Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Devils Rumors

New Jersey Devils Sign Graeme Clarke

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Saturday: Official now, the Devils have signed Clarke to his three-year ELC which is set to begin next season. The team notes in their release that Clarke is currently playing with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils and should remain there for the time being.

Friday: Though the team hasn’t officially announced it yet, Graeme Clarke has signed his entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils. PuckPedia was the first to report the deal, which is a three-year contract that carries a cap hit of $850K. The deal will kick in for the 2021-22 season.

Clarke, 19, was selected with the 80th overall pick in 2019 and like many other prospects has been just trying to get games in wherever he can. In December, he agreed to a loan overseas and played six games in the Slovakian professional league, recording a single point. In early February, while still waiting on the OHL to return, he inked an AHL deal with the Binghamton Devils where he has played in four games. Though he still doesn’t have a point, just getting some on-ice experience is a huge step for a player that saw his 2019-20 season shortened drastically.

In October of 2019, just a few months after being selected by the Devils, Clarke suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery. He’d end up playing just 16 games with the Ottawa 67’s thanks to the rehab and early shutdown, meaning it was nearly a lost development year for the young winger. Now, even with a handful of games at the AHL level, his path is still stunted. When the OHL returns in some fashion, Clarke will be forced to return to junior.

The Devils meanwhile still obviously believe in his talent, enough to sign him to an entry-level deal. Had they not, his draft rights would have expired in June.

Devils’ Nico Hischier Placed On Injured Reserve

at CDT | by 1 Comment

An unlucky season for newly-minted New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier continues. The Devils have announced that Hischier has been placed on the injured reserve as a result of injuries suffered when he was struck in the face with the puck in a February 27 match-up with the Washington Capitals. He is considered week-to-week.

This latest incident for Hischier occurred on Saturday when a high slap shot from teammate P.K. Subban hit Hischier square in the visor, knocking him out of the game. Hischier has not played since and the Devils have revealed that he has been in concussion protocol and will continue to undergo observation. Additionally, Hischier suffered a “sinus fracture”, a broken nose or facial bone.

This is Hischier’s third separate health issue so far this season. He got a late start to the season due to a leg injury, only to land on the NHL’s COVID Protocol Related Absences list with many of his teammates before he could even return to action. Hischier finally returned to the lineup on February 20 and, thanks to a condensed schedule, was able to play in five games before this latest injury occurred only a week later. Altogether, he has missed 13 games – or 72% – of New Jersey’s season so far and there is now out for another indefinite period of time.

The Devils will continue to have to rely on their many young players to step up in Hischier’s place as they have so far this season. One of the early highlights for New Jersey this season has been Janne Kuokkanen, who has six points in 13 games. While it may not seem like much, it is in fact tied for fifth-most among Devils forwards. Kuokkanen has been promoted back to the active roster from the taxi squad to take Hischier’s place in the lineup.

Devils Expect To Have Update On Nico Hischier's Status Over The Next Couple Of Days

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • The Devils expect to have an update on Nico Hischier’s status over the next few days, notes Sean Farrell of the Bergen Record. The center has missed the last two games after getting hit in the face with a puck on Saturday, extending his tough luck to start the season.  While he was named captain, he has hardly played, missing time due to a leg injury sustained in offseason training as well as a stint on the CPRA list.  As a result, Hischier has played in just five games so far, collecting two goals and an assist.

Poll: NHL’s “Thanksgiving Trend” Revisited

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Fans of the NHL are sure to be familiar with the deeper meaning that American Thanksgiving holds each season. With unrelenting consistency, the NHL’s standings on the final Thursday of November have had great predictive ability when compared to the final regular season standings. In fact, over the past seven years the Thanksgiving standings have been about 75% accurate at forecasting eventual playoff teams, predicting 12 of 16 spots on average. Even though American Thanksgiving only rolls around less than two months into the season, three out of four teams in a playoff spot at that time will have retained their postseason berth when the season ends.

