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Devils Recall Isaac Poulter

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The Devils recalled goaltender Isaac Poulter from AHL Utica on Friday, per a team release. He’ll serve as Jake Allen’s backup for the next four to six weeks after the team confirmed starter Jacob Markström sustained an MCL sprain in Wednesday’s game against the Bruins. The Devils had two open roster spots, so they didn’t need to place Markström on injured reserve to recall Poulter.

Poulter has been recalled multiple times over the last two seasons under emergency conditions but has yet to make his NHL debut. The 23-year-old notably gets the call over Nico Daws, who’s racked up 46 games of NHL experience in a depth role between the pipes for New Jersey since the 2021-22 campaign.

That’s because Poulter has significantly outperformed the 24-year-old Daws with Utica this season. Neither goaltender has posted encouraging numbers behind one of the AHL’s worst teams, but Poulter’s 2.90 GAA, 8-7-3 record, and .897 SV% in 19 games clear Daws’ 3.27 GAA, 4-12-1 record, and .892 SV%.

With Markström on the shelf for an extended period, Poulter should make at least one start during this recall. The Devils don’t have any back-to-backs between now and the break in the schedule for the 4 Nations Face-Off. However, if Markström returns during the middle of his recovery window, New Jersey returns to play after the break with a back-to-back (with travel) against the Stars and Predators that should provide a ripe opportunity for Allen to rest and Poulter to debut.

Poulter, a Winnipeg native, joined the Devils organization in 2022 on an AHL contract with Utica as an undrafted free agent out of the Western Hockey League’s Swift Current Broncos. New Jersey signed him to an entry-level contract in February last season to add him as a recall option. He’s played 60 AHL games over the past three seasons, recording a 2.90 GAA, .900 SV%, four shutouts, and a 32-18-8 record. He also has a 2.82 GAA and .911 SV% in 28 appearances for ECHL Adirondack.

Devils’ Jacob Markstrom Out 4-6 Weeks With Knee Sprain

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Jan. 24: Markstrom’s absence will likely stand in the four-to-six-week range, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast. That keeps him out of the 4 Nations tournament and potentially up until the trade deadline, but all indications point to him being back between the pipes for the stretch run.

Jan. 23: A frightening situation from last night’s game against the Boston Bruins has worsened for the New Jersey Devils. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported that Devils’ goaltender Jacob Markstrom has been diagnosed with a knee sprain and could be sidelined until after the 4 Nations Face-Off, which concludes mid-February.

Weekes states that the diagnosis is more favorable than anticipated, but it adds insult to injury for a team that has struggled recently. Bruins’ forward Justin Brazeau collided with Markstrom early in the second period of yesterday’s game, causing the Swedish goaltender to awkwardly hit his net. Markstrom exited the game after 23:09 of action, having stopped six out of seven shots.

After managing three straight wins against intra-divisional opponents in mid-December, New Jersey has amassed a 3-6-3 record in their last 12 games falling to third place in the Metropolitan Division. It’s difficult to blame Markstrom for the rough patch given he’s managed a respectable .907 save percentage over the same span. Throughout the regular season, Markstrom has been exactly what the Devils needed with a 21-9-5 record in 36 starts with a .910 SV% and 2.20 goals-against average.

While Jake Allen may not be as skilled as Markstrom, he is certainly a better option than many backup goaltenders. This season, he has started 14 games for New Jersey, recording a 6-8-1 record with a .901 save percentage and a 2.66 goals-against average. New Jersey only has seven games between now and the end of February’s international tournament so he won’t have too much to shoulder. Although it may be challenging to count on Allen to steal wins for the Devils, he remains a capable veteran goalie.

In addition to the impact of Markstrom’s injury on the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference playoff race, it could pose a significant challenge for Team Sweden. The team is already facing the potential unavailability of Linus Ullmark due to his injury status, and Filip Gustavsson has struggled with a .839 save percentage over his last four starts, which has not instilled much confidence. Multiple sources indicate that Philadelphia Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson would be called to fill the role if neither Markstrom nor Ullmark can participate in the Four Nations Face-Off because of injury. 

Tom McVie Passes Away

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Former NHL coach and longtime Bruins scout Tom McVie has passed away at age 89, the team announced Monday. McVie played 18 seasons with various minor league clubs from 1956 to 1974, then was the head coach of the Capitals, Jets, and Devils in parts of nine seasons from 1975 to 1992.

McVie began his NHL career behind the bench in a difficult situation, taking over Washington’s bench partway through their second season in the league. He was tasked with molding together one of the worst rosters in league history, one that had finished 8-67-5 in their expansion season and recorded only 11 wins in year two. While he understandably didn’t make the playoffs in any of his three seasons in Washington, he did get the team out of complete embarrassment territory and was behind the bench for a 24-win season in 1976-77.

