Devils Recall Seven Black Aces
Since the Devils’ AHL affiliate in Utica failed to make the Calder Cup Playoffs, New Jersey is beefing up its postseason roster with seven Black Aces. The team announced they’ve recalled forwards Brian Halonen, Mike Hardman, Nathan Legare, Marc McLaughlin, defensemen Topias Vilen, Colton White, and goaltender Isaac Poulter as practice players for the remainder of their playoff run.
While the group is technically available to play postseason games for the Devils if need be, that’s never the purpose behind Black Ace recalls during the postseason. Instead, they’ll skate with the team to extend their season since they’re not getting any AHL action.
The four forwards each got into NHL games for New Jersey in 2024-25. It marked Legare’s NHL debut and Hardman’s and McLaughlin’s Devils debuts. Halonen, an undrafted free agent signing out of Michigan Tech in 2022, made a couple of appearances in January amid a strong minor-league showing. Halonen led Utica in goals (27) and ranked second in points (40) in 62 showings. He signed a two-year, two-way extension last May, so he’ll be back with the club next season, barring a trade.
Hardman also logged a pair of appearances for New Jersey, one in December and one in April. They were his first in the NHL since March 2023 as a member of the Blackhawks. A depth free agent pickup last summer, he’s also under contract through 2025-26. The 26-year-old scored 18-17–35 in 57 AHL games and had a team-high +11 rating.
Legare, 24, made his NHL debut in December with a trio of appearances and recorded a minus-one rating. He’s already on his third NHL organization. A third-round pick of the Penguins in 2019, he was traded to the Canadiens in August 2023 as part of the Erik Karlsson three-team deal. He spent under a full season in Montreal’s system before they traded him to New Jersey in a minor-league swap ahead of last year’s AHL trade deadline. He’s a restricted free agent this summer and is eligible for arbitration.
McLaughlin arrived in Newark at the trade deadline, acquired from the Bruins for defenseman Daniil Misyul. He played in the Devils’ final two games of the regular season and recorded an assist and a minus-one rating. The 25-year-old center had six assists in 16 games for Utica after the trade and will be a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer, so this could be the end of his short stint as a Devil.
Vilen, 22, has yet to make his NHL debut. New Jersey drafted the rearguard in the fifth round of the 2021 draft and he’s coming off his second full season with Utica. The 6’1″, 194-lb lefty had 1-23–24 with a plus-two rating in 58 games this year and has one season remaining on his entry-level contract.
White was a Devils draft pick back in 2015 and returned to the organization last summer after a two-year stint with the Ducks. He hasn’t played in the NHL since logging a career-high 46 appearances for Anaheim in 2022-23. The 27-year-old depth piece rediscovered his game in Utica after a tough second year with Anaheim’s affiliate in San Diego, posting 4-17–21 in 61 games with a plus-one rating.
Poulter has been on the Devils’ roster more than a few times over the past two seasons as an emergency recall and, despite dressing as a backup for regular-season action, hasn’t touched the ice. He posted a .898 SV%, 2.86 GAA, one shutout, and a 16-13-7 record in 36 showings for Utica this year.
Jonas Siegenthaler Returns To Practice, Upgraded To Day-To-Day
- Devils rearguard Jonas Siegenthaler practiced today for the first time since undergoing lower-body surgery in February, tweets the team’s Amanda Stein. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said they’re “getting more aggressive with [his timeline] now to see how we can push it just given the circumstances,” via NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. New Jersey went without defenders Brenden Dillon and Luke Hughes in Game 2 and isn’t expecting to get either back for Game 3 against Carolina tomorrow.
Devils’ Luke Hughes, Brenden Dillon Out For Game 2
Devils defensemen Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon will both miss tonight’s Game 2 matchup with the Hurricanes, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe (X link).
The team’s leading scorer and hitter among defensemen in the regular season, respectively, both sustained injuries in Sunday’s Game 1 loss. Hughes left the game briefly in the third period after getting tangled up with Carolina center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, favoring his left shoulder – the same one he injured last offseason but didn’t have surgically repaired. He returned for a pair of shifts late in the game. He recorded a minus-one rating, two shots on goal, seven shot attempts, one block, and three giveaways in 22:20 of ice time. Hughes was one of the few players who controlled play for New Jersey at 5-on-5 in the 4-1 loss, recording a Corsi share of 54.4% and an expected goals share of 58.1% (per Natural Stat Trick).
Injured on the same play was center Cody Glass, who did not return to the game after taking a heavy inadvertent slash from Devils netminder Jacob Markström as he was crossing in front of the net. Thankfully, he won’t miss time and called the play “pretty funny” to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh.
