanders on Monday. Favorable matchups given the state of the Predators’ season and what happened against the Isles last week. On Wednesday, the Rangers will get a tougher matchup against Washington. Their week will end on Saturday afternoon in Ottawa - a big game for the wildcard.

Philadelphia Flyers​

Saturday vs. Edmonton - The Philadelphia Flyers came back from the break to host Edmonton. They would surprise more than a few with the result. The Flyers did strike first with a Matvei Michkov goal. The Oilers responded with a quick double; a goal each from John Klingberg (his first with the Oilers) and Leon Draisaitl. The 2-1 score held until the Flyers pulled away in the second period. Owen Tippett, who returned to action in this game, put home a backhander to make it 2-2 early in the second. Sean Couturier put Philly up a goal later on. Mattias Ekholm would make it 3-3 for Edmonton over a minute later. That held until Tippett scored his second of the night over 12 minutes. Klingberg high-sticked Andrei Kuzmenko after that and Kuzmenko punished the penalty with a power play goal for a 5-3 lead. The Flyers were able to hold on to that until the final minutes. Rasmus Ristolainen added an empty netter to secure a 6-3 win over one of the contending teams out of the Western Conference.

Tuesday vs. Pittsburgh - The Pennsylvania Rivalry resumed and this one was pretty much all Flyers. Philly went up early and never looked back in this blowout. They came out strong. They got first period goals from Ristolainen and Noah Cates. While Philip Tomasino made it a 2-1 game early in the second, the Flyers responded in a big way after the halfway mark. Tyson Foerster, Cates, and Bobby Brink each scored to put the Flyers up 5-1 by the second intermission. The Penguins were stunned and, more importantly, defeated. The Flyers added a sixth goal from Tippett to put an exclamation mark on the night. A massive 6-1 win over a rival opponent. Surely, the home fans loved this one.

Thursday at Pittsburgh - The rivalry would continue for a game in Pittsburgh. It seemed like the Flyers would pick up where they left off. Cates scored early. The Flyers went up 3-0 with second period goals from Tippett and Michkov. However, Alex Nedeljkovic was yanked and Joel Blomqvist came in. This seemingly sparked the Penguins to do something different - and they did. Within a minute (specifically, the ninth one of the second period), Tomasino and Erik Karlsson made it a 3-2 game. The Flyers would pull ahead with a PPG by Michkov to punish a Bokondji Imama interference call on Garnet Hathaway. However, Karlsson would put the Penguins within one late in the second. Worse, Evgeni Malkin tied up the game early in the third. Despite the Flyers peppering Blomqvist with pucks and keeping the Pens to just four shots in the third, the lead would not be restored. Overtime was needed. There, the Flyers got caught. Somehow, they were in a 2-on-1 situation against Letang and Malkin while the Pens were changing. Malkin got the pass, waited for Jamie Drysdale to slide past him, and beat Ersson straight up for the game. The Flyers blew the lead and the second point to the Penguins in a 5-4 overtime loss. Not at all what they needed if they wanted to break from the Pens in the standings.

Saturday at Winnipeg - The Flyers went into a tough place - Manitoba - and prevailed. They kept the Jets to one goal in regulation: a Mark Scheifele halfway through the first period. The Flyers would tie it up early in the second period thanks to Jamie Drysdale. The goalies, Ivan Fedotov and Connor Hellebuyck, dominated the majority of the game. The game not only needed overtime, it needed a shootout for either goalie to be beaten a second time. There, Fedotov was perfect. Hellebuyck was beaten by Matvei Michkov. The Flyers won 2-1 in a shootout. Enough to put them up to sixth place and win the week at 3-0-1. It may be too late for them but a win in Winnipeg is a big plus.

What’s Coming Up in This Week: Philly begins a seven game homestead this week. They will be hosting Calgary, Winnipeg, and Seattle on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday afternoon respectively. It may be too late to contend, but they have two games to showcase some players before Friday’s deadline.