After being let go by the Caps following the 1977-78 season, McVie headed to the World Hockey Association to take over Winnipeg’s bench midway through their final season before the NHL-WHA merger. He guided the Jets to an 11-8-0 record to end the season before upsetting both the Nordiques and Oilers to win the final Avco Cup championship, with a roster that included future NHL All-Stars Morris Lukowich and Kent Nilsson.

McVie stayed with Winnipeg post-merger but was fired 28 games into the 1980-81 campaign after the team compiled a 1-20-7 record. He then headed to the Devils organization, where he’d serve as an AHL coach for many years but got a few cracks at the NHL head coach gig in the 1983-84, 1990-91 and 1991-92 campaigns. Boston picked up McVie as an assistant coach the following season, and after transitioning through a few different roles, they made him a pro scout in 1998. He held that role until retiring following the 2019-20 season.

We at Pro Hockey Rumors send our condolences to McVie’s family, friends, and peers.

Morning Notes: Halonen, White, Smith

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The New Jersey Devils have reassigned forward Brian Halonen and defenseman Colton White to the AHL’s Utica Comets. Both players served as extras for the team’s last few games. White didn’t step into the lineup at all during his three-day recall, while Halonen appeared in one game during his four days on the NHL roster.

Both players have served at the top of Utica’s lineup for the majority of the season. Halonen is leading the team in goals (13) and tied for the lead in points (21) through 31 games. White has also been productive, with 11 points in 26 games ranking him third on the blue-line in scoring behind Seamus Casey and Simon Nemec. Despite that, neither player has cracked into a routine NHL role. Halonen has earned the first three NHL games of his career between this season and last, though he’s still searching for his first point. White has 84 career NHL games and 10 points, but hasn’t played in the top league since 2022-23. With this move, the duo will return to fighting for a full-time move to the top flight with strong play in the minors.

Across the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes have once again assigned defenseman Ty Smith to the AHL, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Smith has bounced between rosters all season long. He’s ultimately appeared scored two points in eight NHL games, and 10 points in 13 AHL games on the season. Smith has continued to be productive in the minor leagues, after being 43 points in 63 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season. He’s still a swing away from a routine NHL role, especially behind a loaded Hurricanes defense.

Devils Place Erik Haula On IR, Recall Colton White

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1/18: Halonen has been returned to the NHL roster and will step into the lineup on Saturday, per James Nichols. Nichols also shared that the team is also anticipating the return of Noesen, who should return to his premier role in the middle-six.

1/17: The New Jersey Devils have moved centerman Erik Haula to injured reserve retroactive to January 4th, when Haula suffered an ankle sprain in a loss to the San Jose Sharks. He has missed five games since then. In a corresponding move, New Jersey has also recalled defenseman Colton White from the AHL’s Utica Comets. White’s recall gives New Jersey a seventh defenseman ahead of their pair of home games this weekend.

Haula is joined on the absentee list by fellow middle-six forward Stefan Noesen – who has missed the Devils’ last two games with illness. The duo’s absence has weighed heavily on a Devils team whose lack of depth is quickly becoming apparent. Noesen has far-and-away been the more productive of the pair, so far posting 28 points in 45 games this season. He’s only nine points shy of passing the career-high 37 points he scored last season – a mark he should smash, even despite missing time recently.

Haula only has 11 points on the year to match, a far step down from his point totals over the last three seasons. He has managed 44, 41, and 35 points in the last three seasons respectively – the first coming with Boston and the latter two in New Jersey. Haula’s ability to produce from down the depth chart has been a vital piece to keeping the Devils’ offense cohesive. New Jersey hasn’t found a replacement for that production with Haula lacking, and aren’t likely to find further help in his absence.

Finally, depth winger Brian Halonen has been reassigned to the Utica Comets in a paper transaction, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now. Halonen has posted a serviceable 13 goals and 21 points in 31 AHL games this season, but is still searching for his first NHL point after two scoreless games last season.

Devils Considering Extending Kovacevic; Yegorov Transfers To Boston University

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The Devils are discussing the idea of potentially trying to re-sign defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli (video link).  Acquired for a fourth-round pick from Montreal in the summer to add defensive depth, the 27-year-old is logging nearly 20 minutes a game for New Jersey and has become an important piece of their back end.  His presence helped push Simon Nemec to the minors, something the youngster recently voiced some frustration about; keeping Kovacevic could make it a bit harder for Nemec to get back to the NHL.  Signed to a cap hit below the league minimum this season, Kovacevic could push for $3MM or more on the open market if his second half play is similar to how things went in the first few months.