Dillon’s absence from Game 2 is less surprising. The physical shutdown defender left Game 1 midway through the second period after falling awkwardly in a net-front battle with William Carrier and could not get up without assistance from Devils head athletic trainer Scott Stanhibel. He didn’t return after the apparent lower-body injury, although New Jersey hasn’t handed down a specific injury designation to either Dillon or Hughes. Dillon recorded four hits in 8:53 of ice time before leaving the game. The Devils were outshot 7-3 and outchanced 6-2 with Dillon on the ice at 5-on-5 to begin the game.
Thus, after getting decisively outplayed by the Hurricanes in Game 1, the Devils enter Game 2 without half of their regular complement of defensemen. They were already without Jonas Siegenthaler, who hasn’t played since Feb. 4 due to a lower-body injury and is not expected back until the second round at the earliest. In-season waiver claim Dennis Cholowski and 2022 No. 2 overall pick Simon Nemec will replace Dillon and Hughes in the lineup, according to Baugh.
Siegenthaler Unlikely To Play In First Round
- It would be a surprise to see defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler suit up for the Devils in their series against Carolina, relays team reporter Amanda Stein (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has missed the last two-and-a-half months with a lower-body injury and had initially been ruled out for the rest of the regular season. Clearly, Siegenthaler, who logged nearly 20 minutes a night before being injured, will need more time to recover. Meanwhile, Stein relays in a separate tweet that defenseman Brenden Dillon was eager to return to play today after exiting in the second period but was held back by team doctors. Nonetheless, that’s an encouraging sign for his availability heading into Tuesday’s second game. However, there was no update on center Cody Glass who exited the game after taking a slash from teammate Jacob Markstrom.
Palat Returns To Practice Ahead Of Playoffs
New Jersey Devils’ forward Ondrej Palat was back at practice today after suffering an undisclosed injury in the final week of the regular season that required him to miss Wednesday night’s game against the Red Wings, per team reporter Amanda Stein. Palat left a game against Boston after blocking a shot, but his x-rays came back negative, and he appears ready to go for the playoffs.
On the year, Palat scored 15 goals and 28 points while averaging 13:45 of ice time per night. The veteran also brings a wealth of playoff experience to the table, having played in 150 career playoff contests. The two-time Stanley Cup champ has shown an ability to take his game to another level in the playoffs, scoring 101 points in those contests, including seven points in 12 games for the Devils last season.
While Palat looks good to go, head coach Sheldon Keefe said today that “it would be a surprise” if defender Jonas Siegenthaler is ready for their first-round matchup against Carolina. Siegenthaler, 27, posted nine points in 55 games on the season, while adding 92 blocked shots and 75 hits. Siegenthaler has been out of the lineup for a little more than a month due to a lower-body injury and was moved to LTIR in recent days before Jack Hughes’ season-ending shoulder surgery. His defensive-minded play would support the Devils if he were able to return.
11 Teams To Carry Bonus Overage Cap Penalties In 2025-26
The end of the regular season also means the end of daily salary cap calculations across the NHL. With no more cap-related transactions left in the year, 11 teams have officially finished over the salary cap because players on entry-level or 35+ contracts earned performance bonuses that put them above the upper limit. They’ll carry bonus overage penalties in 2025-26 as a result. Those teams break down as follows, per PuckPedia:
Carolina Hurricanes: $33K – $1.076MM
Carolina’s numbers vary wildly here because of the $1.0375MM bonus rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin will incur if he wins the Conn Smythe. Their guaranteed $33K penalty comes from Logan Stankoven‘s post-acquisition games-played bonuses. There’s the potential for an additional $5K penalty if rookie Juha Jaaska plays at least two playoff games. Carolina ends the year in LTIR, so they can’t afford any bonuses. They don’t have any other cap charges next year.
Dallas Stars: $368K
The Stars ended the year in LTIR, so all of Wyatt Johnston‘s $319K in Schedule A bonuses and Logan Stankoven‘s $49.5K games-played bonus, which they paid out before he was traded to the Hurricanes, count as penalties next year. Their total dead cap charges will total $1.801MM with another year of Ryan Suter‘s buyout on the books.
Detroit Red Wings: $871K
Detroit ended the year with a comfortable $2.02MM in cap space but had $2.888MM in performance bonuses to dole out, so they’ll get hit with a six-figure penalty next year. Patrick Kane hit $1.75MM in games played bonuses this year as part of his 35+ contract, while Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper each hit multiple Schedule A bonus categories for $638K and $500K in respective bonuses. They also have a $1.056MM cap charge next season for the final year of Justin Abdelkader‘s buyout, bringing their total dead cap next season to $1.927MM.
