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Devils Rumors

New Jersey Devils Sign Alexander Holtz

April 19, 2021 at 11:10 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

Here comes Alexander Holtz. The Swedish prospect has signed his three-year entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils, which will kick in for the 2021-22 season. Holtz will also be joining the Binghamton Devils for the rest of the season on an amateur tryout once his quarantine procedures are completed.

If you’re a frustrated Devils fan that has watched the New Jersey forwards struggle to score all season, meet your new savior. The 19-year-old forward is a pure goal scorer who has one of the best shots in the world currently outside the NHL. He isn’t just a “grip it and rip it” attacker though; instead, he creates chances in multiple ways and at multiple angles, capitalizing on whatever weakness the defense shows.

In 40 games for Djurgardens this season, his second full year in the SHL, Holtz had seven goals and 18 points. He added another pair of goals and four points in three postseason games, showing a glimpse of what lies ahead for the seventh-overall draft pick.

There’s no doubt that North American hockey will be a challenge for Holtz, but he is just another young blue-chip prospect to add to the system in New Jersey. The team has very few long-term financial commitments and the youngest roster in the NHL at the moment. In fact, after trading away the likes of Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac, the team doesn’t have a single forward on the roster over the age of 26. Holtz will be another piece of that group that the team hopes can grow together into a contender, and if there was anything it needed it was someone to consistently put the puck in the back of the net when some of the other skilled playmakers create space.

New Jersey Devils

2 comments

Prospect Notes: Wild, Popugaev, Thompson

April 17, 2021 at 9:07 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Two of the Minnesota Wild’s top prospects have enjoyed stellar college careers, culminating in a meeting in the NCAA Championship Game last weekend. For many college prospects, just one strong season and an NCAA title (or even an appearance) is enough to push them to the pros. However, the Wild may have to wait for these two. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that St. Cloud State forward Sam Hentges is expected to return to school for his senior season, while Massachusetts goaltender Filip Lindberg is still considering doing the same. Hentges, a 2018 seventh-round pick, has already played beyond his draft billing. The Huskies center has been a solid, two-way forward through each of his three college seasons, recording 61 points in 94 games along the way. However, he seemingly believes that he has more growing to do at St. Cloud. As for Lindberg, it is hard to imagine that there is any more left for him to prove at UMass. The title-winning goaltender was among the NCAA’s best this season, and last season, and the season before. He has a stunning .937 save percentage, 1.58 GAA, and 29 wins in 50 college appearances. If that wasn’t enough, Lindberg was also part of Finland’s 2019 World Junior gold medal-winning club, pitching a shutout in his lone appearance. Lindberg seems pro-ready, but perhaps the possibility of finally playing a workhorse role for the Minutemen could be enough to keep him around for his senior year. If not, the 2019 seventh-rounder would be the favorite to win the starting job for the AHL’s Iowa Wild next season anyway.

  • The New Jersey Devils won’t be getting a second look at prospect forward Nikita Popugaev in North America any time soon. The big Russian forward has signed a one-year extension with the KHL’s Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, the team announced. The Devils hold indefinite possession of Popugaev’s NHL rights, but there are certainly concerns that he may never be an NHL option. The polarizing prospect was considered a first-round talent at one point in the 2017 NHL Draft cycle, especially after back-to-back seasons of top-notch production in the WHL. However, work ethic concerns caused him to slip to the fourth round. He then confirmed some other suspicions by leaving the WHL for Russia, back-tracking on his perceived commitment to the North American game. Popugaev did return late in the 2018-19 season and signed an AHL contract with the Devils, staying through the following year but playing almost exclusively in the ECHL. This caused him to return to Russia again this year and he finally found some success after a mid-season trade to Nizhnekamsk. With a new deal, he hopes to build on that success again next season. Yet, in the big picture Popugaev’s struggles at the pro level in North America and Russia combined with a seemingly mutual resistance between he and the Devils to sign an entry-level contract just yet provides ample doubt that he will ever play in the NHL.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jack Thompson, arguably the best defenseman in their pipeline, is getting his first pro experience. With the OHL out of commission, Thompson has played at the junior level in Sweden this year, scoring at a point-per-game pace. However, he has returned home with his Swedish season over, but the OHL still has not returned to action. As a result, the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, have brought Thompson in on an amateur tryout basis. The 19-year-old defenseman, a 2020 third-round pick, will likely return to the OHL if the league re-starts, but in the meantime will get invaluable experience in the AHL.

