Devils Notes: Pesce, Mercer, Haula, Nemec
New Devils defenseman Brett Pesce is still recovering from season-ending surgery and isn’t on the ice with his teammates as training camp begins, the team’s Amanda Stein relays.
Pesce, 29, is listed as week-to-week. That designation doubts his availability for the Devils’ season opener, their Global Series matchup against the Sabres in Prague on Oct. 4.
The former Hurricane underwent surgery to repair a fibula fracture he sustained in Game 2 of last year’s First Round series against the Islanders. He reached unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer, signing a six-year, $33MM contract with New Jersey on July 1.
Pesce is coming off the worst offensive season of his career, having been limited to 13 points (3 G, 10 A) in 70 contests. His 20:17 ATOI was also his lowest since his rookie season in Carolina.
His usage likely won’t improve much in a second-pairing role behind Dougie Hamilton on New Jersey’s right side, nor will there be any power-play opportunity for him with Luke Hughes also in the picture. However, the strong skater and cerebral defender has a +92 rating in 627 career contests and has controlled over 50% of expected goals at even strength for four seasons in a row.
More from the Devils as training camp gets underway:
- Unsigned restricted free agent Dawson Mercer remains away from his teammates, but general manager Tom Fitzgerald doesn’t expect his absence to stretch out much longer. Fitzgerald told reporters Thursday, including James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now, that he thinks “we’re really close” to an agreement being finalized. Contract negotiations have been on the front burner for over a month as the sides work toward a likely short-term pact, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said a couple of weeks back.
- Center Erik Haula was absent from practice Thursday with an undisclosed illness, per Stein. It’s not a cause for concern this early in camp with the Devils’ first preseason game, which will likely be thin on veterans, still three days away. Haula has been a solid middle-six presence since being acquired from the Bruins in the 2022 offseason, logging 76 points in 156 games as a Devil while averaging 16:45 per night and winning 54.5% of his draws.
- Rising sophomore defenseman Simon Nemec has full medical clearance after sustaining an injury while suiting up in an Olympic qualifier game for his native Slovakia late last month, Fitzgerald said (via Nichols). The second overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft didn’t crack New Jersey’s opening night roster last season but quickly worked his way up the depth chart, making 60 appearances in his rookie year while finishing 14th in Calder Trophy voting. The right-shot defender projects to start the season in a third-pairing role behind Hamilton in Pesce after posting 19 points and a -7 rating with strong possession quality numbers in fringe top-four minutes in 2023-24.
Metropolitan Notes: Kochetkov, Haula, Hatakka, Lindgren, Leschyshyn, Mackey
As expected, the Hurricanes recalled netminder Pyotr Kochetkov from AHL Chicago on Sunday as the team returns to practice, per CapFriendly. Carolina loaned Kochetkov to Chicago last weekend to bank salary cap space over the All-Star break; he did not appear in any of Chicago’s three games over the past week.
The 24-year-old returned from a concussion before the break began and dressed as the backup to Antti Raanta for Jan. 27’s win over the Coyotes after a six-game absence. If he starts Tuesday against the Canucks, it will be his first appearance since Jan. 11.
In the first season of a four-year, $8MM deal, Kochetkov has locked down the starting role in Carolina in the absence of Frederik Andersen, who recently returned to on-ice activities after missing most of the season due to blood clotting issues. His 21 starts lead the team, over which span he’s produced an 11-7-3 record, .900 SV%, 2.58 GAA, and one shutout. They’re rather average numbers given the quality of the defense in front of him, but they’re far superior to Raanta’s performance this season (.870 SV%, 3.04 GAA in 23 GP). With one open roster spot, no corresponding transaction is needed to reinstate Kochetkov.
More from the Metropolitan Division to close out the weekend:
- Devils center Erik Haula returned to the team today after a brief paternal leave, Amanda Stein of the Devils’ official site reports. The 32-year-old missed the team’s final game before the All-Star break, a 6-3 loss to the Lightning, for the birth of his child. He has 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points in 41 games after signing a three-year, $9.45MM extension to remain in Newark in June, pacing over half a point per game for the third straight season.
- The Devils also recalled defenseman Santeri Hatakka from AHL Utica, per a team announcement. Hatakka rejoins the NHL squad after spending the All-Star break in the minors, recording a goal and an assist in three games. The 23-year-old made his first three appearances as a Devil in the triad of contests leading into the break, recording an assist and a +5 rating while averaging 16:07 per game in the absence of Brendan Smith, who landed on injured reserve with a right knee sprain over two weeks ago. His role on the team is slightly muddied after the Devils claimed Nick DeSimone off waivers from the Flames shortly before the break; he’s expected to suit up in a third-pairing role alongside Colin Miller to make his Devils debut against the Avalanche on Tuesday. Thus, Hatakka will likely serve mostly as a healthy scratch for the time being.
- Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is cleared to play in Monday’s contest against Colorado, head coach Peter Laviolette said (via The Athletic’s Peter Baugh). The 25-year-old sustained an upper-body injury early in a Jan. 26 game against the Golden Knights and missed the following night’s 7-2 win over the Senators. The pending RFA is nearing completion of a three-year, $9MM extension and has seven points in 47 games, the lowest offensive output of his NHL career. It’s been a down season for Lindgren on both sides of the puck, too – his 48.8% Corsi share at even strength is down over five percentage points from last season’s mark.