Edmonton Oilers: $150K – $250K
All of the Oilers’ penalties stem from Corey Perry‘s 35+ contract after ending the season in LTIR. He’s already earned $150K in games played bonuses and could earn up to $100K in playoff bonuses – $50K if the Oilers win two rounds and Perry plays in either half of the second-round games or half of the total first and second-round games, and another $50K if they win three rounds and Perry plays in either half of the Western Conference Final games or half the total games through the WCF. That’s on top of the $2.3MM cap charge Edmonton faces from buying out Jack Campbell.
Los Angeles Kings: $213K
It’s simple here – the Kings couldn’t fit the performance bonus earned by Brandt Clarke for hitting 25 assists. That gives them $813K in dead cap next year, combined with the Mike Richards buyout.
Minnesota Wild: $1.1MM – $1.15MM
The Wild ended the year with just $36K in cap space, so virtually all of the performance bonuses earned by Marco Rossi and Brock Faber hitting their full complement of Schedule A targets ($850K and $250K, respectively) will count as a penalty. The number could increase slightly if rookie defenseman Zeev Buium plays five playoff games or wins the Conn Smythe, each landing him a $25K bonus. Minnesota’s total dead cap charges will be at least $2.767MM with Zach Parise‘s and Ryan Suter‘s buyouts still on the books, albeit at a drastically reduced cost from the last few years.
Montreal Canadiens: $1.728MM – $2.308MM
All of the Canadiens’ performance bonuses awarded this season will count toward their overage because they ended the year with Carey Price on long-term injured reserve to remain cap-compliant. Star rookie Lane Hutson maxed out his Schedule A bonuses for $750K, Juraj Slafkovsky earned $500K in A bonuses for finishing top-six among Montreal forwards in average time on ice and top-three in plus-minus rating, defenseman Kaiden Guhle maxed out his $420K in A bonuses, and rearguard Jayden Struble earned his $57.5K games played bonus. Their penalty will increase based on the performance bonuses rookie Ivan Demidov incurs in the postseason. He’ll earn $25K for five playoff appearances, $30K for 10, and a whopping $525K bonus if he wins the Conn Smythe Trophy. The Habs don’t have any other dead cap charges next year, but still have to contend with the final year of Price’s deal.
New Jersey Devils: $1MM
The Devils ended the season in long-term injured reserve and thus can’t afford reigning Calder Trophy finalist Luke Hughes‘ $1MM in Schedule A bonuses. At present, it’s the only dead cap charge New Jersey will have next year.
New York Islanders: $600K – $850K
Mathew Barzal‘s and Semyon Varlamov‘s LTIR placements kept the Isles cap-compliant at season’s end, so the entirety of Matt Martin‘s $100K in games played bonuses and Maxim Tsyplakov‘s $500K in Schedule A bonuses (plus-minus and ice time). If Tsyplakov makes the NHL’s All-Rookie Team, he’ll incur an additional $250K bonus. New York doesn’t have any other dead cap charges next year.
St. Louis Blues: $2.153MM
The Blues are currently set to incur the most significant bonus overage penalty of any team next year. Most of that comes from the $2.225MM in performance bonuses awarded to veteran Ryan Suter in his 35+ contract last summer. He earned all of them, while sophomore Zachary Bolduc earned a $212.5K bonus for finishing in the top three in plus-minus rating among St. Louis forwards. Those, less the Blues’ $284K in season-ending cap space, give them a bonus overage carryover penalty of $2.153MM. Barring any buyouts this summer, that will comprise their entire dead cap hit for 2025-26.
Toronto Maple Leafs: $626K
Since they ended the season in LTIR, the performance bonuses Max Pacioretty earned for playing 37 games on his 35+ contract will count against the Leafs’ cap next year. As things stand, they could begin the year with an additional $300K in dead cap if Ryan Reaves and Matt Benning are buried in the minors as they were to end 2024-25.
The Capitals could find themselves added to this list if rookie Ryan Leonard wins the Conn Smythe. He’s owed $275K if he does, which the Caps can’t accommodate after ending the year in LTIR.
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.
Hardman And McLaughlin Sent Back To Utica
- The Devils announced that they’ve returned forwards Mike Hardman and Marc McLaughlin to AHL Utica. Both players were recalled on Wednesday and suited up in their regular season finale. Hardman had an assist in two NHL games while contributing 35 points with the Comets. As for McLaughlin, his NHL season wrapped up with two goals and three assists in 14 games between New Jersey and Boston while adding 19 points in 48 outings between their respective AHL franchises.