AHL| KHL| Minnesota Wild| NCAA| New Jersey Devils| Nikita Popugaev| OHL| Prospects| Tampa Bay Lightning

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New Jersey Devils Expected To Move AHL Affiliate To Utica

April 17, 2021 at 7:17 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 7 Comments

Where there is smoke, there is usually fire. And where there are Devils… well, you get it. There are hints being dropped from Newark to Binghamton to Utica and it all points toward a change in AHL affiliation for New Jersey. According to multiple sources, the club is expected to move their farm team, currently the Binghamton Devils, to Utica, currently the home of the Utica Comets, affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks. The move is expected to take place before next season and team would be re-branded as the Utica Devils. There is no word yet on the Canucks’ affiliation plans or the AHL future in Binghamton.

News first emerged hinting at this change on Friday when WBNG in Binghamton reported that there was a growing dispute between the ownership of the New Jersey Devils and the Binghamton Devils. Though it is unclear which side feels it has been wronged, it is believed that Binghamton playing the current season in Newark is considered part of the problem. The current agreement between the two organizations extends through the 2021-22 season, but it seems that it could be cut short by this current animosity.

Digging for answers as to where their team might be headed, WBNG discovered that Utica Comets president and former NHLer Robert Esche recently filed a trademark with the USPTO for “Utica Devils”. The wide-ranging application requests a service mark not only for general advertising use, but also for a number of merchandise groups. There are clearly big plans in place for this trademark, even though the AHL has not yet received a formal request for the location change. WBNG also notes that Utica does have an opt-out clause after this season in its affiliation agreement with Vancouver, making it a realistic landing spot for the Devils.

Then earlier today, WBNG reported that, whether it be to Utica or elsewhere, the AHL Devils are on the move. Binghamton Exec. VP of Operations Tom Mitchell confirmed that the team has received formal notice of the dissolution of their agreement with New Jersey. “The demands [the New Jersey Devils] were putting on us were absolutely impossible and we just couldn’t comply with them,” Mitchell said. “So it looks like we’re going to part ways, and just try to move on.” Mitchell did not know about any previous talks that New Jersey may have had with Esche and Utica, saying he was surprised to hear about the trademark application. As far as Binghamton’s hockey future, he could only add that he felt the city could attract another pro team and will get to work on that immediately.

As for Vancouver, perhaps the party most in the dark in this situation, The Province’s Patrick Johnston reports that the Canucks have not made a comment on the situation and not much is known about their future affiliation plans. A recent trend in the AHL has been for NHL teams to move their prospects closer to the main club, so the Canucks’ keeping their affiliate out in the Eastern U.S. might not make much sense. Johnston notes that the team has previously discussed the possibility of an affiliate in Abbotsford, British Columbia, the former home of the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat. He also notes that California now sports a large quantity of AHL clubs, soon including the Seattle Kraken’s affiliate as well, so Vancouver could look at options in that area as well.

AHL| New Jersey Devils| Vancouver Canucks

7 comments

The 2021 NHL Trade Deadline Deals That Didn’t Happen

April 14, 2021 at 9:02 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 7 Comments

The 2021 NHL Trade Deadline came and went with relatively little fanfare. Deadline day saw just 17 trades made (a new 8-year low) that involved only 26 players (a new 20-year low). The obvious downside to a quiet deadline is that it’s not very exciting to follow and doesn’t create the same number of stretch run storylines to follow. The upside? With so little news to cover, nothing slipped through the cracks. Insiders, such as Elliotte Friedman, have come out with more “almost-trades” than in most years and they have been compiled below. Enjoy reveling in what could have been:

Nicolas Deslauriers to the Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins and Anaheim Ducks came so close on a trade for Deslauriers that an article was published on the topic. Friedman reported that a deal was done, but then backtracked as talks fell apart. Pittsburgh ended up adding experience to their bottom-six from another West Division source, adding Jeff Carter from the Los Angeles Kings.

Jamie Oleksiak to the Edmonton Oilers

In the middle of the deadline day chaos, several pundits reported that Dallas Stars defenseman Oleksiak was on his way to Edmonton. Yet, as time ticked by and there was no announcement, it became clear that a deal had not been completed. Oleksiak had been linked to both Edmonton and the Toronto Maple Leafs but stay put, with the speculation now being the the Stars hope to re-sign him. The Oilers, who also missed out on Patrik Nemeth, ended up finding their stay-at-home defenseman in the New Jersey Devils’ Dmitry Kulikov.

