The New Jersey Devils announced today that forward Angus Crookshank has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.
Before this recall, the Devils had been operating without a spare forward on their NHL roster. That’s not entirely abnormal, but the Devils are set to play back-to-back games, something that typically tests a club’s depth more than a standard section of the schedule. As a result, the Devils have recalled a forward to add to their depth, and that forward is Crookshank.
A 26-year-old 2018 fifth-round pick, Crookshank had spent nearly all of his professional career thus far with the Ottawa Senators organization.
Crookshank became a Group Six unrestricted free agent this past summer, and New Jersey inked him to a two-year contract.
Crookshank’s deal has a two-way structure this season, pledging him a $475K guarantee to go along with his league-minimum NHL salary and $425K AHL salary.
Next season, Crookshank’s deal will become a one-way contract, providing him a solid pay bump regardless of what level he plays at.
Crookshank earned that two-year deal in New Jersey on the back of three quality, productive years as a depth player for the Senators. He scored 26 goals and 47 points for the AHL’s Belleville Senators in 2022-23, beginning a stretch of three seasons where he scored at least 40 points in the AHL.
Thanks to his emergence as a quality AHL scorer, Crookshank earned multiple NHL call-ups, ultimately playing in 21 NHL games across 2023-24 and 2024-25.
So far this season, Crookshank isn’t scoring at quite as high a level as he had in Belleville. His seven points in 17 games put him on pace for 29 points across a full 72-game schedule, but it’s worth noting the impact environment may be having on his production. Utica is the lowest-scoring team in the AHL, with just 36 goals scored across 18 games.
While Crookshank is obviously a part of that ranking, it’s worth noting when considering why his formerly hyper-consistent level of production seems to be trailing off a bit.
Given the fact that the Devils don’t appear to have an immediate opening in their forward lineup, it’s possible Crookshank is simply being recalled to serve as a healthy scratch for two games. But if he can draw into their NHL lineup, it would be Crookshank’s first chance to impress NHL viewers while playing in a Devils uniform.
Photos courtesy of James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports