Jonas Siegenthaler Likely Out Longer-Term With Broken Foot
Devils blueliner Jonas Siegenthaler sustained a broken foot in last night’s 6-4 loss to the Canucks and will be out for a “bit,” head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters postgame (including the team’s Amanda Stein). Siegenthaler sustained the injury while blocking a shot early in the second period but stayed on the ice trying to defend as the team couldn’t exit the zone, eventually resulting in a Vancouver goal against (video link, viewer discretion advised).
With number-one defenseman Dougie Hamilton already on the shelf as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle that may sideline him through the end of the regular season, the Devils are now without both halves of their top defense pairing to begin the season. Their injury bug, which already held forwards Jack Hughes, Timo Meier and Ondřej Palát out of last night’s loss, has officially reached their defense corps, too.
The left-shot defender began his career as a depth defender for the Capitals before the Devils snagged him for a third-round pick in an April 2021 trade. It’s since emerged as one of the best deals of GM Tom Fitzgerald‘s tenure, as Siegenthaler immediately emerged as a top-four threat with consistently above-average defensive impacts. He notched five goals and 35 points, along with a +22 rating in 150 games throughout his first two seasons in the Garden State, averaging 20:21 per game.
His average ice time is down to 19:54 this season, although that’s dragged down significantly after he logged only 9:34 in last night’s loss before exiting with the foot fracture. Once again occupying top-pairing duties alongside Hamilton and now rookie Simon Nemec, Siegenthaler has a goal and seven assists in 38 games this year while posting a career-high Corsi share of 53% at even strength.
Siegenthaler’s injury will surely lead to more ice time for the Devils’ other star rookie blueliner, Luke Hughes, on the left side. Hughes leads Devils blueliners with seven goals and 23 points in 38 games this season.
The defensive load, however, will more likely shift to the two right-shot defenders behind Nemec on the depth chart: veterans John Marino and Colin Miller. Marino has made his living in the NHL as a shutdown defender, and his pairing with Hughes has been on the ice for just 4.8 expected goals against in 126 minutes together, per MoneyPuck. Miller, while averaging only 14:45 per game, leads Devils defenders with a +10 rating and his pairing with 23-year-old Kevin Bahl has controlled a remarkable 70.4% of expected goals in limited minutes together.
New Jersey now only has five healthy defensemen on the active roster, so they’ll need to recall a sixth from AHL Utica in the coming days. They have plenty of time to make a choice, though, as they don’t play again until next Thursday against the Lightning. They created a roster spot for one today, however, returning forward Graeme Clarke to Utica after he made his NHL debut last night against Vancouver. Clarke, 22, logged a +1 rating and one shot attempt in 9:32 of ice time, all of which came at even strength.
Jack Hughes Being Evaluated For Upper-Body Injury, No Timetable For Return
Before tonight’s game against the Canucks, Devils head coach Lindy Ruff informed reporters (including the team’s own Amanda Stein) that superstar center Jack Hughes is being evaluated for an upper-body injury and will not suit up to face his brother, Quinn, at home in Newark. Per Ruff, the team has no indication of when Hughes will be available to return to play.
After playing over 21 minutes against the Blackhawks yesterday, Hughes had an awkward fall late in the game in which he landed on his left wrist/upper arm area. He did not return to action after recording a -1 rating and two shots on goal in the contest.
Unfortunately for the Devils, they’re staring a potential multi-game absence for Hughes in the face for the second time this season. Their leader in assists (30), points (45) and ice time among forwards (20:31 per game) missed five games in November with a right shoulder injury. The Devils, who currently occupy the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 21-14-2 record, went 2-3-0 in those five games sans their more accomplished Hughes brother.
New Jersey is standing on more solid ground after going 6-3-1 in their past ten games, slowly beginning to overcome their goaltending woes. They can seldom stand to lose Hughes, who’s been their best all-around performer this season with spectacular possession metrics to boot, for a significant length of time.
For the second time today, an injury could also cause complications for a potential All-Star game appearance. Hughes, much like Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard who landed on IR earlier today with a fractured jaw, was named by the league to be their team’s initial representative at the 2024 All-Star Game in Toronto, which takes place in just under a month.
In Hughes’ absence, 22-year-old Dawson Mercer slides over to center to hold down first-line duties between Tyler Toffoli and Jesper Bratt against the Canucks. New Jersey is now officially injury-ravaged on offense, as they’re also without Timo Meier and Ondřej Palát for tonight’s contest and potentially longer. The Devils moved Meier to IR earlier today to create roster space, while Palát is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury but remains on the active roster, as does Hughes.
Hughes, 22, is in the second season of an eight-year, $64MM extension that makes him a UFA in the summer of 2030.
Devils Place Timo Meier On IR, Recall Max Willman
The Devils have made a pair of roster moves before tonight’s game against Vancouver. The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Timo Meier has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to December 30th. With the open roster spot, the team has recalled Max Willman from AHL Utica.
Meier has missed the last week with what was termed as a mid-body injury. That came on the heels of him missing a couple of weeks with a lower-body issue earlier in the season as well. The 27-year-old hasn’t had a great first full season with New Jersey, notching just nine goals with six assists through his first 28 games. That’s not the type of output they were expecting when they acquired him from San Jose last season and signed him to an eight-year, $70.4MM contract back in June. With the back-dated placement, he will have already missed seven days so he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s cleared to return.
As for Willman, he turned a PTO into a two-way deal in October and this will be his third recall of the season. He has played in four games with New Jersey so far, picking up his first goal since the 2021-22 campaign with Philadelphia while logging a little over 11 minutes a night. The 28-year-old has spent most of the year in the minors, notching nine goals and seven assists in 20 games so far. Assuming Meier’s injury is a short one, it’s likely that this stint on the roster will be a short one for Willman.
Ondrej Palat To Miss The Next Few Games
- New Jersey Devils reporter Amanda Stein tweeted that Devils head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters this morning that Ondrej Palat will likely miss the next few games. Palat suffered a lower-body injury in practice on Tuesday and did not play Wednesday night. The 32-year-old has struggled to live up to expectations after signing a five-year $30MM deal with the Devils in July of 2022. In 84 games spread out over one and a half seasons, Palat has just 13 goals and 24 assists.
Upper-Body Injury For Ondrej Palat
- Devils winger Ondrej Palat was a late scratch for tonight’s game against Washington with the team announcing (Twitter link) that the veteran has an upper-body injury. The 32-year-old had played in all 35 games leading into this one but has struggled somewhat offensively, collecting just 13 points in those appearances. Curtis Lazar took Palat’s place in the lineup.
Devils Recall Graeme Clarke, Timo Meier Out On Wednesday
The New Jersey Devils have recalled Graeme Clarke to the NHL roster and are expected to provide him his NHL debut on Wednesday night. This move comes in the wake of a new injury to Timo Meier, who says he is now dealing with a “mid-body” injury after previously missing seven games due to a lower-body injury. Meier isn’t expected to be out for long, per Devils’ head coach Lindy Ruff, though Meier will sit out of New Jersey’s Wednesday night game.
Meier has appeared in 28 games this year, netting nine goals and 15 points. He still ranks fifth on the team in goals scored despite his absences, though an extended time away from the team is certainly not what the Devils were hoping for when they signed Meier to an eight-year, $70.4MM contract extension this summer. The team also traded away seven assets to get Meier – as well as four depth players – in a blockbuster trade with the San Jose Sharks ahead of last year’s NHL Trade Deadline.
In Meier’s spot slots in Clarke, who has managed 11 goals and 21 points in 27 AHL games this season. His mark ranks second on the Utica Comets in scoring, behind undrafted forward Xavier Parent, who has 22 points. Clarke was drafted by the Devils in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft and will become the 10th player from that round to play an NHL game if he makes his debut on this recall.
Wednesday is a big day for the Clarke family, as Graeme’s brother Brandt Clarke has also been recalled by the Los Angeles Kings. Brandt has also been a top scorer this year, leading the AHL’s Ontario Reign in scoring with 32 points in 30 games. Brandt is one of the league’s top defense prospects.
Timo Meier Out With Mid-Body Injury
- Experiencing plenty of injury concerns from multiple significant players this season, the New Jersey Devils will be without forward Timo Meier for an undisclosed amount of time, as he is dealing with a mid-body injury according to team reporter, Amanda Stein. Stein indicates that it is not a re-aggravation of any of Meier’s previous injury concerns this season, something he has been seemingly battling for much of the regular season.
[SOURCE LINK]
Morning Notes: Anisimov, Moser, Lazar
Artem Anisimov isn’t ready to call it quits just yet, signing a professional try-out contract with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. This brings Anisimov back into the New York Rangers organization, the same place he started his career after going 54th overall in the 2006 NHL Draft. Anisimov played in two seasons for Hartford after being drafted, scoring a strong 124 points in 154 games. The scoring was strong enough to earn him his NHL debut in 2009, with Anisimov quickly becoming an everyday NHL talent with 18 goals and 44 points in 82 games during his sophomore 2010-11 season.
Anisimov was moved to the Columbus Blue Jackets after four seasons with the Rangers. He spent three more in Columbus, before spending four years in Chicago and two in Ottawa. All the while, Anisimov remained a fantastic depth scorer, recording four seasons of 20-or-more goals in his nine seasons outside of New York. His career totaled 771 games and 376 points before Anisimov slipped away from the NHL, moving to Russia’s KHL for the 2021-22 season and spending last year with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The 35-year-old centerman managed 19 goals and 36 points in 55 AHL games last year, suggesting that he may have some more left in the tank. He’ll have a chance to prove that now back where his career started.
More notes from around the league:
- J.J. Moser is set to return to the Arizona Coyotes lineup on Tuesday. The young defender missed two games after suffering an upper-body injury on December 23rd. Moser is in his third NHL season and has 15 points and a +8 through 33 games on the year. It’s the first time in Moser’s young career that he’s had a positive +/-.
- Curtis Lazar returned to the New Jersey Devils’ practice on Tuesday, after missing the team’s last three games with a lower-body injury. Lazar has been designated as day-to-day and was a game-time decision for both Friday and Saturday. Lazar has been an important piece of the Devils lineup when he can go, netting four goals and 10 points through 30 games this season.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: New Jersey Devils
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2023-24 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
New Jersey Devils
Current Cap Hit: $82,601,228 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Alexander Holtz (two years, $894K)
D Luke Hughes (two years, $925K)
F Dawson Mercer (one year, $894K)
D Simon Nemec (three years, $918K)
G Akira Schmid (one year, $851K)
Potential Bonuses
Holtz: $850K
Hughes: $925K
Mercer: $400K
Nemec: $3.25MM
Schmid: $57.5K
Total: $5.4825MM
Holtz has progressed to the point of being a regular player but it has been in somewhat of a limited role so far. Basically halfway through his entry-level deal, it seems unlikely that he’ll dramatically improve to the point where he’ll bypass a long-term contract in 2025. A short-term deal in the $2MM range seems likely while bonus-wise, he’ll need to produce a lot more to have a shot at reaching them. The same can’t be said for Mercer who has a couple of strong seasons under his belt although his 2023-24 numbers are certainly down. Nonetheless, GM Tom Fitzgerald may still want to look into a long-term deal that could approach the $6MM mark while a bridge would be a bit more than half of that. Like Holtz, his bonuses are unlikely to be reached at his current pace.
Hughes did well in limited action down the stretch and in the playoffs last year and has locked down a full-time spot this season, playing top-four minutes. He’s expected to be a core piece for years to come so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Fitzgerald try to push for a long-term agreement after 2025. Such a deal could push past the $7MM mark if he produces as expected. As things stand, he has a chance at hitting a handful of his ‘A’ bonuses, worth $212.5K apiece. Nemec, meanwhile, was recently brought up and is just getting his feet wet at the NHL level. He recently went past the nine-game mark, meaning he’ll burn the first year of his deal this season. It’s too early to forecast his next contract but it’s worth noting that he’s unlikely to reach his bonuses.