New York Islanders​

Sunday vs. Dallas - The Islanders had the benefit of being off on Saturday and having to host a Dallas team that played (and won) in Newark the night before. They did not take advantage. In fact, they went down a goal early by conceding one to Sam Steel 2:10 into the game. Pierre Engvall would tie it up early in the second period. Then it became the Jason Robertson show. Robertson would put the Stars back up a goal. Kyle Palmieri would tie it up on the shift after that one. Then Casey Cizikas took a match penalty against Lian Bischel and that led to an extended power play. One that Robertson scored twice in. He put up a second period hat trick to ultimately put the Stars up 4-2. The Isles would make an effort to come back. Anthony Duclair scored with over ten minutes left in regulation in the third period to make it a one-shot game. But that one shot would not get past Jake Oettinger. The Isles fell short, 4-3.

Tuesday vs. New York Rangers - The Islanders came out flat and got flattened by the one team the Islanders fans would never want to see them flatten their favorites: the New York Rangers. The first period saw Urho Vaakanainen open the scoring, Alexander Romanov tie it up, and then a double from Jonny Brodzinski. The Isles were down 3-1 to two of the least likely scorers on the Rangers. In the second period, one of the more likely scorers in J.T. Miller put the Isles down further at 4-1. Matt Rempe would add a tip-in goal of a Brodzinski shot to make it 5-1 late in the second. The Isles had no answer and their hated rivals cruised to a win at their expense. Add in the fact that both teams are fighting for the same playoff spot and it makes the 5-1 loss sting even more. Brutal.

Thursday at Boston - The Islanders needed something positive in this wild-card match up game. They would get it thanks in large part to Ilya Sorokin. The B’s owned the run of play by out-shooting the Islanders 39-20. Sorokin stopped almost all of those 39 shots. Even better, the Isles gave him a lead to work with. Alexander Romanov opened the scoring with a late first period goal. Kyle Palmieri put the Isles up 2-0 early in the second. Drama would ensue within the final ten minutes. David Pastrnak made it a 2-1 game with just under ten minutes left in regulation. But Sorokin was up to the task and the Isles held on for a tight regulation 2-1 win.

Saturday vs Nashville - The Islanders put the Preds to the sword and never stopped slashing. The first period saw the Isles go up 3-0. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored early. Kyle Palmieri put in a power play goal past midway. Bo Horvat added another with 29 seconds left in the first. Nashville would get on the board early in the second with Colton Sissons. Only for Brock Nelson to take the game back with a shorthanded goal. After the penalty was killed, Marc Del Gaizo scored for Nashville to make it 4-2. It took longer but Nelson made it a three-goal game again late in the second. It was all for consolation at this point. Casey Cizikas ensured that with a goal early in the third. Cole Smith did score a brace. Enough to make Nashville pull their goalie late. Only for Ilya Sorokin to stop a shot, Steven Stamkos take the long rebound, and miss a pass to his defenseman. All the way for the puck to go in the net. Yes, Sorokin got credit for the goal. Just like Billy Smith did all those years ago. The Islanders won 7-4 to split their week. They fell to seventh and their odds remain on the lower end for making it. Of course, if there is one team that just does not go away easily, then it is the Islanders.

What’s Coming Up in This Week: The Isles will have a back to back set before embarking on a California road trip after the trade deadline. The Islanders will visit MSG to play the Rangers on Monday. They surely would want some revenge for last Tuesday’s loss. The Isles will have a tougher game on Tuesday. They will host Winnipeg, one of the league’s best. The California trip starts on Saturday in San Jose. They need to make this week work out in their favor. Easier said than done.

Pittsburgh Penguins​

Saturday vs. Washington - The Penguins resumed their season against the Capitals. It went badly. Not at first. Ethen Frank opened the scoring and Kris Letang tied it up late in the first period with a power play goal. All good. Then the Capitals went on a run that sank the Penguins on this night. Martin Fehervary put the Pens down a goal. Sidney Crosby responded with a backhander. Then the Penguins conceded four straight in the second period: two to Jakob Chychrun, one to Aliaksei Protas, and one to Tom Wilson. It was technically five straight goals as Dylan Strome converted a power play within the final ten minutes of regulation. A Danton Heinen goal was pure consolation after that one. Even that was responded with a late Brandon Duhaime score. The Penguins were embarassed in an 8-3 loss. The pain would continue on.

