The Devils announced they’ve acquired defenseman Dennis Cholowski from the Islanders in exchange for forward Adam Beckman. Both players were on AHL assignments, but the team’s Amanda Stein reports Cholowski will be recalled to New Jersey’s active roster. Beckman will report to the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
Cholowski won’t have to move very far to join the fifth organization of his career. The former 20th overall selection of the 2016 NHL Draft has spent the last three years with the Islanders’ organization, scoring three goals and 10 points in 35 games at the NHL level.
He’s understandably been better offensively during his time with AHL Bridgeport. Since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, Cholowski has scored nine goals and 70 points in 141 AHL contests with Bridgeport but has continued to lack on the defensive side of the puck. In those 141 regular-season contests, Cholowski managed a ghastly -35 rating.
He’ll serve as depth on the left side of New Jersey’s blue line and will likely shift to the seventh defensive option once Jonas Siegenthaler returns from injury. Meanwhile, Bridgeport is adding one of the AHL’s most consistent scorers in Beckman.
The former third-round pick of the Minnesota Wild has scored 13 goals and 33 points in 43 games this year for the AHL’s Utica Comets, on pace for the best season of his career. He’ll be a major benefit to a Bridgeport team that ranks third-worst in total goals.
PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed to this article.