The 2019-20 season of course did not have a standard postseason, but if it had then the Thanksgiving trend would have proved even more prophetic in a shortened campaign. Last year, in which teams were limited to between 68 and 71 games apiece prior to the early termination of the regular season, the Thanksgiving standings would have predicted 13 of 16 playoff teams in the standard format. Of the three teams that would have slid out of the postseason, the Florida Panthers trailed the Toronto Maple Leafs by .014 points percentage in the Atlantic Division and the Winnipeg Jets missed out by a measly .001 points percentage behind the Calgary Flames as the final Western Conference wild card. The Thanksgiving standings were that close to predicting 15 of 16 playoff teams in the shortened season, with the unexpected slow start for the Vegas Golden Knights and hot start for the Arizona Coyotes being the other unsurprising course correction.

But how does this trend impact a season that didn’t even begin until well after American Thanksgiving? Based on total games played by Thanksgiving over the past few seasons, Thanksgiving represents about the 30% progress through the NHL season. In the current 56-game season, that comes out to about the 17-game mark. Although postponements and rescheduling have created a wide discrepancy in games played among teams this year, the league as a whole passed that 17-game average on Saturday: Happy Thanksgiving. Admittedly, the 2020-21 campaign does have a different playoff model as well, one that is somewhat stricter than the last few years without the fallback of a wildcard spot for a team on the fifth-place fringe in their division. Yet, it is still a 16-team postseason and the Thanksgiving trend should hold. Using points percentage to rank the standings (the stat may end up determining playoff position for a second consecutive season anyhow) and adjusting for the season’s makeshift divisions, here is the current “Thanksgiving” outlook:

North Division                                                             East Division

Toronto Maple Leafs (.789)                                    Boston Bruins (.733)
Montreal Canadiens (.625)                                     Philadelphia Flyers (.679)
Winnipeg Jets (.618)                                                 Washington Capitals (.594)
Edmonton Oilers (.600)                                          Pittsburgh Penguins (.594)____
Calgary Flames (.472)                                                        New Jersey Devils (.583)
Vancouver Canucks (.405)                                                New York Islanders (.559)
Ottawa Senators (.237)                                                      New York Rangers (.469)
                                                                                                Buffalo Sabres (.429)

West Division                                                                Central Division

Vegas Golden Knights (.700)                                   Carolina Hurricanes (.781)
Colorado Avalanche (.679)                                       Florida Panthers (.750)
St. Louis Blues (.611)                                                  Tampa Bay Lightning (.700)
Minnesota Wild (.571)                                                Dallas Stars (.583)                    
Los Angeles Kings (.531)                                                    Chicago Blackhawks (.579)
Arizona Coyotes (.500)                                                       Columbus Blue Jackets (.526)
San Jose Sharks (.500)                                                       Nashville Predators (.412)
Anaheim Ducks (.417)                                                         Detroit Red Wings (.325)

Now this begs the question, especially seeing how accurate the Thanksgiving standings were in last year’s shortened season but also accounting for the many disruptions for a number of teams early this season, who is the trend currently overlooking? Which teams currently outside the playoff picture, if any, do you think will make the postseason when all is said and done later this season? Use the comments section below as well to discuss which teams may fall out of the postseason and whether you feel the Thanksgiving trend will apply this season.

[mobile users click here to vote]

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/21/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As the NHL prepares for another day at Lake Tahoe – one that hopes to run smoothly after Saturday’s debacle – there are also three other games on the Sunday slate. Roster transactions continue to come at a torrid pace this season and today should be no different with a number of teams in action. Keep up with all of the moves right here:

Central Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have returned a trio of players to the taxi squad. The team announced that veteran defensemen Alex Biega and the recently-waived Danny DeKeyser, as well as rookie forward Mathias Brome, have all been reassigned. After back-to-back games, Detroit is off until Tuesday.
  • Matiss Kivlenieks is on his way back to Columbus after a brief stint in the minors. The Blue Jackets announced that the goaltender has been recalled from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters to join the taxi squad. While the team may give Kivlenieks spot starts in Cleveland from time to time to keep him fresh, he looks to be locked in to that No. 3 taxi squad role for the franchise this season.
  • The Nashville Predators announced they have reassigned forward Eeli Tolvanen to the squad. The 21-year-old has appeared in eight games with the Predators this season.