Sunday vs. New York Rangers - The Penguins hosted the Rangers on Sunday in an important game for the wild card race. It was close for the majority of this 60 minute game. Evgeni Malkin even put the Penguins up first with a tip-in of a Cody Glass feed. Unfortunately, Kris Letang took a tripping penalty and Will Cuylle punished it late in the first to make it a 1-1 game. In the second period, the Penguins went down a score when J.T. Miller put home a puck late for a 2-1 deficit. One that would be answered quickly in the third. Ryan Shea scored twice within the first four minutes of the third to flip the score to a 3-2 lead. One that did not last long as Jimmy Vesey scored to tie it up less than a minute after Shea’s second goal. Adam Fox broke the deadlock with over eight minutes left and the Pens had no recourse. Miller secured a 5-3 loss for Pittsburgh with an empty net goal. More pain? More pain.

Tuesday at Philadelphia - Maybe a rivalry game would lift the spirits of the Penguins. If nothing else, beating a rival is always a positive. Problem: the Penguins were the ones to get beaten in this one. Badly. The first period featured 15 shots by Philly to Pittsburgh’s six and one goal each from Rasmus Ristolainen and Noah Cates. In the second period, Philip Tomasino made it a one-shot game. Then after the halfway mark of the second, the Flyers opened the flood gates. Tyson Foerster made it 3-1. Cates made it 4-1 with over a minute left. Bobby Brink made it 5-1 ten seconds later on a deflection. The Pens were cooked. Owen Tippett made it a touchdown with a wrister over six minutes into the third. The Penguins got waxed 6-1.

Thursday vs. Philadelphia - Revenge would be hoped for in this one for the Penguins. Even being competitive would be hoped for given how badly Tuesday’s game went. This one took some turns. At first, it seemed like the game would be a continuation of the beating on Tuesday. Noah Cates scored two minutes to put the Pens down early. Owen Tippett scored early in the second and Matvei Michkov scored later on to make it a 3-0 game. After the Michkov goal, Alex Nedeljkovic was pulled and Joel Blomqvist came in. Somehow, this sparked the Pens to try for a comeback. One made possible when Philip Tomasino beat Sam Ersson with a backhander and Erik Karlsson scored on a slapshot within a minute of each other. It was a 3-2 game. One that Philly pulled back to 4-2 when Michkov punished an interference call on Bokondji Imama. Yet, the Pens still clawed back another goal when Karlsson scored within the final minutes of the period. Early in the third, Evgeni Malkin scored to tie it up. Philly owned the shots at 14-4 in the third, but Blomqvist was perfect. Pittsburgh managed to drag the game to overtime. There, Letang and Malkin caught the Flyers in a 2-on-1 despite the Pens changing guys. Malkin waited out a defender to slide away and beat Ersson straight up for the overtime winner. A huge 5-4 win to at least make up for Tuesday’s embarrassment.

Saturday vs. Boston - The Penguins hosted Boston and they did not build on their win over the Flyers. The B’s went up early. David Pastrnak scored over a minute-and-a-half into the game. Mason Lohrei punished an Evgeni Malkin hooking call against him to make it 2-0. The Penguins had no answer until the third period. Even then it took until the 14 minute mark for Anthony Beauvillier to get the Pens on the board with a shorthanded goal. But the B’s would hold on. While killing a double-minor on Cole Koepke for high-sticking, Charlie Coyle put in an empty net goal. Which mattered as Rickard Rakell scored on that power play seconds after that. It made it close but still a loss at 3-2. A poor week for the Penguins that all but realistically knocked them out of the playoffs.

What’s Coming Up in This Week: The Penguins have two games before the deadline and one on the deadline itself. All three will be tough matchups. On Sunday afternoon, the Pens will host Toronto. On Tuesday, the Pens will make a trip to Denver to play the Avalanche. On Deadline Day, the Penguins will be in Las Vegas. It remains to be seen how many Penguins from today will still be Penguins by next week’s snapshot.

