Devils Recall Justin Dowling
The Devils announced this morning that center Justin Dowling has been recalled from AHL Utica. No corresponding transaction is necessary with an open spot on the 23-man roster. He comes up to relieve Curtis Lazar, who left Sunday’s game against the Ducks with an undisclosed injury and was already ruled out of tomorrow’s game against the Canucks. The team also said that defense prospect Topias Vilén is cleared to return from his upper-body injury. He’s been activated from season-opening injured reserve and assigned to Utica.
Dowling is in the second season of a two-year, two-way deal he signed with the Devils as a free agent in 2023. The 34-year-old veteran of 14 professional seasons played a pair of NHL contests for New Jersey last year, scoring once and posting a -2 rating. The 5’10” pivot can play all three forward positions and remains an influential offensive producer at the minor league level in his twilight years, including a pair of goals and assists in six games to start this season with Utica.
The Calgary native has precisely 100 career NHL appearances under his belt, coming in parts of six seasons with the Canucks, Devils and Stars. He’s scored seven times and added 12 assists for 19 points, posting a -16 rating and averaging 10:49 per game while winning 49.3% of his draws. He could make it a seventh NHL season with an appearance tomorrow in Vancouver, a likely scenario given Lazar had been lining up at center. The Devils’ extra forward on hand for the weekend game against Anaheim was winger Nathan Bastian.
Meanwhile, Vilén’s start to 2024-25 only gets delayed by a few weeks. The 21-year-old Finn is entering his second season in North America after being selected by the Devils in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. He made 54 appearances for Utica last season, finishing second among their defenders in scoring with 29 points (2 G, 27 A) and an even rating. It was a strong showing for the 6’1″ blue liner, who could be in contention for an NHL recall later on in 2024-25.
Curtis Lazar Leaves Game With Injury
Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette is reporting that injured Colorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin is being upgraded to day-to-day, an indication that he could return to action soon. Drouin hasn’t dressed for a game since he suffered a lower-body injury in the first game of the season back on October 8th. The 29-year-old is reportedly still dealing with some pain but should be able to return when he is cleared to do so.
Colorado has not had issues putting the puck in the net this season. However, they are still without the services of several forwards and will be happy to have Drouin’s services when he gets back into the lineup.
In other notes from around the league:
- The New York Rangers have reportedly recalled forward Matt Rempe from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL (as per AHL Transactions). The 22-year-old was assigned to the AHL on Friday and dressed in two games with Hartford, where he was held without a point and went -3. New York had lent Rempe to Hartford to try and get him more playing time, but with a matchup this week against the Washington Capitals, and more specifically, Tom Wilson, the Rangers opted to bring the big man back to the NHL.
- New Jersey Devils forward Curtis Lazar left tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks and did not return (as per Mike Morreale of NHL.com). The 29-year-old collided with Ducks captain Radko Gudas when Gudas tried to execute an ill-timed hip check on Lazar, which resulted in an awkward-looking collision. Lazar appeared unable to put any weight on his left leg as he exited the game and did not return for the third period. He played just 4:40. In a post-game interview, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporter Gabriel Trevino that Lazar will miss some time.
Simon Nemec Will Sit For Third Straight Game
- Sabres winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel will make his return to the lineup tomorrow as expected, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters, including WGR Sports Radio 550’s Paul Hamilton. Buffalo still needs to free up a roster spot before taking him off injured reserve. That corresponding move will likely be placing Zach Benson, who missed practice again today with his lower-body injury and has sat out the last two games, on IR. Ruff said he wasn’t sure where Aubé-Kubel would slot in for just his second game as a Sabre after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Devils in their season opener over three weeks ago.
- 2022 second overall pick Simon Nemec will watch his Devils from the press box for the third straight game tonight, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed to the team’s Amanda Stein. Nemec hasn’t played since Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce returned to the lineup from their respective season-opening injuries and, at least for now, has been surpassed on the depth chart by 27-year-old Johnathan Kovacevic amid his hot start to the campaign. Acquired from the Canadiens in what was viewed as a minor trade at the time over the summer, Kovacevic has averaged over 21 minutes per night for the Devils thus far and has five assists with a team-high +4 rating through 11 games. Nemec, meanwhile, has struggled to be a factor with an assist and a -2 rating through nine appearances. His possession metrics have also tanked from last season when he posted a 50.2 CF% and a 53.7 xGF% with a team-high 105 blocks in just 60 appearances. This year, though, Nemec has a 42.0 CF% and 46.1 xGF%, struggling to control play at even strength despite receiving easier minutes.
