Latest On Devils, Timo Meier
The Timo Meier trade saga seems to be finally reaching a conclusion. While no trade is believed to be imminent, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the San Jose Sharks “are down to two teams” in Meier trade talks: The New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights.
These reports should not come as a major surprise, as yesterday we covered reports that the Devils were leading the pack in the chase for Meier. But today’s news that the Hurricanes are out of the running for Meier does come as a major development.
Assuming top-end pieces such as Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec are off the table, the Devils have 2020 seventh-overall pick Alexander Holtz to offer, as well as other talented youngsters such as 2022 second-rounder Seamus Casey, 2020 first-rounder Shakir Mukhamadullin, top AHL scorer Graeme Clarke, or other first-rounders such as Nolan Foote and Chase Stillman.
Still No Timeline on Mackenzie Blackwood
- New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood has been out of the lineup since Tuesday when he reportedly tweaked something at practice. The team has been rather quiet about his absence since, but Ryan Novozinsky of NJ Post reports head coach Lindy Ruff says that a timeline on Blackwood’s recovery will be coming soon. Akira Schmid has been called up to fill in and gets the start tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Latest On Timo Meier
With the announcement that Timo Meier wouldn’t play tonight coming earlier today, speculation ran rampant across sports media about where and when he would be traded. Fans will likely have to wait a bit longer, as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the move isn’t expected to come tonight. The San Jose Sharks are celebrating Patrick Marleau‘s career tonight with a jersey retirement ceremony and don’t want to take focus away from their franchise icon.
That said, it’ll be hard to keep Sharks fans’ attention on anything other than the potential trade of their current star winger. Corey Masisak of The Athletic reports that multiple other teams believe the New Jersey Devils are still the favorite to land Meier when the deal is officially completed.
For weeks, the Devils have been linked to Meier with the caveat of a contract extension. New Jersey was more interested in him as a long-term play, than just a player to help the club this season. Meier, of course, isn’t really a rental either way, as he will be a restricted free agent in the summer—provided an acquiring team is willing to issue the $10MM qualifying offer he is owed.
Meier is also dealing with an upper-body injury which is likely part of the reason for him sitting out, though asset protection certainly comes into play with the deadline so close. As the most significant chip on the market, the Sharks will want to make sure any minor ailments don’t slow down the process.
New Jersey Devils Recall Akira Schmid
- The New Jersey Devils have called up goaltender Akira Schmid from the AHL’s Utica Comets as per a team release. Devils reporter Amanda Stein added Mackenzie Blackwood tweaked something in practice this morning, so Schmid will serve as Vitek Vanecek‘s backup when the Devils face the Montreal Canadiens tonight.
Mackenzie Blackwood Out Day-To-Day
- New Jersey Devils netminder Mackenzie Blackwood is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, reports NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. Starter Vitek Vanecek will retain the lion’s share of Devils starts in Blackwood’s absence. Blackwood will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer and will hope to get this injury behind him and improve on his current .900 save percentage in order to put himself in the best position possible for summer contract negotiations.
- The Montreal Canadiens have announced that forward Joel Armia has left tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils. He left the bench relatively early in the first period, and at the moment it’s unclear the exact nature of what knocked him out of the game. Armia has had a difficult season, with just eleven points in 31 games. He’s had games where he’s looked quite good, but those games have been met with far longer stretches where he’s faded into the background of games. With the Canadiens already ravaged by injuries, they’ll have to hope that this new injury is a relatively minor one.
Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils
The trade deadline looms and is now less than two weeks 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.
After a disappointing 2021-22 campaign that saw New Jersey finish just two points out of last in the Metropolitan Division and 37 points out of a playoff spot, expectations weren’t particularly high heading into 2022-23. Sure, GM Tom Fitzgerald made a few moves to shore up the roster but making up that type of deficit in a single season just doesn’t happen very often.
The Devils, however, will be one of the exceptions to that thought as they are in the mix for first in the division and are comfortably ahead in the Wild Card standings as well. They’ve become one of the top-scoring teams in the league while also being one of the stingier defensive ones which is a great combination to have. As a result, it’s safe to say that they will be adding to their group in the coming days.
Record
37-14-5, 2nd in the Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$2.93MM in LTIR relief, 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2023: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, NJ 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th
2024: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, NJ 3rd, NJ 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th
Trade Chips
Let’s start with an easy one. Andreas Johnsson has spent most of the season in the minors thanks to a $3.4MM AAV that is a bit on the high side. While he doesn’t have much in the way of standalone value – he has cleared waivers twice this season after all – he’s a strong candidate to be included as salary ballast if the Devils bring in a pricey upgrade.
While many teams will be focusing on rentals that will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, there is an expectation that New Jersey is open to bringing in someone that could be part of their longer-term future. Those players often come with high price tags so young winger Alexander Holtz is sure to grab some attention. Things haven’t gone according to plan for him this season as he has seen limited action in the NHL and hasn’t been able to produce much. However, he’s only in the first year of his entry-level deal so the seventh-overall pick in 2020 still has plenty of runway left in his development. Moving Holtz would certainly sting but it stands to reason that if he goes, they’d be getting a critical win-now piece in return.
The Devils are facing a decision this summer when it comes to Mackenzie Blackwood. The netminder has shown flashes in the past but has struggled once again this season and has fallen behind Vitek Vanecek on the depth chart. His qualifying offer of $3.36MM might be too much for them to tender so it’s possible that he could be included as salary ballast as well to facilitate a trade. A team or two might want to take a closer look at him as well to see if he could be part of their plans beyond this season. The Devils have Nico Daws and Akira Schmid in the minors who both have NHL experience or they could turn around and add another veteran netminder if they were to part with Blackwood.