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That was the eighteenth Metropolitan Division snapshot of the season. The one before the break was the seventeenth and the check-in was a special edition. We are back on track with a wild card watch and everything. Now that you know what happened and what will happen next, it is now your turn. Are the Capitals finally cooling off? Who will prevail between the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils? Is this the season for the Columbus Blue Jackets? Can the Rangers spoil them? What do the Islanders, Flyers, and Penguins really have to play for? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about the week that was for all eight teams in the division and the week ahead for them. Thank you for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...ls-first-new-jersey-devils-third-columbus-hot

 

[New Jersey Devils]

2024-25 Gamethread #62: New Jersey Devils at Las Vegas Golden Knights

Jack Eichel will be at home as the Devils visit the G-Knights. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The New Jersey Devils finish their weekend back-to-back to start March in Nevada. They will visit the Las Vegas Golden Knights in a bid to be one of the few to leave Vegas with points. Talk about how they do here in this post, a gamethread.

The first weekend of the month, the first back-to-back in March for the New Jersey Devils, and the last Sunday before the trade deadline - it all will end in Las Vegas tonight.

The Time: 8:00 PM ET

The Broadcast: TV: MSGSN, SCRIPPS; Audio: Devils Hockey Radio

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils at the Las Vegas Golden Knights

The Song of the Evening: Let us continue with Spiritbox. The Fear of Fear EP was a standout for Spiritbox in 2023. With songs like “Jaded” it is easy to understand why.

The Rules: The rules remain the same as the Devils are in Las Vegas this evening. Please keep your language clean (this means no swearing, don’t mask it, it’s not enough, no I don’t care what Tom Fitzgerald said), respect your fellow Devils fan with no personal attacks (play nice or you will not play here), no illegal streams (this means no asking, no hints, no nothing about it), and please keep your comments relevant to this game. Go Devils!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...s-hughes-eichel-hill-hischier-bratt-dorofeyev

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Ejecting Sheldon Keefe Last Night Was a Disgraceful Move By Wes McCauley — And How the Devils Can Respond to Losing Jack Hughes

A top-15 player in the league’s arm is completely out of the socket because of a play that only resulted in the Devils being penalized. | Photo by Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images

When stars get injured on illegal plays that go uncalled, most referees know to let the coach let off some steam. Wes McCauley decided to use Sheldon Keefe’s justified anger to bury the team last night.

It’s not every day you see an NHL head coach kicked off the bench.

This is not baseball, where manager ejections are a weekly occurence. This is not basketball, where coaches get technical fouls for sneezing the wrong way. This is hockey, where officials have a constant dialogue with coaches and players. Does that dialogue reach levels that would seem odd by most professional standards? Sure, but this has long been the relationship between official, player, and coach in the league. Coaches and players are going to give it to officials, and most officials are content with giving it right back.

So, Wes McCauley’s decision to assign a bench minor and game misconduct to Sheldon Keefe in a two-goal game with 1:48 remaining in the third period — with the Devils already on the penalty kill — was odd in itself. This is not something that happens every day. The context, however, turns this situation from an odd footnote in the day-to-day happenings of the league to another instance of disgraceful displays by the Royal Referee, Wes McCauley. This is what Keefe had to say about Jack Hughes’ injury post-game:

Real hard, real hard to see him go down...no update, it’s going to have to be evaluated, obviously, didn’t look good, and we’re going to have to take our time to know the full extent of it, but, yeah, it’s tough. Tough to see it, you know, especially since it’s a similar play that he got called on earlier in the period and, um, all as he got injured on the play but there’s no call and then I get kicked off the bench for telling the referee it was 10 times worse than the one that was previously called on Jack. So, without swearing, I communicated it, but uh just kind of summarize how that third period went.

For reference, see the article image for context of why Keefe was so upset. But it gets worse, and for that — we need video.

Here, the Devils are down two goals while shorthanded, on a two-on-one with Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. Hischier’s shot rebounds perfectly to Hughes at 0:09 in the video, but Eichel’s foot and skate have already tied Hughes up at this point. Even without an injury, this is a clear-as-day tripping call. But it goes uncalled, and Brenden Dillon airmails his rebound shot, and the Devils remain down two. Then, as they blow the whistle to allow Jack Hughes to get attention from the training staff, they can now see that the trip was in such a dangerous position that it led to a severe injury for Jack Hughes.