Devils Dougie Hamilton Returns From Injury
The Devils Dougie Hamilton is in the lineup tonight against the Detroit Red Wings, per a team announcement. The defender has missed the past 18 games due to a lower body injury he sustained on March 4th against the Dallas Stars. He has recovered quicker than expected after it was originally thought he would miss the remainer of the regular season.
According to an NHL release, Hamilton has been skating on his own the past three weeks and participated in warmups prior to Sunday’s game against the Islanders. Tonight, he has slotted right back into the team’s top pairing alongside Brenden Dillon.
On the season, the offensive-minded defender has put up 9 goals, 31 assists and 40 points in 63 games. He has added 81 blocked shots, 74 hits, a plus-nine rating, and has averaged 19:48 of total ice time per game on the year. In his career, the 31-year-old has scored 501 points in 834 career games.
Prior to the game, Devils coach Sheldon Keefe noted how hard Hamilton has worked to get ahead of schedule and back into the lineup. He added that Hamilton was, “Excited to go.”
New Jersey will finish third in the Metropolitan Division and will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Hamilton’s return and ability to shake off a little rust tonight, should support the Devils’ efforts in the playoffs. In 66 career playoff games, Hamilton has posted 29 points.
Devils Recall Nico Daws, Mike Hardman
The Devils announced they’ve recalled goaltender Nico Daws and forward Mike Hardman from AHL Utica. They’ll presumably dress for tonight’s regular-season finale against the Red Wings to allow a couple of players to rest ahead of their pending Game 1 of the playoffs against the Hurricanes.
Daws’ time in New Jersey this year has been short and sweet. There haven’t been many opportunities for upward mobility for him this year, with veterans Jacob Markström and Jake Allen having strong seasons, but when he gets the chance to play due to injuries, he’s seized it. He’s won all three of his starts and made an additional two relief appearances, posting a shining .966 SV% and 0.88 GAA – including a 29-save shutout against the Predators on Feb. 23. That’s good for a remarkable 6.9 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.
Puzzlingly, the 24-year-old hasn’t fared nearly as well in the minors. He’s logged a 3.16 GAA and .893 SV% with one shutout and an 11-20-3 record in 34 showings for the Comets. It’s his second straight AHL season below the .900 mark. The 2020 third-rounder still has another year left on his contract with an $812.5K cap hit. It changes from a two-way to a one-way deal for next year, though, so he’ll get a significant raise even if he stays in the minors.
Hardman has made a lone appearance for the Devils this year, slotting into a game against the Rangers in early December. It was the 38th appearance of his career, which has spanned parts of four NHL seasons. The 26-year-old has been an infrequent call-up option for Chicago and New Jersey over his pro career, signing with the Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent out of Boston College in 2021.
After three-plus years in the Blackhawks organization, Hardman achieved Group VI unrestricted free agent status last summer and inked a two-year, two-way deal in New Jersey, so they’ve got him as depth for next season, too. The 6’2″, 205-lb forward leads Utica with a +11 rating and ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 18-17–35 in 57 games. He has 1-4–5 in his 38 career NHL appearances.
Devils Sign Shane Lachance To Entry-Level Contract
The Devils announced today that they’ve signed left-winger Shane Lachance to a two-year entry-level contract starting next season. The deal carries a $925K cap hit with an $832.5K salary, a $92.5K signing bonus, up to $250K in Schedule ‘A’ performance bonuses, and an $80K minors salary each season, according to PuckPedia. He’ll finish the season on a deal with AHL Utica before reporting to training camp in the fall.
New Jersey acquired Lachance’s signing rights from the Oilers last month in the three-team deal that sent Trent Frederic to Edmonton. He’s coming off his sophomore season with Boston University, dropping the national championship game to Western Michigan last weekend.
The 6’5″, 220-lb forward was a sixth-round pick by the Oilers back in 2021 from the Boston Jr. Bruins of the National Collegiate Development Conference, a Tier II junior league. Lachance made the jump to major junior the following year with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL, spending two years there before emerging as an elder freshman for BU in 2023-24. After a 27-point effort in his first year, he recorded 12-18–30 in 40 games this season to rank fifth on the team in scoring while sharing the captaincy.
Lachance ends his collegiate career with 25-32–57 in 80 games for the Terriers. The son of longtime NHL defenseman Scott Lachance was named to Hockey East’s All-Academic Team in his freshman year.
The 21-year-old arrives in Jersey with a legitimate shot at carving out a role in their bottom six in short order. It’s likely he remains in Utica to begin next season, but a midseason call-up isn’t out of the questions. He was Edmonton’s No. 6 prospect before the trade, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic wrote. He’s presumably lower on the list in a deeper Devils pool but likely remains a top-10 prospect in the system.
Lachance will be a restricted free agent when his ELC expires in 2027 and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2031.