Devils Head Coach Sheldon Keefe’s Future Under Evaluation
New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters, including James Nichols of NJD Hockey Now, that his future will be evaluated at the end of the season.
The news comes as not much of a shock, as the Devils fired general manager Tom Fitzgerald yesterday, the first step in what will be more changes in store. Keefe’s contract runs through the 2027-28 season, but that hardly provides security in itself, facing what has been a disappointing year in all areas.
Widely predicted to make the playoffs comfortably back in the fall, today New Jersey sits second to last in the Metropolitan Division. It wasn’t an immediate demise, as back in mid-November they proudly held the #2 spot in the entire league, only behind Colorado. It seemed like Keefe’s club were hitting their stride, on the path to make the playoffs again under his guidance. Instead, a lot has happened since then, some worthy of fueling critics, other aspects out of the coach’s control entirely.
In just one month’s time from their strong start, the Devils stumbled all the way to 16th in the league. The fall off was kick-started by Jack Hughes’ freak hand injury which required surgery. As if losing their top scorer to a restaurant incident wasn’t frustrating enough, in December they also had an opportunity to make a monumental acquisition in Quinn Hughes, proving unable to do so. Besides the obvious affinity the New Jersey faithful have for the franchise level defenseman, striking out on such a player did the group no favors, as they only slipped further. Had they pulled it off, Keefe’s standing would be in a very different position today.
Outside of the Team USA hero’s lost time, the Devils also missed integral shutdown defenseman Brett Pesce with his own health issues. The 31-year-old has played just 37 games all year, sidelined in the fall, and currently down again with a lower-body injury. Out of his 11 professional seasons to this point, 2025-26 will mark the campaign with the fewest games played for the righty.
Often trying to work with a thinner lineup, Keefe’s efforts have not materialized, as the Devils rank seventh-worst in goals scored (218) and a -16 goal differential. Timo Meier’s performance has dipped, just 42 points in 72 games this season. It’s an issue magnified by the 29-year-old’s contract, with questionable roster construction clearly playing a part in their on-ice results.
Depth scoring has also been a factor. Stefan Noesen has found the back of the net just three times in 38 games, battling through his own injuries, either way a serious drop off from last year’s breakout 22 tallies. By no means is it realistic to blame the Devils’ woes on the late-blooming 33-year-old, but it’s further evidence that the group could benefit from a new voice.
If the end is near for the Brampton, Ontario native’s time in Jersey, Keefe’s history will likely warrant another head coaching gig, and quickly. Unlike the newly hired John Tortorella and Peter DeBoer, who waited patiently for their next undertaking, Keefe could find another job in time for 2026-27 based on a number of openings, both current and to come.
With a 294 – 164 – 50 career record, good for a .628 win percentage, the once young up-and-comer in Toronto now has over 500 games leading at the NHL level. His results have dipped a bit in New Jersey, but when looking at the adversity they’ve gone through, it’s commendable nonetheless. He’s never had a losing record, and plenty of organizations would be happy to become his third.
The Los Angeles Kings present an intriguing opportunity on paper. Even if they manage to squeak into the playoffs, interim bench boss D.J. Smith is not expected to be a long term solution. Keefe’s structured approach would mesh nicely with the Los Angeles core, a group fully intent on winning right away.
It’s certainly a long shot, but fun nonetheless to imagine the possibility of a Toronto return given Keefe’s deep-rooted relationship with the organization. Perhaps it would be an attempt to return to a time which suddenly doesn’t seem as bad after all. Of course, the Maple Leafs have their own evaluations to make behind the bench before it could even become an option.
Ahead of new possibilities to even be considered, Keefe will aim to finish the campaign strong and make his case to stick around in Newark at a desirable job through its organizational change. His Devils will finish the campaign one week from today, April 14, and news could come quickly as management weighs their options. If he does survive the general manager transition, it would be intriguing to see what Keefe could accomplish in New Jersey with a roster not battered by injuries.