Devils Reassign Daniil Misyul
The Devils have assigned defenseman Daniil Misyul to AHL Utica, per a team release.
Misyul earned his first NHL call-up on Monday, a day before his 24th birthday. The Russian-born left-shot made his NHL debut the following night, posting a -1 rating in 12:23 of ice time against the Lightning.
With Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce coming off injured reserve and returning to the lineup in last night’s loss to the Red Wings, it’s no surprise to see the Devils shed a defender from the active roster. Misyul was initially summoned to give New Jersey a much-needed left-shot option, allowing rookie Seamus Casey to go from playing his off-side in limited NHL minutes to playing his natural right side in top-pairing duties with Utica. But with Hughes back in the fold, Misyul wouldn’t get NHL playing time ahead of him, Brenden Dillon, or Jonas Siegenthaler, so he naturally heads back to the minors.
The Devils selected Misyul 70th overall in the 2019 draft. He played the following four seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl before arriving in North America for the 2023-24 campaign. Over his brief stint with Utica over the past year, he’s got 14 points (4 G, 10 A) in 47 appearances with 55 PIMs and a -1 rating. The strong, stay-at-home defender will be an RFA with arbitration rights at the end of the season.
Devils To Activate Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce
Oct. 24: Hughes and Pesce will make their season debuts tonight against the Red Wings, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed today (via Spaulding). They’ll need to be activated from injured reserve, but with two open roster spots, no corresponding transaction will be necessary.
Oct. 23: The New Jersey Devils could be getting a major boost on the blue line before their matchup tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings. Bill Spaulding of MSG Networks confirmed earlier that defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce will travel with the team to Detroit but couldn’t commit to either player participating tomorrow night.
It would seem that the Devils organization is leaning toward both players participating in tomorrow night’s action, as Detroit represents the only road game for the week. The Devils return to Newark as soon as Friday, meaning Hughes and Pesce should suit up against the New York Islanders or Anaheim Ducks by the end of the weekend.
It’ll be a major addition to a lineup that’s had a solid start to the campaign. New Jersey currently sits ninth in the league in GF/G at 3.56 and 17th in GA/G at 3.11. Pesce should help in the latter category with a career 51.2 CF% and 90.6% on-ice save percentage in all situations.
Neither defenseman has participated in a regular-season contest up to this point in the year, with Hughes recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and Pesce making his way back from leg surgery to repair a fibula fracture. New Jersey’s overall play in the defensive zone up to this point is largely a testament to the depth they added this past offseason.
This leads to the question of which defensemen will ultimately exit the lineup once Hughes and Pesce return. Rookie newcomer Daniil Misyul is an obvious candidate for reassignment for Hughes, but the Devils have a much more difficult question on the right side.
Before the start of the season, Johnathan Kovacevic would have been the likeliest candidate to become the team’s seventh defenseman. Instead, he’s been the Devils highest-scoring defenseman to start the season with one goal and five points in nine games while averaging 21:34 minutes a night.
Putting stalwart Dougie Hamilton aside, this leaves youngster Simon Nemec as the likeliest candidate for the Devils’ seventh defenseman role. The former second-overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft only has one assist through nine games to start the year and has been largely sheltered with a 16:07 average ice time. Coupled with Nemec’s poor possession metrics to start the year — the Devils could use Pesce or Hughes’s return as a wake-up call to their young blue-liner.
Return Of Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce "Is Imminent"
- The New Jersey Devils sent defenseman Seamus Casey to AHL Utica this morning in exchange for Daniil Misyul despite the former scoring three goals and four points in his first eight NHL contests. Team reporter Amanda Stein revealed additional content for the move mentioning that although defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce won’t suit up tomorrow night, their return “is imminent”. The two undoubtedly will improve New Jersey’s chances of returning to the NHL playoffs next spring as they currently sit ninth in the NHL in points percentage through eight games.
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Devils Reassign Seamus Casey, Recall Daniil Misyul
Devils rookie defenseman Seamus Casey will get some reps in the minors after being sent down to AHL Utica, per a team announcement. 24-year-old Daniil Misyul was recalled in a corresponding transaction and will likely make his NHL debut tomorrow against the Lightning.