Alex Goligoski, Vladislav Gavrikov, or Nikita Zadorov to the Winnipeg Jets

One of the biggest misses of the deadline was the Jets’ failure to add an impact defenseman. Winnipeg did add Jordie Benn late, but that hardly fills their gaping hole in the top-four. In retrospect, the mistake may have been focusing too much on defensemen who weren’t truly available. Friedman believes that the team tried to acquire either Gavrikov or Goligoski, or perhaps even both. Gavrikov would have been a very nice addition for the Jets, but by all accounts the young Columbus Blue Jackets defender was not really for sale. And while the Arizona Coyotes were expected to listen to offers for their expiring contracts, they ended up standing pat and not moving the veteran Goligoski. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Chicago Blackhawks were at least listening to offers for RFA blue liner Zadorov as well and the Jets made a push, but to no avail.

Taylor Hall to the New York Islanders or Vegas Golden Knights

Friedman began his post-deadline “31 Thoughts” by confirming the suspicions that Hall left the Buffalo Sabres little choice but to trade him to the Boston Bruins, stating that Hall had decided that was where he wanted to go and used his No-Movement Clause to make it happen. However, two other teams made a strong push and that was the Islanders and the Golden Knights. Hall was even open to joining New York, but once they acquired Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac he turned his focus to Boston even though the Isles maintained interest. The Sabres were seemingly very interested in making a deal with Vegas, as Friedman notes that multiple teams were contacted about acting as a salary cap broker for a potential deal. In the end, Hall preferred Boston and that is all that mattered.

Daniel Vladar or Jeremy Swayman to the Buffalo Sabres

Many have been critical of the Sabres’ return for Hall – a Boston second-round pick and forward Anders Bjork – but they tried their best to get more. Friedman reports that Buffalo asked Boston about moving one of their promising young keepers, as both Vladar and Swayman have shown NHL ability in recent weeks as the injury replacements in the Bruins net. However, once Boston knew that Hall wanted to go there and could control the decision, they held all the leverage. The team easily declined moving either talented netminder.

Conor Garland to the Toronto Maple Leafs or Vegas Golden Knights

While the team ended up acquiring Nick Foligno instead, Friedman notes that the Toronto Maple Leafs did express interest in affordable Arizona Coyotes forward Garland. Garland would have fit nicely under the cap, but would have been expensive to require and near impossible to re-sign for the cap-strapped Leafs. The team thus went in a different direction. The Golden Knights were also linked to Garland, but could not make a deal work with their division rival. Garland remaining with the Coyotes could be what is best for both parties in the long run anyhow.

Ryan Getzlaf to the Vegas Golden Knights or Montreal Canadiens

The Golden Knights just missed out on seemingly everyone, huh? Friedman notes that the team was close to adding Anaheim captain Getzlaf and the career Duck was open to the nearby move. However, Vegas allegedly was unwilling to meet the trade demands for the veteran center. For the same reason, the Canadiens likely missed out. Friedman notes that they had serious interest, but talks never got far. Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now adds that the Penguins kicked the tires on Getzlaf as well, but never made a serious offer. Anaheim clearly put a high price tag on the face of the franchise and never even approached him about waiving his No-Movement Clause.

Travis Zajac to the Pittsburgh Penguins

While it’s easy to lose track of when trades were made and talks were had around the deadline, per Friedman it seems the Penguins had their sights first set on Zajac from New Jersey, then Getzlaf, and finally Carter. The Kings veteran is not a bad acquisition for a third choice. The Penguins do have to face Zajac on a fellow East Division contender the rest of the way though and surely hope that Carter proves to be the superior player head-to-head.

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David Rittich to the Colorado Avalanche

The top two contenders with issues in net, the Avalanche and the Toronto Maple Leafs, both made their moves before the deadline. Colorado first acquired Devan Dubnyk from the San Jose Sharks while the Leafs grabbed Rittich from the Calgary Flames. However, it may have been reversed. Friedman reports that the Avs were considering Rittich before moving on Dubnyk, opting for the vet either due to the higher asking price or a desire to add more experience.

MacKenzie Weegar to the Toronto Maple Leafs

Jeff Marek noted on the “31 Thoughts” podcast that the Maple Leafs tried to pry defenseman Weegar from Florida. However, considering the Panthers’ success and Weegar’s own strong season, Florida was also a buyer and never entertained moving a core piece of their blue line.