East Division

  • The New Jersey Devils have swapped a pair of forwards, sending Yegor Sharangovich to the taxi squad while calling up Mikhail Maltsev as his replacement. Although they have been used differently so far this season, both rookies have been effective in the Devils lineup. However, after a hot start Sharangovich has cooled off while Maltsev has performed in his more recent showings. According to the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, New Jersey has also reassigned forward Nick Merkley from the taxi squad to the minors. Merkley has actually played well in the NHL so far this season, recording three points in five games with the Devils.
  • With the losses of Jake McCabe and William Borgen to injuries, the Buffalo Sabres have promoted two players from the Rochester Americans to the taxi squad. The team announced that Jacob Bryson and Casey Fitzgerald will move up and fill the defensive depth void that the team has dealt with over the last few days.

North Division

  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled defenseman Theodor Lennstrom from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL and moved him to the taxi squad. The move was required with the injury to defenseman Slater Koekkoek. Lennstrom will need time to quarantine with Bakersfield being in the U.S., requiring the player to cross the border.
  • Ryan Pike of FlamesNation reports that the Calgary Flames have made a salary cap move, sending defenseman Oliver Kylington to the taxi squad and thereby filling up their taxi-squad roster. The 23-year-old has yet to appear in a game for the Flames this season.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled a number of players from the taxi squad for Sunday’s game, including goaltender Joey Daccord, defenseman Braydon Coburn and forward Micheal Haley. The team also assigned forward Artem Anisimov to the taxi squad to make room for them and also moved Logan Shaw from the Belleville Senators of the AHL to the taxi squad.

West Division

  • The Minnesota Wild have moved a pair of young players back to the minors. The team announced that defenseman Calen Addison and goalie Dereck Baribeau have been reassigned to AHL Iowa. Addison, one of Minnesota’s top prospects, logged over 18 minutes of ice time on average through his first three NHL games.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have swapped several players from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL and the taxi squad. The team has assigned forwards Frederik Gauthier and Kyle Capobianco from the Tucson to the taxi squad. The Coyotes also assigned forwards Hudson Fasching and Michael Chaput to Tucson to replace them. Capobianco has appeared in two games for Arizona this season.
  • The San Jose Sharks announced they have reassigned forward Maxim Letunov and goaltender Josef Korenar to the San Barracuda of the AHL. Neither player has appeared in a Sharks game this season.

Devils Activate Nico Hischier, Name Him Team Captain

at CDT | by 4 Comments

It’s a big day for Devils center Nico Hischier.  First, he was cleared to come off the CPRA list (making him the final New Jersey player to be removed) but he was also named team captain in advance of today’s game against Buffalo.  He becomes the 12th captain in franchise history.

It has been a trying season for 22-year-old in that he hasn’t been able to play yet.  Hischier suffered a leg injury back in December while training and before he could be cleared to return, he was one of many New Jersey players to wind up on the CPRA list.  Even though he had recovered from the leg injury during that stint, he had to clear COVID protocol before he could be activated.  That’s hardly what he was hoping to give New Jersey in the first season of a seven-year, $50.5MM contract signed back in October of 2019.

He is a welcome addition to a New Jersey lineup that sits in the middle of the pack in offense this season at 2.82 goals per game heading into play today.  Hischier isn’t a high-end goal scorer – he only reached 20 goals in his rookie season – but is their best pure playmaker which should give them a boost offensively as the Devils look to hang around the playoff race in the very tight East Division.  As a result of their extended break in the schedule, he’ll wind up only missing 11 games despite being out for nearly six weeks.

Hischier becomes the youngest active captain in the league, taking that mark from Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (24).  He’s also the third ever captain from Switzerland, joining Roman Josi who is Nashville’s captain as well as Mark Streit who held the title for the Islanders in 2011-12 and 2012-13.  There are now just two teams in the league without a captain, the Rangers and Senators.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Matt Tennyson Clears Waivers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Saturday: Tennyson has cleared waivers, Johnston reports. New Jersey quickly moved him to the taxi squad, while assigning Nicholas Merkley to the AHL.