Devils Fire General Manager Tom Fitzgerald
The New Jersey Devils announced that they’ve parted ways with President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, Tom Fitzgerald. He joins Brad Treliving, formerly with the Toronto Maple Leafs, as the second General Manager fired in the last week.
In the announcement, New Jersey’s Managing Partner, David Blitzer, said, “Tom and I had a thoughtful conversation today and agreed it was time to move in a new direction. Tom changed the trajectory of our team here, including setting a franchise record for points in a season and helping make New Jersey a hockey destination. He is a well-respected leader across the Devils’ organization and NHL, and I am grateful for our friendship. I wish Tom and his family all the best. As we prepare to move forward, it is important I acknowledge our fans. I recognize we have not delivered in the way you expect and deserve and I understand and share in your frustration. This is a critical offseason for our franchise, and we will explore all avenues that best position the Devils to compete for a Stanley Cup once again.”
Furthermore, Fitzgerald provided a quote, saying, “After talking with David Blitzer, it was apparent to everyone that the best course of action is to move on for the benefit of the team. I am incredibly appreciative to David, Josh Harris, and the entire New Jersey Devils organization for being a part of my life for the past decade. The Devils are fortunate to have a core of great players, vocal and passionate fans, but most importantly, tremendous people who worked with me toward a common goal. I’ve always said that New Jersey is a hidden gem and I’m proud of the effort that we put in to raise the standard and make it a destination. I look forward to the next step in my hockey career and will always look back fondly on my time with the Devils.”
Fitzgerald became the Devils’ General Manager ahead of the 2020-21 campaign after serving in the interim toward the end of the 2019-20 season. Since then, New Jersey has qualified for the playoffs only twice, reaching Round Two in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. Each time, they were ousted by Metropolitan Division rival, the Carolina Hurricanes.
Although some of Fitzgerald’s trades deserve scrutiny, such as trading Pavel Zacha to the Boston Bruins and including Yegor Sharangovich in the trade for Tyler Toffoli, his tenure with the Devils will be more remembered for the moves he didn’t make, rather than the ones he did.
Unlike most teams, New Jersey has legitimate top-six talent like Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Dawson Mercer. However, whether it be through a hyper-conservative approach or something different, Fitzgerald never addressed New Jersey’s depth-scoring issues.
The team has been highly affected by injuries over the last several years, none of which is Fitzgerald’s fault. Still, by not adding additional scoring help toward the bottom of the forward corps, the Devils’ offense would completely disappear when their better players succumbed to injuries.
Last season was a perfect example. New Jersey entered the deadline without Hughes and was slowly falling down the standings. Instead of spending a little more to acquire a short-term stopgap that can move up and down the lineup like Ryan O’Reilly, Brayden Schenn, or Nazem Kadri, the Devils acquired Cody Glass, Daniel Sprong, Brian Dumoulin, and Dennis Cholowski. In his defense, Glass has been a nice find this season, but there was never an expectation that they could replace Hughes’ value by committee, and New Jersey was quickly bounced in the playoffs.
Additionally, Fitzgerald has raised a few eyebrows with the extensions given to Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen, although the latter has worked out rather well. Plainly put, Fitzgerald had six years to turn the team into a consistent contender, had the pieces to do so, and didn’t get the job done.
Fortunately, for Fitzgerald, there are already a few openings available to him, even before the end of the regular season. As previously mentioned, the Maple Leafs fired Treliving a few days ago and may seek another experienced mind to get the franchise back on track. Furthermore, the Nashville Predators, with whom Fitzgerald spent four years during his playing career, have an opening as well.
Regardless, the announcement reads as if both parties knew the writing was on the wall for some time. The next General Manager will face significant challenges, particularly in creating salary cap space in the short term and negotiating Hischier’s extension this summer. However, the Devils aren’t the worst situation in the league, and have solid forwards up front. Acquiring depth around them will be the initial focus.
Devils Recall Brian Halonen And Marc McLaughlin
The Devils have made a pair of roster moves heading into the first half of a back-to-back set against Montreal that begins tonight. The team announced that they’ve recalled winger Brian Halonen and center Marc McLaughlin from AHL Utica.
