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Afternoon Notes: Global Series, Athanasiou, Foote

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The NHL has announced their Global Series matchups for the 2024-25 season, with the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils slated to face off in Prague, Czechia on October 4th and 5th, and the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars set to play in Tampere, Finland on November 1st and 2nd.

The games will mark homecomings for players on all sides, headlined by Florida star Aleksander Barkov’s return to his hometown of Tampere. He grew up through Tampere’s youth hockey program, playing for the Tappara Tampere (often shortened to just ’Tappara’) at every level from U16 in to his professional debut in the Liiga. Barkov’s father, who shares the same name, ranks fifth in Tappara’s all-time scoring, with 416 points in 517 Liiga games. He also coached for the program, though he never oversaw his son. Top Stars scorer Roope Hintz was born in Nokia, Finland – just outside of Tampere. He and Barkov are two of the eight Finns between the Florida and Dallas lineups. When asked about visiting home, Barkov said, “It’s more than a dream come true because you don’t even dream about this… This will probably be one of the best days in my life.”

Meanwhile, New Jersey Devils winger Ondrej Palat will be able to stay at his house in Prague while the team visits. Palat grew up playing in Vitkovice, just a few hours outside of Prague, and told NHL.com that he’s excited to play in front of friends and family. Fellow Devil Tomas Nosek grew up much closer to Prague, in Pardubice. The pair are the only two Czechs on New Jersey’s roster, with recent recall Lukas Rousek being the only one on Buffalo’s roster. However, the two teams do have plenty of other talents from Central Europe – including Germans Nico Daws (NJD) and John-Jason Peterka (BUF), Swiss skaters Nico Hischier, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Timo Meier (NJD), and Slovakia’s Simon Nemec.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Andreas Athanasiou is expected to make his return from injury on Tuesday night, when the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Anaheim Ducks. Athanasiou has been out for the last four months with a groin injury, playing just 11 games this season. He’ll re-enter the lineup still searching for his first goal on the year, recording just four assists prior to his injury. Athanasiou has proven to be an effective winger in Chicago, scoring 20 goals and 40 points in 81 games last season.
  • The New Jersey Devils have formally activated Nolan Foote off of non-roster injured reserve. He’s been working his way back from an upper-body injury suffered during the pre-season that’s since delayed his season debut. Foote was primarily a minor-leaguer last season, scoring 20 goals and 37 points in 55 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets. He’s also managed five goals and seven points in 19 career NHL games, dating back to his debut in 2020-21.

Devils Acquire Nathan Légaré From Canadiens

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The Devils swapped out minor-league forwards on Monday, acquiring Nathan Légaré from the Canadiens in exchange for Arnaud Durandeau. In the one-for-one deal, Legare will report to AHL Utica, and Durandeau will report to AHL Laval.

This is the second time both wingers have been traded in the last year. Légaré, a 2019 third-round pick of the Penguins, was sent to Montreal to balance out contracts in last summer’s three-team swap revolving around Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson. Durandeau, a 2017 sixth-round pick of the Islanders, was acquired by New Jersey in November for minor-league forward Tyce Thompson.

Neither player lived up to expectations with their previous organization. Légaré, 23, carries intrigue as a 6-foot, 205-lb power winger who scored over a point per game in three straight QMJHL seasons with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Val-d’Or Foreurs between 2019 and 2021. He hasn’t been able to elevate himself out of a bottom-six role in the minors, however, and is having the worst offensive season of his AHL tenure with six goals and nine points in 39 games with Laval, along with a -10 rating.

Durandeau is older at 25 but has shown much more offensive promise at the professional level. The Montreal native broke out for 24 goals and 55 points in 68 games with AHL Bridgeport last season but got off to a rough start in 2023-24, scoring once through his first 12 games. Things improved in Utica, but not by much, scoring three goals and 14 points in 26 games. He’ll look to give himself a fresh start closer to his hometown.

Since this trade was executed past the March 8 deadline, neither player is eligible to suit up for their new NHL club down the stretch. However, they’ll both be able to play for their new farm teams down the stretch and participate in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Both players are pending RFAs and will remain under team control if they receive qualifying offers. Légaré is nearing completion of his three-year, entry-level contract and currently earns $70K in the minors, while Durandeau is completing a two-year, two-way deal that pays him a minors salary of $100K with a $125K guarantee. As such, the Devils save a minor amount of actual cash in this transaction.