As for some other prospects that could go, defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk could draw some interest. The 22-year-old has seen NHL action in each of his first two seasons and plays with the type of physical edge that could have some teams wondering if he could fit on their third pairing down the road. Forward Graeme Clarke is having a breakout season with AHL Utica and at 21, his stock is on the rise. In a smaller move, he’d be a forward that teams will likely be calling about.
Other Potential Trade Chips: F Nolan Foote, F Nikola Pasic, F Tyce Thompson, D Reilly Walsh
Team Needs
1) Top-Six Winger: There’s a reason New Jersey has been linked to some prominent forwards, they’re looking to add an impact piece. Ondrej Palat has been injured for most of the season and has been inconsistent when he has played. Dawson Mercer, Tomas Tatar, and Yegor Sharangovich are holding their own in the top six but pushing more of them onto the third line would deepen their attack. There’s a definite spot to fill and it could go a long way toward making their forward group even more potent heading into the postseason while taking some pressure off Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier.
2) Defensive Depth: While it’s widely expected that the Devils will sign Luke Hughes once his college season is finished, the back end of their back end isn’t the deepest. Okhotyuk and Kevin Bahl have both seen action this season and the underlying numbers haven’t been great. Adding a veteran sixth defender would give them some insurance in case of injuries and if it’s a stay-at-home defender, it could also give them a chance to mix and match a little bit depending on their opponent. There’s a good chance that the bulk of their cap space will be used to add up front which should have Fitzgerald shopping in the lower-cost options in the coming days.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
New Jersey Devils Reassign Alexander Holtz
The New Jersey Devils have cleared a roster spot by sending prospect Alexander Holtz back to the minor leagues, but don’t get too excited. Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com tweets that there is no imminent trade, and that the team just wanted to get the young forward some game reps.
Holtz, 21, has only appeared in 19 games for the Devils this season, and even when he is in the lineup, he barely sees the ice. Averaging just over ten minutes a game, there have been several matches where Holtz has received fewer than ten shifts. He has just one NHL game since January 7, and has only appeared three times in the AHL this season.
Getting him some actual playing experience is important, especially given how well he transitioned to the AHL last year. In 52 games, Holtz scored 26 goals to lead the Utica Comets and showed that he was already advanced for that level.
Now, with Jack Hughes getting closer to a return and the Devils poking around on other forward additions, Holtz might as well go back to start playing regularly in the minor leagues.
Jack Hughes Won't Return Tonight
Despite some optimism yesterday that he may return, the New Jersey Devils will take on the St. Louis Blues tonight without one of their key players. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that Jack Hughes is not playing in tonight’s game as he continues his recovery to full strength after an upper-body injury.
Jack Hughes Could Return Tomorrow
A budding superstar’s return to the lineup is on the horizon. New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes is “50/50” to return to the lineup tomorrow against the St. Louis Blues after skating in a non-contact jersey today, reports ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski.
Wyshynski adds that Hughes “wants back in,” but the team is being cautious in his recovery from an upper-body injury. A maintenance day last week quickly developed into a week-long absence last week, and his return comes a bit ahead of schedule after the team issued a week-to-week timeline for recovery.
The dynamic 21-year-old still sits in the NHL lead with 29 even-strength goals this season. His 35 goals, 67 points, and 229 shots on goal all lead the Devils.
The middle child in the Hughes family is well above a point-per-game clip in his fourth NHL season and seems like an undeniable franchise cornerstone after the Devils selected him first overall in 2019. He had a spectacular six goals and 11 points in his last five games before sustaining the upper-body injury.
If he can’t return to the Devils lineup tomorrow, he’ll likely suit up for at least one of the team’s back-to-back home games against Pittsburgh and Winnipeg this weekend.
Snapshots: Blues, Schenn, Bally Sports
The St. Louis Blues had a resounding win last night over the Florida Panthers, but it came at a cost. Both forward Brandon Saad and defenseman Torey Krug left the game with injuries, and they could be without both tomorrow against the New Jersey Devils, says head coach Craig Berube.
Berube confirmed Saad, who’s dealing with an upper-body injury, will miss the game. Krug is questionable with a lower-body injury. Both players have already missed chunks of the season with injuries, contributing to the Blues’ mediocre record. Saad’s injury opens the door for veteran Josh Leivo, who has four goals and 13 points in 38 games, to step into a top-six role for the time being. Neither Saad nor Krug have a timeline for their injuries, although Krug’s is obviously a short-term absence.
- Despite other hot-commodity defensemen being scratched for asset protection, Vancouver Canucks defender Luke Schenn doesn’t expect the same treatment. Schenn told reporters that he “expects to be playing every night” ahead of the March 3 trade deadline, despite multiple teams having reported interest in the stay-at-home defenseman. The 33-year-old has 18 points and a +5 rating in 53 games this season.
- The NHL Board of Governors had an emergency meeting today to discuss the financial struggles of Bally Sports Network’s parent group, per The Athletic’s Michael Russo. Diamond Sports, a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, operates the Bally Sports umbrella of regional sports networks that broadcasts the home games of many U.S.-based teams. Today, they skipped a debt payment of $140MM as the organization nears bankruptcy. A potential sudden, unexpected lack of TV revenue is certainly a bit of financial concern for the league.