It’s the second recall of the season for Halonen, who spent nearly a month with the Devils in his first stint early in the year. The 27-year-old got into nine games during his first stint, picking up his first career NHL goal and point along with 18 hits in 7:30 of playing time per game. He was sent down right before he was set to become waiver-eligible once more after clearing at the end of training camp. Since then, Halonen has played with the Comets, collecting 19 goals and 13 assists in 48 appearances, good for second on the team in points.
As for McLaughlin, he was on season-opening IR until February and after he cleared waivers during the Olympic break, he has been with the Comets since. The 26-year-old has been relatively productive in Utica, notching six goals and seven assists in 21 games to earn this promotion. McLaughlin has seen NHL action in each of the last four years but has been limited to just 28 outings overall where he has six goals and one assist.
Both players are expected to suit up tonight. Team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link) that the two will play on the fourth line alongside Paul Cotter while Maxim Tsyplakov and Evgenii Dadonov will cede their spots in the lineup.
Devils’ Arseny Gritsyuk Done For Season
According to a team announcement, New Jersey Devils forward Arseny Gritsyuk will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season due to surgery. The Devils didn’t specify the type of surgery Gritsyuk underwent, but it’s believed it’s related to a recent upper-body injury.
Gritsyuk, 25, hasn’t played for New Jersey in several days. His last game with the team, and now confirmed to be his last game of the season, was on March 24th against the Dallas Stars, in which Gritsyuk tallied an assist on a Connor Brown goal.
All in all, it was a solid campaign for the first-year Russian. One year after scoring 17 goals and 44 points in 49 games for the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg, Gritsyuk wraps up his rookie season with 13 goals and 31 points in 66 games with a -3 rating.
Although the top-heavy Devils are led by the likes of Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier, Gritsyuk became a solid secondary scorer for the club. Although he may be usurped in New Jersey’s seven remaining games (after tonight), Gritsyuk will likely finish seventh among Devils forwards in scoring.
Furthermore, he proved to be a valuable asset for New Jersey in terms of maintaining possession of the puck. At the time of writing, Gritsyuk is first on the Devils in CorsiFor at even strength with a 58.8%, almost a full percent higher than Bratt. Furthermore, among the 14 Devils that have played in more than 700 minutes for the team this season, Gritsyk ranked second with a 51.9% xGoals%, according to MoneyPuck.
Unfortunately, his solid introduction into the NHL has left New Jersey in a tricky spot with Gritsyuk for the offseason. He is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights, as his one-year, $925K contract expires on July 1. Given that the Devils don’t have a lot of money coming off the books this summer, they’ll likely need to make a move to sign Gritsyuk to a multi-year deal.
The team had been attempting to move Dougie Hamilton for much of the regular season, and will likely revisit that this summer. If they manage to clear his entire $9MM cap hit off the books, the Devils should have no issues keeping Gritsyuk around. However, if they’re unable to, he may become an impromptu non-tender candidate, giving New Jersey additional breathing room moving forward.
Devils’ Charlie Leddy Signs AHL Contract
Devils defense prospect Charlie Leddy has signed a contract with the AHL’s Utica Comets for the remainder of the season, New Jersey’s top affiliate announced Tuesday. The Devils still have until Aug. 15 to sign Leddy to an entry-level contract to retain his NHL signing rights.
New Jersey drafted Leddy in the fourth round in 2022 out of the U.S. National Team Development Program. A shutdown threat, the 6’2″ righty didn’t score once in 55 games for the program in his draft year but did manage 17 assists with a +33 rating.
Now 22, Leddy has kept up his strong defensive play in the college circuit. He spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Boston University before entering the transfer portal in 2024. He landed at Quinnipiac, where he finished up his final two NCAA seasons with a pair of ECAC regular-season championships with the Bobcats.
Through 140 NCAA games, Leddy recorded a 4-29–33 scoring line with 83 penalty minutes and a +47 rating. He didn’t earn a mention among the top 13 Devils prospects that Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked last month, but Dobber Prospects lists him as the #2 right-shot defense prospect in their system behind Seamus Casey and #4 among both sides of the blue line.