Adam Gaudette to a number of teams

While Gaudette moving to the Chicago Blackhawks doesn’t seem like one of the bigger moves of deadline day, the team should feel fortunate to have him. Gaudette was reportedly very much on the Vancouver Canucks trade block and they received no shortage of interest. While Friedman names the Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators specifically, others have linked the young center to at least a half dozen clubs.

Ryan Murray to a number of teams

At the end of the day, Murray was available but in the words of GM Tom Fitzgerald, the rebuilding New Jersey Devils “weren’t just giving players away.” There was plenty of interest in the two-way defenseman, but no offers met the Devils expectations. They opted to hold on to Murray and could try to re-sign him before free agency opens.


While there were surely some proposals out there that never reached the ears of the insiders, not much went unnoticed this year. A quiet market was a well-covered market and if your team missed a great opportunity this year, you likely heard about it.

 

Adam Gaudette| Alex Goligoski| Anaheim Ducks| Anders Bjork| Arizona Coyotes| Boston Bruins| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Conor Garland| Dallas Stars| David Rittich| Devan Dubnyk| Dmitry Kulikov| Edmonton Oilers| Elliotte Friedman| Jamie Oleksiak| Jeff Carter| Jordie Benn| Kyle Palmieri| Los Angeles Kings| Montreal Canadiens| Nashville Predators| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders| Nick Foligno| Nicolas Deslauriers| Nikita Zadorov| Patrik Nemeth| Pittsburgh Penguins| Players| San Jose Sharks| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights| Winnipeg Jets

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Prospect Notes: Holtz, Podkolzin, NCAA Transfers

April 14, 2021 at 6:47 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

While the New Jersey Devils showed signs of life earlier this season, it’s another subpar season for the club and they continued their rebuild at the trade deadline by moving three veterans for picks and prospects. However, help is on the way in the form of an elite prospect. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald confirmed to the media, including The Athletic’s Corey Masisak, that he is actively working on a contract with 2020 first-round pick Alexander Holtz. Fitzgerald did not provide a timeline and stated that the details of the deal and the immigration issues are still being hammered out, so at this point in the season it’s possible that Holtz may not actually suit up with the Devils until next season. Whenever he does arrive though, the reigning No. 7 overall pick should make an immediate impact. The 19-year-old just wrapped up his second full season in the SHL, the top pro level in Sweden, and recorded 18 points in 40 games. Holtz is a prolific goal scorer whose junior and WJC performances have pointed toward a potential future 30-goal scorer or better. Playing with New Jersey’s young forward corps filled with upside, Holtz could make an immediate impact next year as the Devils finally look to take the next step.

  • Similarly, the Vancouver Canucks are in a holding pattern this season with top prospect Vasili Podkolzin. Although GM Jim Benning had stated earlier this season that his intention was to have the 2019 tenth overall pick make his NHL debut this season, he seemed less optimistic about the possibility speaking with the media, including The Athletic’s Thomas Drance. Podkolzin’s KHL season is now over, his SKA St. Petersburg club losing in the semifinals of the Gagarin Cup, so contract talks have officially begun. However, it is more likely that Podkolzin’s deal will not begin until next season with limited time left in this season and contractual and immigration hurtles to jump through. When Podkolzin does debut in Vancouver, he will be hard to miss. The big, strong winger plays an explosive offensive game and is always making his presence felt around the net. Although he recorded only 11 points in 35 KHL games this year, that’s quite an accomplishment for a 19-year-old playing a bottom-six role on a top contender. Canucks fans should be excited for the arrival of Podkolzin, whenever that will be.
  • The NCAA’s extension of eligibility has prolonged a number of NHL prospects’ collegiate careers and the transfer market has been buzzing, with a number of names heading to new places. The biggest move of late has been former Bemidji State goaltender Zach Driscoll transferring to North Dakota. Driscoll has been one of the best goaltenders in the NCAA over the past few years, posting three straight seasons with a GAA of 2.32 or lower, including a 1.63 GAA and .937 save percentage last year. He now moves to the program that finished No. 1 in the nation in the regular season and will take over the starter job for the departed Adam Scheel, who signed with the Dallas Stars, hoping that he too will earn an NHL contract this time next year. In fact, upon Driscoll’s arrival, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Peter Thome announced that he was leaving for the newest Division I program, St. Thomas. Thome, a 2016 sixth-round pick, had sat behind Scheel and Cam Johnson for four years as a stellar backup, but was finally eyeing the Fighting Hawks starting job. Instead, he’ll man the net for St. Thomas in their inaugural season before turning pro.
  • Elsewhere in the transfer market, defenseman Will Cullen, who was expected to have pro interest following a dominant season at Bowling Green, has graduated in three years and has opted to become a grad transfer to Miami (Ohio). Cullen, 24, is a mobile, right-shot defensemen who recorded 25 points in 28 games for the Falcons this season as one of the top scoring defensemen in the NCAA. His decision not to turn pro is a surprise, but the interest should still be there next season.