Casey, 20, managed to crack New Jersey’s opening night roster on his first try, undoubtedly aided by injuries to Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce. But the 2022 second-round pick took the opportunity and ran with it, posting three goals and an assist with a +2 rating through his first eight contests. He’s been highly sheltered by head coach Sheldon Keefe, averaging under 12 minutes per game. That’s related to some shoddy possession metrics, especially considering his frequent offensive-zone deployment. He’s controlled just 40.4% of shot attempts, far below the team average, with his rating boosted by a sky-high 97.8 oiSV%.
The former Michigan standout is also one of four right-shot defensemen on the Devils roster, and he’s been the one tabbed to play on his off side with Hughes out. That likely offers some explanation for his poor defensive showing thus far, but regardless, some extended time in Utica logging top-four minutes on his natural right side should do wonders for his development in his first professional season. It’s also why they’ve recalled a left-shot defender in Misyul.
Casey, who checks in at 5’10” and 181 lbs, had 15 goals and 59 assists for 74 points in 77 games in NCAA play for the Wolverines over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. His offensive dominance helped guide Michigan to the Big 10 championship in 2023 and earned him a spot on the NCAA’s West Region First All-American Team last year.
Misyul has been in New Jersey’s system much longer than Casey, going 70th overall in the 2019 draft. The Belarusian defender came over to North America just last season and is in the final year of his entry-level contract. A physical, stay-at-home talent, Misyul has no points and a -2 rating with 8 PIMs in three games for Utica so far this season. He had 14 points and a +1 rating in 44 appearances for the Comets last year.
Devils Place Adam Beckman On Waivers
The New Jersey Devils have placed forward Adam Beckman on waivers. Beckman recently returned from starting the year on the injured non-roster list, taking part in a handful of Devils practices before this waivers designation. New Jersey acquired the 23-year-old winger in a June trade with the Minnesota Wild that sent Graeme Clarke the other way.
Beckman has struggled ot find his footing at a pro level since making his AHL debut with the Iowa Wild in 2020. He recorded 39 points across his first 77 AHL games, split between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons – just enough to earn the first three NHL games of his career. But Beckman only managed one assist in those outings and would continue the cycle of promising production in the minors followed by lackluster production in the NHL through last season. Beckman has totaled 108 points across five years and 181 games in the minors, but only three points – all assists – in 23 NHL games.
It’s been a far fall for Beckman, originally the 75th-overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft after a strong year with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. He followed the draft with a dazzling 107 points in 63 WHL games in the 2019-20 season. That hot scoring continued through 27 games of the next season, propelling his juniors scoring to 196 points in 153 games. He was scouted as a swift playmaker with strong shooting and passing – capable of exploding through the neutral zone and quickly finding teammates. But his explosivity hasn’t carried over to the pro flight, and he hasn’t yet found a way to lean into the physical upside of his six-foot-two, 185-pound frame. Beckman will need to first clear waivers, but seems set to return to productivity with the Utica Comets – and hopefully bring the strong production up to the top flight when he’s called up next.
Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce Resume Skating
- The New Jersey Devils are eagerly awaiting the return of defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce to their active roster. Team reporter Amanda Stein shared that both defensemen skated with the team this morning but aren’t expected back sooner than anticipated. It’s a positive step in the right direction for both players but don’t tell New Jersey they’re supposed to be missing them. The team currently leads the Eastern Conference in points with 10 after a 5-2-0 start through their first seven games.
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Santeri Hatakka Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Out Indefinitely
The New Jersey Devils will be without one of their depth defensemen for the foreseeable future. The organization announced Santeri Hatakka underwent shoulder surgery related to an injury suffered in their September 24th preseason matchup against the Montreal Canadiens without providing a timeline for his return.
New Jersey has again been dealing with injuries on the blue line. Luke Hughes is out with a shoulder injury, and free-agent pickup Brett Pesce is out with a leg injury. Hatakka would have been the next defenseman in line to fill in, but the strong play of youngster Seamus Casey to start the year has softened the blow.
The Riihimäki, Finland native was drafted 184th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2019 NHL Draft and found his way to the East Coast in the 2023 Timo Meier trade. He’s primarily played with the Devils’ AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, but has managed 12 regular season contests with New Jersey up to this point.
The Devils organization should offer a recovery timeline for Hatakka in the coming days. This is the first major injury of his career at the professional so it will be interesting to see how he responds to a prolonged absence. He will likely start the season in Utica when fully healthy and look to expand upon his five goals and 20 points in 48 AHL games from a year ago.