Devils Recall Akira Schmid, Reassign Isaac Poulter
Feb. 24: New Jersey reversed the transaction today, recalling Schmid and returning Poulter to Utica. Schmid will be rostered for Sunday’s game against the Lightning. Poulter did not play during his recall, backing up Daws, who has started seven straight.
Feb. 21: The Devils swapped their backup netminders Wednesday, assigning Akira Schmid to AHL Utica and recalling Isaac Poulter, per a team release.
Today marks Poulter’s first NHL recall after New Jersey signed the 22-year-old to an entry-level contract last week. The undrafted free agent has been the Devils’ best AHL goalie this year, appearing in 24 of Utica’s 47 games while posting a .908 SV% and a 14-7-1 record with three shutouts.
Poulter is in his second professional season after signing a minor-league deal with Utica in 2022. He played four seasons of junior hockey with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos from 2018 to 2022, amassing a 35-87-12 record in 137 games behind a struggling squad with a relatively strong .898 SV%.
The struggling Vítek Vaněček remains on IR with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day, so Poulter will back up the 23-year-old Nico Daws when he dresses for his first NHL game tomorrow against the Rangers. New Jersey has enough cap space to absorb Poulter’s $812.5K cap hit with number-one defenseman Dougie Hamilton still on LTIR.
Schmid, 23, dressed for five games as Daws’ backup this month but has not played since being demoted to Utica in December. After a solid postseason performance in 2023, he made the team out of camp as Vaněček’s backup. However, a .893 SV% and 5-7-1 record through 13 starts and two relief appearances meant he fell to third on the Devils’ depth chart with Daws returning from a season-opening hip injury. His numbers have dipped further while on assignment to Utica, posting a .885 SV% and a 3-5-4 record in 12 games.
Devils Place Nathan Bastian On IR
Devils winger Nathan Bastian landed on IR Friday after he was on the receiving end of a hit from Rangers rookie Matt Rempe in last night’s contest, per the team. New Jersey recalled winger Brian Halonen from AHL Utica in a corresponding transaction.
Officials assessed Rempe a match penalty on the play, which occurred 2:25 into the game. He will not be subject to supplemental discipline. Bastian took only two shifts later in the contest and did not play at all in the third period.
The IR placement indicates Bastian will miss at least one week with his lower-body injury, ruling him out of the Devils’ next three games. The 26-year-old has appeared in 54 of 56 games for New Jersey, posting five goals, seven assists, and a -10 rating while averaging 10:09 per game. The 6-foot-4, 205-lb winger signed a two-year, $2.7MM deal to return to the Devils last summer after briefly hitting free agency and will be a UFA again in 2025.
The 25-year-old Halonen gets his first NHL recall after signing with New Jersey as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan Tech in 2022. In the back half of his entry-level deal, the Delano, Minnesota native has missed a good chunk of 2023-24 with injuries but has been Utica’s best goal-scorer when healthy, potting 13 markers in only 21 games.
Halonen is unlikely to dress for tomorrow’s game against Montreal while the Devils opt for a more veteran fourth-line complement of Tomáš Nosek and Chris Tierney to youngster Alexander Holtz. He’ll be available to the team as a 13th forward in case of an additional injury or unexpected scratches among their forward group.
Devils Activate Jonas Siegenthaler, Place Vitek Vanecek On Injured Reserve
The New Jersey Devils have activated defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler off of injured reserve and placed goaltender Vitek Vanecek on IR, retroactive to February 10th. Vanecek is set to miss his fifth consecutive game on Tuesday, fighting to recover from a lower-body injury. His absences have satisfied the required time missed, making him eligible to be activated off IR whenever he may be healthy. Meanwhile, Siegenthaler is making his return from a foot injury that’s held him out since January 6th.
Getting Siegenthaler back gives New Jersey half of their top pairing back from injury, though star defenseman Dougie Hamilton is still out indefinitely with a torn pectoral muscle. Still, Siegenthaler represents a big addition to the lineup. The 26-year-old has averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time this season, scoring one goal and eight points in 38 games before his injury. Siegenthaler is in his fourth season with the Devils, joining the team in a trade with the Washington Capitals that saw New Jersey send away a third-round draft pick. Washington flipped the pick to the New York Rangers, who used it to draft Ryder Korczak in the 2021 NHL Draft. Siegenthaler has established himself as a top-end shutdown defenseman since joining the Devils and currently sits ranked third among the team’s healthy defensemen in Corsi-For behind Luke Hughes and Colin Miller, per Natural Stat Trick.
In the wake of Vanecek’s injury, the Devils have turned towards rookie Nico Daws, who has posted an impressive six wins and .912 save percentage in 12 appearances. Daws is the only Devils goaltender to boast a save percentage above .900 this season, though Vanecek’s .893 is close. Daws will look to continue solidifying his grip on the Devils starting position, now with an expanded opportunity.
Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils
With the All-Star break in the rear-view, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the New Jersey Devils.
The New Jersey Devils came into the season with expectations that their young team would contend for a Stanley Cup, however, four and half months into the regular season, the Devils have taken a step backwards and are in a battle for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Devils made one of the biggest moves of last year’s deadline, acquiring forward Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks about a week before the trade deadline. The Devils were aggressive in their pursuit of Meier and will likely need to be as aggressive this year if they want to acquire the pieces necessary to get into the playoffs and make some noise in the East. The Devils have some obvious holes in their lineup that have been exposed throughout the regular season, and while it is tough to make moves in-season in a flat cap world, the Devils have shown that they aren’t afraid to pull the trigger on a big deal to bolster their lineup.
Record
28-22-4, 4th in the Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$10,412,500 on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: NJ 1st, NJ 3rd, NJ 5th, COL 5th, NJ 6th, NASH 7th
2025: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, NJ 3rd, NJ 4th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th
Trade Chips
New Jersey will have some cap space to work with at the deadline thanks to injuries to key players. They could make a big move if they are so inclined and may choose to do so to address their major area of need. The Devils will likely look to move netminder Vitek Vanecek as part of any move to improve their goaltending and could also look to move backup Akira Schmid who has struggled this season after a strong showing last year. New Jersey Devils president of hockey operations and general manager, Tom Fitzgerald has already said he is not comfortable with the Devils goaltending and will likely improve it, which means someone will need to go the other way to open up room for a new acquisition. Vanacek holds almost no value as his -11.1 goals saved above expected is fourth worst in the NHL, and Schmid isn’t faring much better. The Devils may opt to hold onto Schmid and hope he can turn things around.
Forward Alexander Holtz is another roster player that the Devils could dangle at the deadline. The 22-year-old was the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft and has fared pretty well in his first full NHL season sitting third on the Devils in 5v5 points with 21 and goals with 11. As well as he’s played, he hasn’t been able to get much of a look in the Devils’ top six and may not be a fit for head coach Lindy Ruff’s style of play. Holtz could be a solid chip for the team to use to acquire help elsewhere.
Another former first-round pick that the Devils could include in a trade is forward Dawson Mercer. The 22-year-old put up solid offensive numbers in his first two NHL seasons, posting 44 goals and 54 assists in 164 games. However, this season his play has dropped a bit as a slow start has limited him to just 15 goals and 11 assists in 54 games. The native of Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador could be the main piece of a trade for a goaltender, as his offensive upside could entice teams who are looking for a young roster player who can contribute right away.
Other Potential Trade Chips: F Josh Filmon F Arseni Gritsyuk F Lenni Hämeenaho
Team Needs
1) A Starting Goaltender: The Devils opted not to make a move for a goaltender last summer but have regretted that decision as indicated by the comments of Devils management. The Devils were reportedly in on Calgary Flames netminder Jacob Markström and could circle back to re-engage in those talks as the deadline nears. Most of the reports on the trade indicated that the Devils plan to look elsewhere for goaltending, but to this point they haven’t found a trade to their liking. The Devils have a desperate need to address this position, and have ample assets to do so. If they come up short it could mean the difference between making the playoffs and missing them entirely.
2) Bottom Six Help: The Devils do have some talented options in their bottom six but would likely prefer not to deploy Curtis Lazar as a third-line center, which has happened on more than one occasion. A top-9 forward would allow some of the Devils’ forwards to shift down the lineup into positions that are more suitable for the skillset and allow Ruff to have more trust in rolling three or four forward lines in a regular rotation. The Devils have dealt with their fair share of injuries this season but probably didn’t envision having the likes of Chris Tierney playing as frequently as he has. Some depth up front would be an additional boost for the Devils in their pursuit of the playoffs.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Marino Will Travel With Team Despite Illness
- Although unavailable for the team’s practice today due to an illness, defenseman John Marino is still expected to travel with the New Jersey Devils for their upcoming game against the Washington Capitals (X Link). Already without top defenseman Dougie Hamilton, the Devils cannot afford to lose any more defensemen, as they currently only sit two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
[SOURCE LINK]
Jonas Siegenthaler Ready To Return
- The New Jersey Devils may be getting some reinforcements on their blue line soon, as team reporter Amanda Stein mentioned today that Jonas Siegenthaler has fully recovered from a broken foot that has kept him out of the lineup since January 2nd. Now only two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, a clean bill of health moving forward puts the Devils in an advantageous position to build some momentum towards the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
[SOURCE LINK]
Metropolitan Notes: Hamilton, Siegenthaler, Wheeler
New Jersey Devils writer Sam Kasan tweeted an update today on Devils’ defenseman Dougie Hamilton. In speaking with the media New Jersey head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters that Hamilton remains “quite a ways away” from returning to action. The 30-year-old rearguard hasn’t played since November 28th and had surgery on a torn left pectoral muscle in early December. There was no timetable given at the time of the procedure and it appears to be status quo for the time being.
Hamilton’s injury dealt a huge blow to a Devils team that had dreams of contending for the Stanley Cup this season. Hamilton has received Norris Trophy consideration in six of the last seven seasons and was playing well for New Jersey this year with five goals and 11 assists in 20 games.
In other Metropolitan Division notes:
- Ruff also offered an update on Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler who has been sidelined since January 6th with a broken foot. No specific timetable was given at the time, but the 26-year-old did take part in practice today dressed in a regular jersey. The Zurich, Switzerland native lined up on the team’s fourth defensive pair alongside Nick DeSimone and will be a big boost for the Devils’ defense core when he is ready to return to the lineup.
- New York Rangers forward Blake Wheeler left tonight’s game with a lower-body injury and will not return. Wheeler was hit by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble and fell back awkwardly and appeared to trap his right leg under his body as he hit the ice. Wheeler was in visible pain on the play which looked eerily similar to the injury of Tampa Bay defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. Wheeler reached for his knee in obvious discomfort and was ruled out for the evening. If Wheeler has suffered a similar injury to Sergachev it is possible he could be done for the rest of the regular season. Wheeler is having one of the worst offensive seasons of his career, but he has provided the Rangers will depth scoring and would need to be replaced if he is sidelined long-term.
Snapshots: Bedard, Vanecek, Jeannot
The Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly working with local doctors to see if Connor Bedard can make a surprise return to the lineup on Thursday night, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. This return would come well ahead of expectations, with head coach Luke Richardson previously stating his hope was for Bedard to return next week. To say Bedard’s return would be impactful is an understatement. The 18-year-old rookie phenom still leads the team in scoring despite missing their last 14 games. The Blackhawks have been abysmal in his absence, going 3-10-1. This includes a seven-game losing streak (0-6-1) that the Hawks currently find themselves on, with the team netting just eight goals over the stretch.
Adding back their top scorer, the most recent first-overall selection, and the highest-acclaimed prospect since Connor McDavid will bring a breath of fresh air to a desperate Chicago lineup. Bedard has 15 goals and 33 points in 39 games this season, on pace for 70 points in his rookie season. That would be the most a Chicago rookie has scored since Artemi Panarin managed 30 goals and 77 points in 80 games during the 2015-16 season.
Other notes from around the league:
New Jersey Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek has recovered from an illness that held him out of Tuesday’s game. But head coach Lindy Ruff shares that he is now day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and will continue to be unavailable. Ruff shared that Vanecek will miss the next two games, including New Jersey’s Stadium Series matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. New Jersey is expected to turn towards Nico Daws in Vanecek’s absence.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tanner Jeannot has been designated as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, per team reporter Eduardo A. Encina with the Tampa Bay Times. Jeannot made his return on Tuesday from a lower-body injury that held him out of the team’s last 12 games. Encina adds that head coach Jon Cooper is hoping Jeannot’s new injury won’t be long-term as well. Jeannot has appeared in 42 games when healthy this season, scoring 12 points, split evenly.
New Jersey Devils Sign Isaac Poulter To Two-Year Deal
The New Jersey Devils have signed goaltender Isaac Poulter to a two-year, entry-level contract. The deal carries an annual average value of $812.5K and carries Poulter through the end of the 2024-25 season.