If the Devils ultimately decide they don’t want to use a contract slot on Leddy, he can still re-up with Utica and play in the organization next season. They just won’t be able to recall him until they sign him to an entry-level deal, and he will become eligible to solicit and sign offers with any other NHL club while playing there.
Devils Expect To Sign Anton Silayev
The Devils are expected to sign 2024 10th overall pick Anton Silayev to his entry-level contract this offseason, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.
Silayev, 20 next month, is in the final weeks of his contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. Torpedo is up 1-0 in their first-round playoff series against Severstal Cherepovets, but unlike with prospects in most other leagues, the timing of when Silayev’s postseason schedule ends is irrelevant to his ability to sign an entry-level contract this season.
KHL contracts run through May 31, and due to the lack of a transfer agreement with the NHL, it’s rare for Russian clubs to release players to sign with an NHL team before the legal expiry of their deals. With the Devils out of the playoff picture, they won’t be able to sign him until well after their season is over, but the hope is to get him to North America in time for their development camp following the draft, Pagnotta reports.
The monster 6’7″, 207-lb lefty was drafted with the hope he could be New Jersey’s top shutdown threat long-term. Getting him under wraps two years after his draft is better than the usual case for Russian prospects, so that’s a definite positive to take away from today’s news.
Silayev was viewed by some as a risky bet to take that high in the draft due to his evident lack of offensive upside, but he still grades out as the organization’s top prospect according to Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff and their #2 according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. Still, this season was tough for him.
He’s continued to demonstrate defensive development, but his already limited offensive utility was almost nonexistent this year, recording just three points in 61 regular-season games for Torpedo after hitting low double-digit totals each of the prior two seasons. His ice time was lessened as a result.
With that in mind, expecting him to emerge with a roster spot in the fall is hasty. A likely outcome is that Silayev anchors a top-four job with AHL Utica, with the expectation that a strong start will lead to a quick call-up. Players with similar archetypes over the last few seasons have adjusted well to minor-league duties but don’t routinely make the immediate jump to a full-time NHL role.
There were similar concerns in Dmitriy Simashev‘s game when the Coyotes, now Mammoth, selected him sixth overall in 2023, but he’s produced nearly a point per game upon his arrival in the AHL this season after a similar lack of offensive success in Russia. He has just one assist and a -9 rating in 25 NHL outings this year, though, so Utah has opted to keep him stashed in the minors amid their push for the franchise’s first playoff berth.
Stefan Noesen Ruled Out For Season, Brett Pesce Questionable To Return
New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe announced today that injured forward Stefan Noesen has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, while defenseman Brett Pesce is “questionable” to return this year as well.
Noesen, 33, underwent knee surgery in January. From that point, he was considered out indefinitely, and now the Devils have confirmed that the surgery has ended his 2025-26 campaign.
It was a difficult season even before the injury for the veteran forward. He had a strong debut campaign in Newark last season, scoring a career-high 22 goals and 41 points in 78 games. He provided New Jersey with an instant return-on-investment after they paid him $2.75MM on a three-year deal to sign with them as an unrestricted free agent.
This season, Noesen’s numbers declined sharply. He scored just three goals and seven points in 38 contests, also seeing his average ice time decline from 15:55 per game to just 11:45 per game. Today’s news confirms that Noesen’s immediate priority will not be getting his scoring back on the right track, but instead will be about recovery and getting himself back into full health in time for next season.
Since New Jersey would need a miracle run to reach the playoffs at this point in the season, the confirmation of Noesen’s extended absence also allows the Devils to more fully shift their focus to developing younger players in the NHL, with an eye toward next season. It’s possible a younger winger such as Lenni Hameenaho pushes Noesen for minutes when both arrive at training camp later this year.
The loss of Pesce is arguably the more significant one for New Jersey, as he’s not only one of the team’s top defenseman, but he’s also a player the club has a major financial investment in. The 31-year-old costs $5.5MM against the cap through the end of the decade, meaning New Jersey has a pressing interest in ensuring he’s healthy and able to provide them with as much on-ice value over the course of his contract as possible. Pesce has been out since March 3 with a lower-body injury, and is considered week-to-week.