Cam Johnson| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dallas Stars| Jim Benning| KHL| NCAA| New Jersey Devils| Prospects| SHL| Vancouver Canucks| Vasili Podkolzin

1 comment

Trade Deadline Summary: East Division

April 12, 2021 at 4:54 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 25 Comments

The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. A relatively slow day ended with a late burst, as many teams jumped into the mix at the last minute. How do you think your team did? Share your deadline grades in the comments for teams in the East Division.

Boston Bruins
Status: Buyer

In – F Taylor Hall, F Curtis Lazar, D Mike Reilly
Out – F Anders Bjork, 2021 second-round pick, 2022 third-round pick

Buffalo Sabres
Status: Seller

In – F Anders Bjork, 2021 second-round pick (BOS), 2021 third-round pick (FLA), 2021 third-round pick (MTL), 2021 fifth-round pick (MTL), 2021 sixth-round pick (COL)
Out – F Taylor Hall, F Eric Staal, D Brandon Montour, F Curtis Lazar, G Jonas Johansson

New Jersey Devils
Status: Seller

In – D Jonas Siegenthaler, F A.J. Greer, F Mason Jobst, 2021 first-round pick (NYI), conditional 2021 fourth-round pick (NYI), conditional 2022 fourth-round pick (EDM)
Out – F Kyle Palmieri, F Travis Zajac, D Dmitry Kulikov, 2021 third-round pick

New York Islanders
Status: Buyer

In – F Kyle Palmieri, F Travis Zajac, D Braydon Coburn
Out – F A.J. Greer, F Mason Jobst, 2021 first-round pick, conditional 2021 fourth-round pick, 2022 seventh-round pick

New York Rangers
Status: Neutral

In – 2021 fourth-round pick (LAK)
Out – F Brendan Lemieux

Philadelphia Flyers
Status: Neutral

In – 2021 fifth-round pick (VGK via WAS), 2022 seventh-round pick (STL via MTL)
Out – F Michael Raffl, D Erik Gustafsson

Pittsburgh Penguins
Status: Buyer

In – F Jeff Carter
Out – conditional 2022 third-round pick, conditional 2023 fourth-round pick

Washington Capitals
Status: Buyer

In – F Anthony Mantha, F Michael Raffl, conditional 2021 third-round pick (ARI/NJ)
Out – F Jakub Vrana, F Richard Panik, D Jonas Siegenthaler, 2021 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2021 fifth-round pick

A.J. Greer| Anders Bjork| Anthony Mantha| Boston Bruins| Brandon Montour| Braydon Coburn| Brendan Lemieux| Buffalo Sabres| Curtis Lazar| Dmitry Kulikov| Eric Staal| Erik Gustafsson| Jakub Vrana| Jeff Carter| Jonas Johansson| Jonas Siegenthaler| Kyle Palmieri| Michael Raffl| Mike Reilly| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders| New York Rangers| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Richard Panik| Taylor Hall| Travis Zajac| Washington Capitals

25 comments

Dallas Stars Claim Sami Vatanen

April 12, 2021 at 11:04 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

While speculation continues to swirl around some of the Dallas Stars defenders, they’ve added a new one. The Stars have claimed Sami Vatanen off waivers from the New Jersey Devils according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

The claim of Vatanen certainly won’t quiet any talk of a Jamie Oleksiak trade, given the Stars now have eight defensemen on the NHL roster. That includes Andrej Sekera however, who suffered an injury last night and could be out for some time depending on testing today.

Dallas is now on the hook for the remainder of Vatanen’s $2MM salary through the end of the season. Whether he can provide much value for that salary isn’t clear after a poor start to the year in New Jersey. Once a reliable two-way option, Vatanen had just six points in 30 games for the Devils and was playing the fewest minutes of his career.

Remember that even though the Stars could be moving some rentals, the Stars aren’t completely out of the playoff race and can use a player like Vatanen to strengthen their back end.