Poulter, 22, has served as the Utica Comets’ starting goaltender this season, recording 14 wins and a .909 save percentage with the club. He’s been a helpful consistent for the AHL club, serving as one of five goaltenders used by Utica this season. He’s recorded the second-best save percentage of the bunch, behind Nico Daws‘ .929 save percentage set in three AHL games.
This is Poulter’s second professional season, with the goaltender spending last season split between the AHL and ECHL. He spent the majority of his time in the latter league, recording 10 wins and a .910 save percentage in 22 games. It’s impressive to see the 2001-born already carving out a starting role in the pros after going undrafted in the NHL Draft. He spent four seasons with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos between 2018 and 2022, only recording a save percentage above .900 in his final year with the club.
While this deal isn’t likely to immediately impact the NHL lineup, it does give the Devils more secure depth in one of their most-needed positions. The team is continuing to try and find their starter of the future, currently split between starting Daws, Akira Schmid, and Vitek Vanecek. Daws is the only one of the three to have a save percentage above .900, boasting a .906 in 10 NHL games this season. The Devils are also heavily pursuing a goaltender on the trade market, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman who shared that the team recently had an acquisition of Jacob Markstrom fall through. With Poulter avoiding the cycle of goaltenders in Utica, it’s likely that he’s set to stay in the league for much of the season. But this new contract allows Poulter to be recalled to the NHL, offering helpful depth if the Devils do move out any netminders.
Devils Notes: Markström, Merzļikins, Smith, Hatakka
Reporting in recent days from both Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli has illustrated just how close the Devils were to acquiring goaltender Jacob Markström from the Flames in a pre-deadline blockbuster. Speaking on Monday’s episode of the “32 Thoughts” podcast, Friedman said the teams were close in principle on a trade but could not reconcile with each other on the financial aspect of the deal. The Devils remained firm on Calgary retaining some of Markström’s $6MM cap hit – something first-year GM Craig Conroy isn’t willing to do over the remaining three seasons of Markström’s deal.
Seravalli added Tuesday that discussions were serious enough to “get to [Markström]’s level to approve it,” a necessary step since he boasts a no-movement clause in his contract. With the two parties at an impasse that Seravalli thinks “probably” can’t be revisited, New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald will likely look elsewhere to upgrade his goaltending with 23 days until the trade deadline.
As the Devils look for a cheaper option, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes said Tuesday that they’ve had interest in Blue Jackets starter Elvis Merzļikins. It’s not a gigantic discount, though, as Merzļikins’ $5.4MM cap hit is only $600K less than Markström’s and runs through 2027. The 29-year-old Latvian has had an underrated bounce-back season, posting a .904 SV% and 1.3 goals saved above expected in 29 games, per MoneyPuck. While he and Markström both have inconsistent track records over a five-year sample, the latter’s peaks have been much higher – Markström’s 18.4 goals saved above expected this season have him on track for a third top-five Vezina Trophy voting finish in the last five years.
Still, either would be a massive upgrade on what Vítek Vaněček has done for them this season. His -11.1 goals saved above expected are second-worst in the league and the worst among starters for prospective playoff teams. Only Ottawa’s Joonas Korpisalo has performed worse overall relative to shot quality, saving -11.9 goals above expected. The Devils, who are 5-4-1 in their past ten games, are now at full health for the first time in weeks and sit two points back of the Red Wings for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, a gap that can easily be closed with improved play between the pipes.
In much lower-stakes news, the Devils assigned defenseman Santeri Hatakka to AHL Utica on Tuesday to make room for veteran Brendan Smith, who was activated off injured reserve and returned to the lineup in yesterday’s 4-2 win over the Predators. Hatakka, 23, had shown promising results with two assists and a +7 rating in seven showings but was a casualty of roster management as he did not require waivers to head to the minors. A pending RFA upon completion of his entry-level contract, the 2019 sixth-round pick of the Sharks will remain near the top of New Jersey’s list for blue-line call-ups for the rest of the season.
Smith, 35, made his return after missing 10 games with a knee sprain. The pending UFA had three shots on goal in 17:27 of ice time against Nashville, his 35th game of the season. The 6-foot-2 enforcer has averaged 14:30 per game this year while flipping between defense and wing, recording a goal and five points with a +2 rating.