As for Schmid, he made a big impact down the stretch last year, taking over as the starter. Things haven’t gone anywhere near as well this season as he has struggled considerably. He could still be a goalie of the future for New Jersey but with the inconsistency, he should be heading for a bridge deal that should check in under $2MM. His bonuses are based on games played so it’s likely he’ll hit some of that amount even though he’s currently in the AHL.
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
F Tyler Toffoli ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Michael McLeod ($1.4MM, RFA)
D Colin Miller ($1.85MM, UFA)
F Tomas Nosek ($1MM, UFA)
D Brendan Smith ($1.1MM, UFA)
F Chris Tierney ($775K, UFA)
Toffoli wasn’t able to reach an early extension in Calgary and was quickly moved to New Jersey despite coming off of a career year. He is producing at a similar rate this season and if he can hold that up, he should be one of the better free agent wingers. Last time in free agency, his market was a bit quieter than expected but he should be able to push past the $5MM mark on a longer-term agreement. McLeod is on pace for his best offensive season and has been elite at the faceoff dot. With arbitration eligibility, he could push for $2.5MM or more should it get to a hearing if he remains one of the top faceoff specialists in the NHL and keeps up this level of production.
Nosek had to wait a bit to get this contract, one that was a $750K dip from his last deal. With this season being injury-plagued so far, he’s going to be hard-pressed to earn a raise even with his track record of being an effective fourth line middleman. Tierney came over in free agency on a two-way deal and has earned a full-time spot on the roster. Even so, he’s likely to remain around the minimum salary moving forward.
Miller had a quiet year in Dallas last season and the change of scenery hasn’t worked out the greatest; he has dealt with an injury and has been healthy scratched at times as well. While he has a bit of offensive upside and is a right-shot defender, it’s possible he’s heading for a small dip in salary. Smith can still hold his own on a third pairing and has shown previously that he can play up front if need be as well. While he’ll be 35 next month, he could still land a contract close to this price tag.
Signed Through 2024-25
D Kevin Bahl ($1.05MM, RFA)
F Nathan Bastian ($1.35MM, UFA)
F Curtis Lazar ($1MM, UFA)
G Vitek Vanecek ($3.4MM, UFA)
Bastian has been a bit quieter offensively this season compared to his last two years but he is holding down a regular spot on the fourth line. He’ll be hard-pressed to get any sort of significant raise unless he can get back to his production since starting his second go-round with the franchise. Lazar is in his first full year with the Devils after being acquired from Vancouver. He’s a serviceable fourth line center and it’s likely his next deal will come in close to this one.
Bahl is in his first full season and is holding down a regular spot on the third pairing. It’s unlikely he’ll move up in the lineup too often but even if he just stays in that role, he should get at least a small bump beyond his $1.2MM qualifying offer.
It has been an interesting first half of Vanecek’s contract in New Jersey. Acquired to take over as the starter in the 2022 offseason, he had the best year of his career, getting into 52 games while posting the lowest GAA of his career (2.45) and the highest save percentage (.911). And yet, when the playoffs came around, he wasn’t the starter and when he got his chance, he struggled mightily. That has carried over to his play this season. Value-wise, Vanecek only needs to be at the level of a good backup to provide value on his deal. He has been well above that at times and well below it at others. He’ll need to show some consistently strong performances in the next year and a half to set himself up for a bigger deal in free agency. If he can, he could push past the $5MM mark.
Signed Through 2025-26
F Erik Haula ($3.15MM, UFA)
Haula fit in quite well as an above-average third center last season, resulting in a reasonably-priced extension back in June. He only has three seasons with more than 40 points under his belt which limited his market in his previous trips through free agency. If he can stay around that mark in each of these three years, he’ll have a lot more bargaining power next time out.
Halonen Activated Off Of SOIR, Assigned To AHL
- The Devils announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated forward Brian Halonen off of season-opening IR and assigned him to AHL Utica. The 24-year-old is in the second and final year of his entry-level contract and had 17 goals and 13 assists in 57 games with the Comets last season. Since Halonen wasn’t in the NHL at any point last season, he did not count against the cap while on SOIR.