Seeing as the Devils, as previously mentioned, aren’t bound for the playoffs next month, the team is unlikely to have much interest in pushing the timeline to get Pesce back on the ice as soon as possible. Instead, a silver lining to the team’s uneven performance this season is that they will be able to afford Pesce as much time as possible to recover without any on-ice pressures.
Pesce has fit in well since arriving in New Jersey, bringing along his trademark steady, reliable defensive style. He was New Jersey’s No. 1 defenseman in terms of raw time on ice per game last season, averaging 21:19 per game, including a heavy penalty-killing role. This season, he ranks No. 3 as Luke Hughes has taken on a more commanding role on the team’s defense.
Devils Notes: Pesce, Cholowski, Gritsyuk
The New Jersey Devils will be down a usual lineup piece this weekend. Defenseman Brett Pesce will be unavailable due to a lower-body injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale.
Pesce has already missed 25 games this season with extended absences in November and February. He fills a key role in the lineup when healthy, playing upwards of 22 minutes a night when New Jersey is looking for a shutdown piece. Pesce has worked to seven points and a minus-11 in 37 games this season. He ranks second on the Devils in shot blocks (80) and fourth on the defense in takeaways (16). Pesce has been knocked off course by injury in his age-31 season but his two-way reliability will still continue to command major lineup minutes when he’s back to full health.
Other notes out of New Jersey:
- The Devils have responded to Pesce’s injury by recalling depth defenseman Dennis Cholowski from the AHL. Cholowski didn’t begin his season until November, due to injury, but his year started on the NHL roster. He scored one point in 15 games through November and December while filling in during Pesce’s first extended absence of the season. Cholowski was reassigned on December 14th and has spent the entirety of the new calendar year in the AHL. He has racked up five assists in 13 games. Pesce’s injury likely won’t push Cholowski ahead of Simon Nemec and Brendan Dillon on the depth chart but it will give New Jersey one more set of hands as they approach back-to-back games.
- Away from injury news, the Devils have also begun talks of a contract extension with winger Arseny Gritsyuk, general manager Tom Fitzgerald told Devils’ team reporter Amanda Stein. Gristyuk has scored 11 goals and 26 points in 58 games as an NHL rookie this season. He is on pace for 15 goals and 37 points across a full 82-game season, which would be the seventh-highest scoring total from a Devils rookie since 2000. Gritsyuk blossomed in Russia’s KHL over the last three seasons, kicked off with 40 points in 60 games of Omsk Avangard’ 2022-23 campaign, and concluded with 44 points in 49 games with SKA St. Petersburg last year. He has adjusted seamlessly into an NHL top-nine role in the season since. That should be enough to earn Gritsyuk a contract with term as he looks to sign the first deal after his entry-level contract. He is set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer.
Hurricanes Acquire Nicolas Deslauriers, Flyers Claim Luke Glendening
4:36 p.m.: If Deslauriers plays in half of Carolina’s 2026 playoff games and they win two playoff rounds, then the Flyers receive Carolina’s 2027 seventh-rounder. If those conditions aren’t met, the pick doesn’t transfer, per PuckPedia.
12:56 p.m.: The Hurricanes are acquiring winger Nicolas Deslauriers from the Flyers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. A conditional seventh-round pick in 2027 is headed the other way, per Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports. The Flyers have filled Deslauriers’ roster spot by claiming center Luke Glendening off waivers from the Devils, per Friedman.
Deslauriers, now in his 13th NHL season, moves on from the Flyers amid his fourth season in Philly. While he used to have a small bit of goal-scoring upside in his game, the 35-year-old is now a pure enforcer at this stage of his career. He’s only managed 13 shots on goal this season in 25 games, recording one assist and a -3 rating.
The left winger has been in the press box more than he’s been in the lineup this season, checking in no higher than 13th on the Flyers’ forward depth chart. He’s yet to appear in more than three consecutive games. He certainly won’t see any more frequent ice time than that in Carolina, but he’ll slot in as a press-box piece and can step in as an enforcer when needed. The Flyers, who had minimal use for the pending UFA, will happily have a chance at recouping a draft pick.