Friday: Off the COVID Protocol and onto the wire, Matt Tennyson has been placed on waivers by the New Jersey Devils according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. The team also put Eric Comrie and Connor Carrick there in recent days, losing the former back to his old team. Tennyson already did clear earlier in the season, but needed to go through the process again if the Devils wanted to assign him to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

With Sami Vatanen, Dmitry Kulikov, and Will Butcher all assuming their spots on the active roster, it was always going to be a tough squeeze for Tennyson. The 30-year-old served as a filler through ten games this season but was regularly caved in possession-wise, just as he has been for most of his career. Undrafted, Tennyson used his three years at Western Michigan University to build up his profile before hitting the professional ranks. He’s turned in quite a nice little career, spending 154 games in an NHL lineup.

Still, it seems unlikely that he will be claimed (if for no other reason than waiver claims are extremely rare these days.) More likely is he clears tomorrow and returns to the practice squad, where he can continue to serve as injury insurance for the Devils. Even there he might not be the first up, as Carrick cleared and could be used whenever the team needs a body.

Winnipeg Jets Claim Eric Comrie

at CDT | by 11 Comments

The Winnipeg Jets just won’t let Eric Comrie go. According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the team has claimed the goaltender off waivers once again, bringing him back to the organization where he has played most of his career. Comrie ended up playing just one game with the New Jersey Devils after being claimed by them earlier this season, posting a .909 save percentage in the process.

If the Jets were the only team to put in a claim, they can now move Comrie directly to the taxi squad or minor leagues. If not, he’ll have to stay on the active roster until he does clear (Update: The Jets have indeed assigned him to the taxi squad). Of course, in either case, Comrie will have to face a quarantine as he returns to Canada. It’s not the first time he’s dealt with this merry-go-round waiver situation, as he was claimed, traded, and then claimed again last season. All the while he has only played in nine career NHL games, but the 25-year-old continues to post strong numbers at the minor league level and obviously has interest from around the NHL.

For Winnipeg, the question now becomes whether the waive a different goaltender. The team is currently carrying three on the active roster, with Connor Hellebuyck backed up by both Laurent Brossoit and Anton Forsberg. Forsberg was a waiver claim himself after the Jets lost Comrie, meaning he might end up back on the wire in the coming days.

Eric Comrie, Connor Carrick Placed On Waivers

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Feb 18: Though Comrie was claimed back by the Jets, Carrick cleared and can now be reassigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

Feb 17: According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the New Jersey Devils have placed both Eric Comrie and Connor Carrick on waivers, now that they are back in action and most of their players are off the COVID Protocol list.

Comrie, 25, played just a single game for the Devils after they claimed him from the Winnipeg Jets earlier this season. Though frustrating, this isn’t a new experience for the goaltender. Last season, Comrie was put on waivers by the Jets, claimed by the Arizona Coyotes, traded to the Detroit Red Wings, then claimed back by the Jets when he ended up on waivers again. This year looks like it might be a similar merry-go-round, as several teams still need some depth goaltending and could claim him.

Carrick meanwhile will likely go unclaimed as every other skater has this season, though that doesn’t mean he can’t play at the NHL level. The 26-year-old defenseman has 231 career games under his belt but has suited up just once this season.

One of the biggest reasons Carrick would slip through is his contract, which carries a $1.5MM cap hit this season. He’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer and it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to secure that kind of salary for 2021-22.

New Jersey Devils Announce Hockey Operations Changes

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The New Jersey Devils have announced several new roles and promotions among their hockey operations staff, starting with anointing a Director, Goaltending Development. Scott Clemmensen will serve in that role for the Devils, overseeing all goaltending development alongside Martin Brodeur, Brian Eklund, and Dave Rogalski.

Kate Madigan has been named Executive Director, Hockey Management/Operations, a promotion from her previous role as Director of Pro Scouting. Madigan will work on hockey operations projects such as free agency, trades, analytics, budget, and coordinating hockey operations personnel.

Jim Mill, who has experience as an AGM with the Minnesota Wild, will now oversee the Devils’ pro scouting staff.

The moves were all officially announced by GM Tom Fitzgerald, though it’s not even clear what his title will be after this season. The team gave Fitzgerald a multi-year contract, but only this season is as general manager. The Pittsburgh Penguins hoped to pull him away from that role when they were searching for their own GM but were not given permission. Regardless, the team has given some promotions to deserving candidates.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top