Devils Recall Nolan Foote From Conditioning Stint

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Left winger Nolan Foote led the New Jersey Devils onto the practice sheet today as he was officially recalled from his AHL conditioning stint. Foote has been working his way back from a preseason upper-body injury that held him out until February 26th, when he was assigned to the Utica Comets. Foote has appeared in four games with Utica, scoring three goals and four points. He’ll now have a chance to establish himself in the NHL, back with the Devils for the first time since late March of last season.

Foote is still new to his professional career, making his AHL debut in the 2020-21 season. He’s since spent the majority of his time in the minors, including 55 games in each of the last two seasons, though he’s received six or seven NHL games every year. In total, he’s managed 86 points across 134 career AHL games, on top of five goals and seven points in 19 NHL games.

Foote’s return comes at an apt time, coming right after the team traded top-scoring winger Tyler Toffoli to the Winnipeg Jets. That’s left a hole in the lineup that’s currently being filled by utility player Kurtis MacDermid, who has just two goals in 33 games this season. Foote should be able to compete for that role, though he’ll need to take advantage of his opportunity, with the Devils on the tail ends of the playoff race.

Devils Reassign Akira Schmid

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4:10 p.m.: The Devils have returned Schmid to Utica after dropping today’s game against the Hurricanes 4-2. Barring injuries, that’s where he’ll remain for the rest of the season. He likely won’t be needed for Monday’s game against the Rangers as Kahkonen reportedly made it to New Jersey after the loss, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now reports.

10:45 a.m.: After acquiring Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen in separate trades on Friday, the Devils returned goaltender Akira Schmid to AHL Utica.  However, his stint will be short-lived for now as team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link) that Schmid has been recalled and will serve as the backup today versus Carolina.

Kahkonen hasn’t made it to New Jersey just yet while Allen will require a work visa, a process that will be delayed due to the weekend so he likely won’t be available until closer to the middle of next week.  Accordingly, they needed a second option behind Nico Daws for today so this will qualify as an emergency recall, not one of their four post-deadline regular recalls.

It has been a disappointing season for Schmid so far.  After taking over as the starter down the stretch last season and into the playoffs, the 23-year-old has struggled mightily this season, posting a 3.15 GAA and a .895 SV% through 19 appearances.  Things haven’t gone any better with the Comets either with his numbers down there (3.47 and .886 respectively) being worse than at the NHL level.

One of the positives from New Jersey’s pivot to a new tandem entirely is that both Schmid and Daws will get to return to Utica for the stretch run, allowing them to both play some meaningful games down the stretch with the Comets in a tight battle for a playoff spot.  However, it will be a few more days before that will be able to happen.

Sharks Trade Kaapo Kahkonen To Devils

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The San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils have completed a goalie swap, sending Kaapo Kahkonen to New Jersey and Vitek Vanecek to San Jose, per ESPN’s Kevin Weekes. The Sharks will also be receiving a 2025 seventh-round pick.

While he’s seen his rights traded, Vanecek may need to wait to make his debut with the Sharks, with Devils team reporter James Nichols reporting that he could miss the remainder of the season with injury. The Devils placed Vanecek on injured reserve with a lower-body injury on February 20th, though his last appearance was on February 10th. He’s since missed New Jersey’s last 13 games.

This could place the Sharks in a unique situation, now without their de facto starter in Kahkonen and Mackenzie Blackwood, who has landed on injured reserve with a groin injury. That leaves the Sharks with Magnus Chrona – a 23-year-old in his first professional season – as their top option. Chrona has played in four NHL games already this season, allowing 17 goals on 100 shots and yet to record his first win. Chrona has moved to the pros after spending the last four years at the University of Denver. He’s accomplished the impressive feat of playing in the ECHL, AHL, and NHL all in one season, ultimately recording five wings and saving 821 of the 922 shots he’s faced, good for a .890 save percentage between the three leagues.

Chrona will likely be backed up by Devin Cooley, who the Sharks acquired from the Buffalo Sabres right at the trade deadline, sending a 2025 seventh-round pick the other way. Cooley, 26, carries more pro experience than Chrona, having played in the minor leagues since the 2020-21 season, but he has yet to make his NHL debut. He’s spent the entirety of the 2023-24 season in the AHL, recording six win and a .891 save percentage in 14 games. Cooley is also an alum of the University of Denver, serving as Chrona’s backup in the 2019-20 season.

While San Jose’s situation is certainly more dire, the Devils will also be faced with a brand new goaltending duo, with Kahkonen likely slotting into the starting role ahead of fellow newcomer Jake Allen. New Jersey sent a third-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for the veteran Allen. Kahkonen has faced a barrage of shots in San Jose, posting six wins and a .895 save percentage in 31 games, while facing an average of 32 shots. Allen’s stat-line has been similar this season, posting six wins of his own and a .891 save percentage in 21 games. He’s seeing a slight decline in his effectiveness, posting an .891 save percentage last season  – the first time he’s posted a save percentage below .900 in his 12-year career. Together, Kahkonen and Allen will look to lift New Jersey back into a playoff spot, after ineffective goaltending and a bad case of injuries pushed the team down the standings.