And if you watch the video, Sheldon Keefe had not even finished speaking his mind before his ejection is being announced. NHL officials seem to outright have no respect for him, as coaches around the league get much more preferable treatment by comparison. Other teams also regularly see themselves get major power plays after officials discuss dangerous plays even when they go initially uncalled. That’s what happened to Stefan Noesen, when it took officials a whole minute of discussion to call an illegal check to the head penalty on him when Tage Thompson ducked his head into Noesen’s shoulder.

There’s nothing Jack Hughes can do on that play. He had a lane to the net. He got his feet completely taken out right in front of the official. The Devils stay down two as a result, and he is probably done for the regular season, based on how that arm looked. Can the Devils get a discussion going between officials and the linesmen to see if a penalty could be called, since play was only blown dead when Vegas touched the puck? No, but they can get their coach kicked out of the game with less than two minutes remaining, and they can have their penalty killers get knocked down to three people so they get blasted by point shots from the Vegas power play for another two minutes.

That is the relationship between Sheldon Keefe and NHL officials. And that’s not even touching the long-standing rumors between McCauley and Keefe. Losing (at least, as far as I can tell,) nine straight playoff games officiating by a certain official who you have a personal history with is certainly pretty interesting.

How the Devils May Respond to Losing Jack Hughes​

Personally, I was hoping that the New Jersey Devils could avoid adding a center at the Trade Deadline this year, instead using some combination of Dawson Mercer, Erik Haula, and Curtis Lazar in the bottom six. With the way NHL teams tend to price their centers mid-season, grabbing anyone worth adding to the roster would certainly necessitate something valuable going the other way.

I have little faith that Jack Hughes is going to play again in the regular season. Unless that injury just happened to look a thousand times worse than it was, the Devils will need to learn how to survive — but even a playoff appearance might not be a guarantee that Hughes or even Siegenthaler are back by the first round. That does mean that the Devils have about $11.4 million in LTIR space. They might actually have the means for a Golden Knights Playoff Run.

Is there appetite for that kind of spending, though? Is Tom Fitzgerald willing to sacrifice the draft capital or even some prospects to give his team a huge boost, starting this week? Are Josh Harris and David Blitzer alright with adding another several million to the payroll?

NHL EDGE

While I was previously not very interested in Ryan O’Reilly, I now think he can be the centerpiece for a “good” Trade Deadline. According to NHL EDGE’s tracking data, O’Reilly is still one of the best in the league at keeping the puck out of the defensive zone and in the offensive end. Without Jack pushing the puck up the ice, O’Reilly is a good enough center to give Jesper Bratt the ice he needs to work with, and he should chip in enough goals (currently on track for about 20) to work into the lineup.

With O’Reilly making $4.5 million, the Devils can then fit one or two more players if both of Hughes and Siegenthaler remain on LTIR for the regular season. The two wingers I want the Devils to pursue the most — Kyle Palmieri and Jared McCann — make $5 million each. I think it’s possible that by combining the Devils’ estimated $2.58 million in deadline cap space and current $5.127 million in LTIR pool, adding Hughes to LTIR would allow the Devils to add those three salaries (or similar numbers from different players) to the roster.

To me, though, it’s hard to be excited about where this season is going. Tom Fitzgerald might have some tricks up his sleeve to pique my interest, but a Jack injury just makes it feel like everything is about to spiral down. This team does not have the internal depth to survive a Jack Hughes injury unless playing with Timo Meier or Jesper Bratt turns Dawson Mercer into a 65-point center. Without reinforcements that can be expected to put up points, the Devils now literally need to turn to the trade market if they want to score enough goals to make the playoffs.

Your Thoughts​

What did you think of Keefe’s game misconduct last night? Why do you think Wes McCauley has such a penchant for ejecting coaches? What can the Devils do about missing Jack Hughes? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, and thanks for reading.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...ous-nhl-officiating-jack-hughes-injury-devils

 

[New Jersey Devils]

DitD & Open Post - 3/3/25: Jack is Hurt? Edition

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) makes his way off the ice after sustaining an apparent injury during a play against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

New Jersey Devils & Related Hockey Links for 3/3/25

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links​

In Sunday’s game against the Golden Knights, Jacob Markstrom returned to the lineup, Jack Hughes left with an injury, Sheldon Keefe got ejected and Vegas won 2-0. [Devils NHL]

Well!