  • Still with the Devils, prospect Mikhail Yegorov has found a new place to play. USHL Omaha announced that the goaltender has transferred to play at Boston University, effective immediately, a rare midseason enrolment.  The 18-year-old was a second-round pick by New Jersey last June, going 49th overall.  Yegorov improved his save percentage with the Lancers by 20 points this year, going from .892 to .912 but won just three of his 19 outings.  He’ll now get his feet wet at the college level and becomes the 14th NHL-drafted player on the Terriers.

Devils’ Simon Nemec Frustrated To Be In The AHL

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New Jersey Devils top prospect, Simon Nemec, made some comments earlier this week when discussing his future with the Devils and his current status in the AHL (as per Tomáš Prokop of Dennik Sports). The defenseman stated that he was not happy with his current position in the AHL and voiced his displeasure, saying that he feels he has proven that he belongs in the NHL. He also added that it is too early to request a trade but at some point, the situation would need to be addressed.

The 2022 second-overall pick is in his third professional season, most of which he has spent with the Utica Comets of the AHL. However, last season the 20-year-old did dress in 60 NHL games with New Jersey and was effective, tallying three goals and 16 assists and garnering some Calder Trophy consideration for top rookie.

James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now reached out to the Devils organization to see if they were aware of any frustrations with Nemec and said they weren’t aware of that but knew that he was disappointed to be playing outside the NHL.

Nemec did mention in his interview that he felt he was moving on from one of the toughest times he’s had in hockey, as he dealt with an upper-body injury earlier this season that he suffered at the 2026 Olympic qualifiers. Nemec was able to make the team out of training camp but had a very slow start in the NHL, posting just a single assist in nine games before he was demoted to Utica.

He’s been good in the AHL, posting 16 points in 23 games. However, the tricky part for Nemec is that the Devils’ defense is deep, and they are playing some great hockey this season, which adds to the challenge of getting back to the NHL.

Devils Looking To Add A Center

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Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic sat down with New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald to discuss what the team is looking to do before the NHL Trade Deadline. Fitzgerald mentioned that he has an open mind at this point, but that the pro scouting department has identified the center position as an area of need. The news isn’t all that surprising, given that the Devils were linked to Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans just a week ago.

Fitzgerald has been looking at potential trade options and has reportedly already started calling teams to see who might be available. Centers are always in demand, and as Fitzgerald points out in the interview, you can never have enough of them. The Devils could certainly use some depth scoring in their forward group as it remains one of their few weaknesses, and if they can’t acquire a center, they may need to settle for a winger.

LeBrun points out that possible targets include Ryan O’Reilly, Yanni Gourde, and Scott Laughton. Gourde would be a rental as his contract expires at the end of the season, while O’Reilly has two years remaining on his deal at a cap hit of $4.5MM, and Laughton has one year left on his deal. Fitzgerald said he was open to acquiring either a rental or a player with term and would look at both options in his hunt for a center.

The Devils have made many changes over the last year, addressing their goaltending and defense last summer while tinkering with other parts of their roster. They are certainly one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference and could very well put themselves over the top in the next few weeks if they can address their depth scoring and add the center they desire.

Devils Recall Brian Halonen

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The Devils announced that winger Brian Halonen has been recalled from AHL Utica. There was no corresponding move since New Jersey had an open roster spot, and their active roster is now full.

This is the first time this season Halonen has been summoned from the minors after inking a two-year, two-way contract extension last May. He still needs one more professional season under his belt to require waivers, so he was sent down to Utica near the end of training camp without incident.

Halonen comes up to serve as an extra forward with Stefan Noesen unavailable for tonight’s game against the Maple Leafs due to illness, the team said. Erik Haula has also been ruled out with his ankle sprain and is still a ways away from returning, although he remains on the active roster. Halonen will likely sit in the press box while enforcer Kurtis MacDermid slots in at wing instead of defense.

The 26-year-old Halonen has played 31 games for Utica this season, leading the club with 13 goals and tying for the team lead with 21 points. The undrafted free agent signing out of Michigan Tech back in 2022 made his NHL debut last season across a pair of appearances, recording two shots on goal and two hits in 16:34 of total ice time. He hasn’t gotten a real opportunity to flash any offensive upside at the NHL level, but he has been a valuable contributor throughout his time in Utica with 83 points through 135 career AHL games.

As for Noesen, it’s a brief blip in an otherwise fantastic season for the veteran winger. In his second go-around in the Garden State, the 31-year-old has already set a new career-high in goals with 17 through 45 games. The Devils pried him away from the Hurricanes on the open market last summer with a three-year, $8.25MM contract that so far looks like a worthy investment.

Kovacevic Fined For Cross-Check

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  • The NHL announced that Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic has been fined just under $2K (his maximum allowable under the CBA relative to his salary) for a cross-checking incident in last night’s game against Florida. Meanwhile, the league also announced that Utah center Jack McBain was fined a little under $4.2K for a high-stick on Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher last night.  The fines go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

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