Jets Acquire Colin Miller From Devils

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The Jets have shored up their defensive depth, acquiring blue-liner Colin Miller from the Devils for a mid-round pick, Darren Dreger of TSN reports.

Miller will now move to his fourth team in the last three seasons, spending last season with the Dallas Stars and this year with the Devils after three years in Buffalo. He’s carved out a hardy role everywhere he’s gone, with his strong puck-moving and heads-up defense lifting up his batterymates well. This has made him a great safety net for rookie defenders, with his most common linemate this season being top prospect Luke Hughes. The pair have recorded a 52.29 xGF% (expected goals-for percentage) per Evolving Hockey (subscription required), a mark that ranks third among New Jersey pairings to play in 150 minutes or more. Miller has managed to stay on the positive side of expected-goals despite managing just eight points, split evenly, in 41 games this season. While he’s never been known for his scoring acumen, this year has marked a notable step down from his standard rivaling of 20 points. His career year came in 2017-18, when Miller scored 10 goals and 41 points in 82 games on Vegas’ second pairing.

Now with Winnipeg, Miller will have to compete with Nate Schmidt and Dylan Samberg for the team’s final lineup spots. Both Schmidt and Samberg have outscored Miller this season, with 10 and 15 points respectively, but Miller’s two-way style could prove a healthy match for the Jets’ pass-heavy system. If he can’t force his way into the lineup, Miller will have to battle with Logan Stanley for the team’s seventh-defenseman role. Stanley has just one point, an assist, in 14 games this season.

Devils Acquire Jake Allen

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2:30 p.m.: The trade is now official, per a team announcement. The condition on the pick has been clarified to mean if Allen plays more than 40 games next season en route to a Devils playoff berth.

12:38 p.m.: The Devils are “gaining traction” on acquiring goaltender Jake Allen from the Canadiens, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Canadiens will receive a third-round pick in return, Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports. The third-round pick is conditional and can upgrade to a second-rounder if Allen hits a certain games-played benchmark, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. Per TSN’s Darren Dreger, it’s a 2025 third-rounder with 40 games played as the condition cutoff. Montreal is retaining 50% of Allen’s $3.85MM cap hit that runs through next season, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic says.

Allen was always the most logical option to ship out of Montreal if the Habs opted to move out one of their three NHL-rostered goaltenders. The 33-year-old has been the worst out of his trio with Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau this year in what’s been a second straight season significantly below average, averaging a .892 SV% in 62 starts and one relief appearance since 2022.

Signed to a two-year, $7.7MM extension in October 2022 that kicked in this season, Allen regressed sharply before his new deal kicked in. He was decent in his first two seasons in Montreal, though, posting a .906 SV% and 20-32-9 record in 64 games between 2020 and 2022 while backing up Carey Price and platooning with Montembault after the former played through a career-ending knee injury in the Habs’ run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. With the younger Primeau surpassing Allen on the depth chart as of late, the veteran has only played four games since the beginning of February.

This year, Allen has made 21 starts, posting a 6-12-3 record. His .892 SV% and 3.65 GAA are both far below the league average. While his -2.8 goals saved above expected (MoneyPuck) is the worst on the team, it does demonstrate that his poor base-level stats are exacerbated by playing behind a rebuilding team. He immediately becomes the best-performing goalie on the Devils relative to expectations, who have had absolutely no sustainable success in the crease with Vítek Vaněček (-11.2 GSAx), Nico Daws (-4.5 GSAx), and Akira Schmid (-3.0 GSAx) all performing at a below-replacement level. Allen brings in Stanley Cup pedigree, having won with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, as well as over 400 games of NHL experience.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Jets Acquire Tyler Toffoli

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11:41 a.m.: The trade call between the Devils and Jets is complete, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. All the details of the reported trade below are accurate.

10:27 a.m.: The Jets already made a top-six addition when they acquired Sean Monahan from Montreal last month.  They’re now set to make another one as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that they are closing in on a trade with New Jersey for winger Tyler Toffoli.  Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press adds (Twitter link) that the Devils are expected to receive second and third-round picks in return.  The Jets don’t have their own second-round pick this year but they do have Montreal’s, a well-traveled pick that has already been involved in trades for Christian Dvorak, Sean Durzi, and Pierre-Luc Dubois so far. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff confirms it’s a 2025 second-rounder and a 2024 third-rounder heading to New Jersey.