Jack Hughes left the ice after colliding with Jack Eichel and the boards. pic.twitter.com/ms3Ye5CJoP

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 3, 2025​

Keefe on Jack: “Real hard to see him go down. There’s no update. He’s going to have to be evaluated. Obviously it didn’t look good. We’re gonna have to take our time to know the full extent of it.”#NJDevils

— Sam Kasan (@samikasan) March 3, 2025​

“With the trade deadline less than a week away, what’s the ideal outcome for the New Jersey Devils?” [Infernal Access ($)]

Hockey Links​

A trade!

trade alert

➡︎ https://t.co/gjN0lotc2c pic.twitter.com/c2Bkza5FTG

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 2, 2025​

Matthew Tkachuk heads to LTIR:

The Panthers have placed Matthew Tkachuk on LTIR ahead of the trade deadline.

Florida now has $8.7M in cap space per @PuckPedia pic.twitter.com/D2SLQ9l1QK

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 2, 2025​

Ohio Stadium was packed for Saturday’s Stadium Series game:

Very rarely in life does something have outsized expectations and then exceeds them.

The #StadiumSeries was one of those days for every one of the 94,751 fans and #CBJ players in Ohio Stadium.https://t.co/u062ABO42I

— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) March 2, 2025​

On behalf of Meredith Gaudreau: pic.twitter.com/7yhUHlD8Sn

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 2, 2025​

“‘I’ve heard some people claim outdoor games are a dying breed. No they’re not,’ said Steve Mayer, president of NHL content and events. ‘We believe in outdoor games. We still think that they’re significant. They’re a big part of our season, definitely our highest rated games. And the buzz that’s in the local community leading up to the game is incredible.’ Now that the NHL has knocked off some items from its outdoor bucket list, what comes next?” [ESPN]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...ls-in-the-details-3-3-25-jack-is-hurt-edition

 

[New Jersey Devils]

New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Cole Brown Pots 30th

Cole Brown is the first Devils prospect to 30 goals this season. | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Winger Cole Brown is the first Devils prospect to reach 30 goals this season. This post covers Brown’s breakout year, what his future may be, and other prospect news.

A Strong Season​

Winger Cole Brown has had a breakout season in the OHL for the Brantford Bulldogs with 31 goals and 64 points in only 59 games, a giant leap from the 39 points Brown put up last season. Some caution is warranted as much of the explosion may be explained as Brown improving in his D+2 season against mostly younger players and benefiting from sharing a line at times with Nick Lardis, the second-leading scorer in the league with 108 points.

That said, Brown deserves credit for earning his opportunities and has performed well overall. It’s also worth noting that Brown is the first Devils prospect in any league to reach the 30 goal mark this year and is second overall in points amongst Devils prospects behind Matyas Melovsky. The aforementioned Melovsky (24) and Utica’s Brian Halonen (20) are the only other two Devils prospects to even score 20 or more goals this season as of Sunday night. So, Brown’s feat is impressive, regardless of linemates and other factors.

Here’s a look at the goal. Brown would go on to score his 31st later that game.

Perfect geometry!

16 + 93 + 92 =201 Cole Brown’s 30th of the year!#BFD | #NJDevils | #OHL pic.twitter.com/AWo8kjQAFF

— Brantford Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) March 1, 2025​

Recently, Cole Brown, who is still only 19-years-old, committed to Notre Dame after this season. However, as Brian Smiley writes for the Expositor:

While it’s expected that the six-foot-three, 190-pound forward will attend Notre Dame for the 2025-26 season, that could change if he’s signed by the Devils.

This is a new rule change in the NHL allowing CHL players into the NCAA effective August 2025. More on the new rule here.

Whether Brown ends up in Notre Dame or in the Devils system next year will be decided this summer. For the record, I believe the Devils should sign Brown as I think he’s done enough to be worth taking a chance on and an ELC is a low risk gamble. Until then, Brown has taken a strong step forward in his development. We shall find out soon where that leads next.

Around the Pool:​

• Utica defeated Syracuse 5-4 on Sunday thanks to an overtime goal by Adam Beckman (see the goal below), his second of the game. Nolan Foote tallied a goal and an assist and Topias Vilen added two helpers to round out the multi-point efforts. Vilen has been hot as of late, after a slow start coming back from injury. Goaltender Isaac Poulter earned the win. Here’s a look at the goal.