Dallas Stars| New Jersey Devils| Sami Vatanen| Waivers

2 comments

Edmonton Oilers Acquire Dmitry Kulikov

April 12, 2021 at 11:00 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers have added some defensive depth at the deadline, acquiring Dmitry Kulikov from the New Jersey Devils. The Oilers will send a conditional 2022 fourth-round pick that will become a third if Edmonton wins a playoff round.

Kulikov, 30, has been arguably the Devils’ best defenseman in his own end this season and has played more than 700 games in his NHL career. He will no longer offer much offense—he has just two points in 38 games—but is a nice addition to an Oilers team that needs to keep the puck out of their end and in the hands of their talented forwards.

The veteran can play the penalty kill and add some physicality, likely skating beside Adam Larsson in something of a shutdown pair. Kulikov is on a one-year deal with a salary of $1.15MM, adding affordability to effectiveness. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

For the Devils, it’s all about collecting assets at this point after a disappointing season. The team has some nice pieces coming, but the overall depth of the organization just hasn’t been good enough. A mid-round pick by itself isn’t going to change that, but it’s another small step towards building the full system out.

Dmitry Kulikov| Edmonton Oilers| New Jersey Devils

2 comments

Devils Hold Dmitry Kulikov Out Of The Lineup

April 11, 2021 at 6:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 11 Comments

  • Devils defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was held out of tonight’s lineup as a precaution heading into the trade deadline, Corey Masisak of The Athletic was among those to note (Twitter link). The 30-year-old has two assists in 38 games this season while logging 19:33 per night.  With a $1.15MM cap hit, Kulikov is an affordable depth option that is quite likely to move by Monday.

Brandon Tanev| Buffalo Sabres| Chicago Blackhawks| Dmitry Kulikov| New Jersey Devils| Nikita Zadorov| Pittsburgh Penguins| Snapshots| Taylor Hall| Teddy Blueger

11 comments

East Notes: Lundqvist, Hischier, Johnston, Devils

April 11, 2021 at 2:41 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

While veteran Henrik Lundqvist was hoping to return to the NHL for the playoffs, the 39-year-old veteran announced via Twitter that those hopes will not be possible. The goaltender, who signed with the Washington Capitals in the offseason only to have to sit out the year after learning that he required open-heart surgery to fix issues with his heart, has been back on the ice for almost a month in hopes of joining Washington. However, he announced that inflammation around his heart requires more time for rest and recovery.

“Last week’s checkup showed some inflammation around the heart that now requires a few months more of rest and steady recovery,” wrote Lundqvist. “While it’s not what I hoped for, I know this is all part of the process of getting back to 100%.”

While a return to the NHL this season seemed highly unlikely, it’s disappointing for Lundqvist, the Capitals and fans who would have loved to see the veteran back on the ice.

  • The New Jersey Devils could be close to getting back their No. 1 center as head coach Lindy Ruff said that Nico Hischier is “very close to playing, he’s closing in on that date,” according to NHL.com’s Amanda Stein. The 22-year-old has struggled staying in the lineup due to injuries. He was forced to sit out for the first month of the season with a leg injury and after appearing in five games, he suffered a facial fracture that required surgery. He practiced with the team Sunday, working with the penalty killing unit and is expected to rejoin the team’s No. 1 power play once he returns.
  • The New York Islanders have placed forward Ross Johnston on injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. That will allow the team to recall Oliver Wahlstrom from the taxi squad. The 27-year-old Johnston hasn’t seen too much time with the Islanders this season, appearing in just nine games. He has no points, but has 35 penalty minutes. Wahlstrom will likely have to battle with Leo Komarov for playing time.
  • Chris Ryan of NJ.com reports that the third-round pick sent to the Washington Capitals for Jonas Siegenthaler is technically still conditional. The Devils sent the Arizona Coyotes’ third-round pick to Washington, which was acquired in the Taylor Hall trade. However, there was a condition to the deal in which New Jersey would actually get Arizona’s second-round pick if Hall re-signs with the Coyotes. Of course, that condition is extremely unlikely considering that Hall is now in Buffalo. Unless the Sabres trade him to Arizona and Hall signs an extension with them before the draft, that condition wouldn’t happen. However, in the unlikely circumstances that did happen, the Devils would then opt to send their own third-rounder to Washington for Siegenthaler.

Arizona Coyotes| Buffalo Sabres| Henrik Lundqvist| Jonas Siegenthaler| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders| Nico Hischier| Taylor Hall| Washington Capitals

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