It doesn’t look like they’ll be giving Deslauriers’ spot to a prospect, though. The 36-year-old will end up giving the Flyers some short-term center depth that they’ve needed in the wake of a right ankle fracture to Rodrigo Abols that’s kept him out since January, forcing natural winger Carl Grundström to slide over to the middle.
Glendening, once viewed as one of the better defensive pivots in the league, is still hanging onto an NHL job in his 13th season. He was a PTO signing by New Jersey late last summer and landed a league-minimum contract. He’s ended up serving as their fourth-line center for most of the year but has averaged a career-low 9:54 of ice time per night through 52 appearances. He’s yet to score a goal this season and has four assists with a -11 rating. Once a top faceoff specialist, he’s down to a more pedestrian 51.7% win rate on the dot this year.
Latest On Conor Garland
Within 24 hours of the trade deadline, Canucks winger Conor Garland is becoming one of the hottest names available. The Islanders made a significant push for him earlier in the week, and while they remain in the hunt to land him, they weren’t able to get a deal done then. That’s opened the door for more suitors to make themselves known. Pierre LeBrun of TSN relays that the Blue Jackets, Capitals, Devils, Sharks, and Bruins are pitching offers in addition to the Isles’ previously reported interest.
Garland isn’t the only Vancouver winger with term available. They’ve made it known that Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk can both be had, and all three players are signed through at least 2030-31. Garland has become the most likely name to move due to a lack of trade protection, though. There’s likely an urgency on Vancouver’s end to shuffle him out before that changes on July 1, too; he’ll have a no-movement clause commencing along with the six-year, $36MM extension he signed last summer that any acquiring team will be taking on in full.
Like every Canuck, this has been a season to forget for Garland. The soon-to-be 30-year-old is normally money in the bank for 15 goals and 45 points, but has only managed a 7-19–26 scoring line in 50 appearances. His 6.8% shooting rate is by far a career low and nearly four full points below his career average, though. Some positive regression is due.
Nonetheless, teams have never been keen on Garland as a finisher. His value comes from his playmaking ability and his high-end speed – plus a good degree of pot-stirring and physicality despite only checking in at 5’10” and 165 lbs.
Columbus has an apt top-nine, even if their team offense is right around league average. There isn’t so much a short-term need for Garland as there is a long-term one. A player with that much contractual security is attractive for a Blue Jackets team that has three of its top six players in terms of points-per-game this season slated for unrestricted free agency this summer. They’re looking to get deals done for all of Charlie Coyle, Boone Jenner, and Mason Marchment, but in the likely event they don’t go three-for-three, they’ll need some sort of insurance policy. That’s where Garland comes in.
Garland would be a similar long-term insurance policy for the Caps to make sure they don’t lose too much firepower if Alex Ovechkin opts to call it a career in the coming months. Of course, the 40-year-old is still Washington’s leading scorer with 24 goals and 50 points in 63 games, but has remained noncommittal about whether he’ll re-sign in Washington (he’s a pending UFA), return home to Russia to close out his career, or retire outright.
New Jersey has been clear about its desire to add an impact top-nine piece. They’re willing to dangle a defenseman to make it happen, but if they’re going to make 2022 #2 overall pick Simon Nemec available to Vancouver, they’ll likely ask for more than just Garland. Earlier today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said any Devils blue-liner outside of Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce is available.
The Sharks have an excess of prospects and draft capital to leverage. For a Canucks team clearly headed toward something more resembling a full teardown than a retool, they could be well-positioned to provide the most attractive package – plus an already-established relationship after San Jose acquired Kiefer Sherwood from Vancouver just a couple of months ago.
That Boston would be interested in Garland, too, is no surprise considering they’ve also had some documented interest in a reunion with DeBrusk. The latter has been more productive and carries a slightly lesser cap hit, but, because of those two factors, might require a slightly richer price than Garland that they aren’t willing to pay.