THE PERFECT WEEKEND IS COMPLETE!!! pic.twitter.com/PHbyH4M0Jb

— Utica Comets (@UticaComets) March 2, 2025​

• Sunday’s effort capped the second of two wins for the Comets this past weekend as Utica also defeated Hartford 3-2 in a shootout on Saturday. Defenseman Santeri Hatakka scored his first goal of the season since returning from injury in the contest and Topias Vilen scored the shootout winner, earning first star honors. Goaltender Jeremy Brodeur was second star with 34 saves on 36 shots. Here’s a look at some slick hands and slicker pads.

Topias Vilen and Jeremy Brodeur combine for a shootout win@UticaComets | #UTCvsHFD pic.twitter.com/txWa2cV5cV

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) March 2, 2025​

• Lenni Hameenaho continues developing well. Take a look at this chart:

#NJDevils Lenni Hameenaho had another assist in Assat’s loss today.

45 points in 52 games.

Leads all U21 players. pic.twitter.com/kWw83fmZaw

— Daniel Amoia (@daniel_amoia) February 28, 2025​

• Catherine Bogart has this piece on goaltending phenom prospect Mikhail Yegorov.

Our 2024 second-round draft pick, Mikhail Yegorov, is turning heads during his first year at Boston University. @CatherineBogart reports in Devils Now, presented by @RWJBarnabas. pic.twitter.com/oTmOfAnbWr

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) February 27, 2025​

• Winger Peter Hauser seems to be settling into his new home in the top Czechia league, even helping save Vitkovice’s season.

A big two assist performance from Petr Hauser ('22, 5th Rd) helped Vítkovice, not only keep them up in the Extraliga for another season, clinch the last playoff spot in .

Hauser played the most minutes he's seen all season, getting 15:26 T.O.I in the 5-0 victory. #NJDevils https://t.co/zEWffrUW4a

— Daniel Rebain (@pvtmcbain) March 2, 2025​

• Lastly, some news that fell through the cracks. Congratulations to goaltender Veeti Louhivaara on his first professional hockey start. Louhivaara has played well platooning for a low-scoring JYP U20 team most of this season.

This past Friday, New Jersey Devils goaltender prospect Veeti Louhivaara made his first professional start for second-division side KeuPa. Louhivaara made 25/28 saves in a 3-2 loss.

This season with JYP U20, Louhivaara owns a 90.3% SV% and a 2.85 GAA in 14 games.#NJDevils https://t.co/gDnYdHkQjb pic.twitter.com/kAb7rMbPOh

— Daniel Rebain (@pvtmcbain) February 10, 2025​

Your Take​

That’s the prospect news for the week. Tell us what you think.

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...y-devils-prospect-update-cole-brown-pots-30th

 

[New Jersey Devils]

2024-25 Gamethread #63: New Jersey Devils at Dallas Stars

Hischier! Robertson! Tonight! | Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images

The New Jersey Devils will end their road trip against the Dallas Stars. It is also their last game before the NHL Trade Deadline and first since Jack Hughes’ significant injury. Talk about this game as it happens here.

Tonight is the end of a five-game road trip, a rematch of their 4 Nations Face-Off return game, and the last game before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline for the New Jersey Devils. It is a significant game for those reasons and more.

The Time: 8:00 PM ET

The Broadcast: Streaming: ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+; Audio: Devils Hockey Radio

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils at the Dallas Stars

The Song of the Evening: Let us end the road trip with Spiritbox. Let us go back further to their Eternal Blue album. It is a great album. Songs like “The Summit” are a great example of Courtney’s singing elevating a track. The chorus is so catchy too: “The venom is what keeps me alive”

The Rules: The rules remain the same as the Devils are wrapping up a trip in Dallas. Please keep your language clean (this means no swearing, don’t mask it, it’s not enough, no I don’t care what Tom Fitzgerald said), respect your fellow Devils fan with no personal attacks (play nice or you will not play here), no illegal streams (this means no asking, no hints, no nothing about it), and please keep your comments relevant to this game. Go Devils!

Source: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2...s-dallas-stars-hischier-robertson-bratt-hintz