Toffoli was in his first season with New Jersey who acquired him from Calgary in the summer after the two sides weren’t able to agree on a contract extension.  The Devils had tried to extend Toffoli as well but clearly, those talks weren’t able to yield a new deal, resulting in this trade instead over the risk of him leaving in free agency in July.

The 31-year-old was productive with the Devils, leading the team in goals with 26 through 61 games while chipping in with 18 assists as well; his goal total ties him for the Winnipeg lead with Kyle Connor.  He surpassed the 30-goal mark last season for the second time in his career and appears to be well on his way toward doing so once again this year.  In the playoffs, Toffoli has had some success with 44 points in 88 games, including 14 in 22 playoff appearances with the Canadiens in their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.  He’ll be counted on to provide some extra scoring punch on a Winnipeg team that is outside the top 20 in goals scored so far this season.

Despite being a consistent contributor offensively, Toffoli has bounced around in recent seasons.  This will be the sixth team that Toffoli has played for since 2020, joining Vancouver, Los Angeles, Montreal, Calgary, and New Jersey.  Barring an extension, the number may increase to seven in the coming months.

Toffoli has a $4.25MM cap hit, one that Winnipeg can work in without needing salary retention.  However, if they take on the full freight of the deal, that won’t leave them with much more cap room to work with so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Devils at least retain a portion of his contract once the deal is made official. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports that the Devils have indeed retained half of Toffoli’s deal, making him a $2.125MM player for Winnipeg.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Devils Listening To Offers For Depth Defensemen

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The Devils are fielding offers for depth defenders Colin Miller and Brendan Smith, reports Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. While secondary targets for teams compared to top-six winger Tyler Toffoli, Miller and Smith have a fair amount of playoff experience and are pending UFAs.

Miller, 31, could be flipped for more than the Devils paid for him last summer. The Stars signed him to a two-year, $3.7MM contract in free agency in 2022, but a cap crunch in Dallas forced him out after one season. He headed to New Jersey in exchange for their 2025 fifth-round pick.

The veteran right-shot defenseman has posted four goals, four assists, and eight points in 41 games in 2023-24, adding a +10 rating and 55.3 CF% at even strength while averaging 15:55 per game. He’s been a positive possession player for every team he’s played for except for his three-year run with the Sabres, and he’s logged a 52 xGF% in New Jersey while spending most of his time as a more steady partner for rookie Luke Hughes.

A few contending teams are still looking for a depth defender. Miller could be a cheap solution for the Lightning, as Nicklaus Perbix and Darren Raddysh have struggled significantly to maintain possession when paired alongside Victor Hedman. After losing out to the Golden Knights for Noah Hanifin’s services, Miller could be a much more cost-effective solution for the Lightning’s most significant deficiency on paper. He carries a $1.85MM cap hit, which the Lightning could absorb without retention.

Smith’s value to playoff teams comes more from his willingness to hit and drop the gloves than his possession-control ability. The 35-year-old can play defense and wing and has had minimal offensive contributions this season, recording three goals and six assists for nine points in 44 games with a 14:34 ATOI. He was once a reasonably successful possession player during his prime on the Red Wings blue line in the early 2010s, but those days are behind him – he has just a 49.5 CF% at even strength this year, -5.5% worse than the Devils’ overall CF% without Smith on the ice.

Enforcers remain desirable assets for contenders at the deadline regardless of their possession impacts, though, as evidenced by the Avalanche picking up fourth-line grinder Brandon Duhaime for a 2026 third-round pick from the Wild yesterday. Smith could realistically fetch a fourth or fifth-round pick, as his age makes him a less desirable asset. He and Duhaime have identical $1.1MM cap hits and are pending UFAs.

It will be an active day for the Devils on all fronts, as they remain in pursuit of long-term goaltending help and have reportedly inquired about multiple high-profile targets, including the Flames’ Jacob Markström, the Bruins’ Linus Ullmark, and the Predators’ Juuse Saros. Toffoli could also very well be on the move with extension talks stalled.

Toffoli Seen As Fallback Option For Guentzel Suitors

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  • Trade speculation has begun to increase surrounding New Jersey Devils’ forward Tyler Toffoli tonight, especially after the scoring forward was scratched by the organization for trade-related reasons. With Jake Guentzel likely headed to the Carolina Hurricanes, many interested teams are now pivoting to Toffoli, who is viewed as a fallback option to Guentzel (X Link). It makes a lot of sense, as Toffoli could benefit a plethora of playoff-bound teams with 26 goals in 61 games for the Devils this year.

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