- Staying with the Rangers, the team also recalled forward Jake Leschyshyn and defenseman Connor Mackey from AHL Hartford on Sunday. The two have been frequent travelers between leagues as of late, seeing a combined three recalls since the New Year. They’re both projected as healthy scratches for Monday and will serve as short-term injury insurance. Neither player recorded a point in their lone NHL appearances this season.
Metro Notes: Kochetkov, Smith, Ludvig, Haula
Playing in their final game before the All-Star break tomorrow night, the Carolina Hurricanes will see the return of their primary starting goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov. Team reporter for the Hurricanes, Walt Ruff, announces that the team has activated Kochetkov from the injured reserve, and he will be an option for them tomorrow night against the Arizona Coyotes.
Kochetkov had originally been out since January 12th with a concussion, missing the last six games for Carolina. Now down to a tandem of Antti Raanta and recently claimed Spencer Martin, the team produced a 4-2-0 record in Kochetkov’s absence, averaging three goals against per game.
It has been the tale of two seasons for Kochetkov up to this point, who originally started off the 2023-24 campaign with a 4-5-1 record coupled with a .871 save percentage. Since the team’s blowout loss to the Edmonton Oilers on December 6th, however, Kochetkov has turned into a completely different goaltender, managing a 7-2-2 record in his next 12 games, including an impressive .921 save percentage in the process.
Other Metro notes:
- Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reported today that defenseman John Ludvig and forward Reilly Smith had returned to regular practice for the Pittsburgh Penguins today, switching out of their previously worn non-contact jerseys. Although neither player suited up in the team’s game tonight against the Florida Panthers, both are effective pieces to get back into the active roster, as Smith has been out for a little over two weeks, and Ludvig has been out for nearly a month.
- Preparing for their game tomorrow night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, team reporter for the New Jersey Devils, Amanda Stein mentions that forward Erik Haula did not practice with the club today due to personal reasons. As it is unclear if Haula will suit up tomorrow night against the Lightning or not, with the Devils already having lost plenty of man games to injuries to some of their top stars throughout most of the year, Haula being unable to play would put some more strain on the offensive depth of the organization.
Metropolitan Notes: Chinakhov, Haula, Kuefler
Earlier this week, the agent for Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov indicated that his client was unhappy with his role and while the youngster hadn’t asked for a trade, he’d like to be moved. Speaking with reporters today including Brian Hedger of the Columbus Post-Dispatch, the 22-year-old tried to pour cold water on that notion to an extent. He stated his affinity for the team and market but that he simply just wants to play. Chinakhov started the season on IR and then was sent to the AHL briefly before being recalled early last month. Since then, he has been a regular most nights but is playing under 14 minutes per game, lately spending time on the fourth line even but has five points in 13 games. Clearly, the 2020 first-round pick is looking to have a bigger role; he will once again be a restricted free agent in the summer but will have arbitration rights at that time for the first time.
More from the Metropolitan:
- While the Devils didn’t get center Erik Haula back in their lineup tonight against San Jose, he might not be out much longer. Ryan Novozinsky of The Star-Ledger notes that the veteran will accompany the team on their upcoming four-game road trip. The 32-year-old suffered a lower-body injury last week against Buffalo. Haula is coming off back-to-back 40-plus-point seasons and has produced at a better pace than that this season with a dozen points in 18 games.
- The Islanders have activated winger Daylan Kuefler off season-opening IR and assigned him to AHL Bridgeport, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). The 21-year-old is in his first professional season but wasn’t able to participate in training camp after suffering an injury in the WHL playoffs back in the spring. Last season, Kuefler had 61 points in 54 games with Kamloops while adding seven more in 13 playoff contests and four more in as many Memorial Cup appearances.
Injury Notes: Chabot, Martin, Hamilton
The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch shared that star defenseman Thomas Chabot will return to the lineup in the team’s Friday matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Chabot has missed the last 10 games with a broken right hand suffered on October 26th against the New York Islanders.
Chabot has appeared in seven games this season, recording three assists, two penalty minutes, and a -1. He’s coming off a career year, scoring 41 points in 68 games last season. It was the second-most that Chabot has scored in a single season, with his career-high coming in the 2018-19 season when Chabot scored 55 points in 70 games. Chabot, 26, is in the fourth season of an eight-year contract extension signed in 2019.
Other injury notes around the league:
- New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert shared that forward Matt Martin is close to returning to action, but that his activation from injured reserve was more precautionary than anything. Lambert said that forwards Simon Holmstrom and Cal Clutterbuck missed the team’s Monday practice with illness and were questionable for the team’s Tuesday night game against the New Jersey Devils. Both players suited up for the matchup – with Clutterbuck even scoring a goal – delaying Martin’s return.
- New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff shared that there is currently no timetable for Dougie Hamilton‘s return from an upper-body injury. He will remain questionable for the team’s Thursday night game in Philadelphia. Ruff also shared that center Erik Haula will be out against Philadelphia, and that Timo Meier returned to skating on his own on Wednesday.
Metropolitan Notes: Haula, Fox, Rust
New Jersey Devils reporter Amanda Stein tweeted today that forward Erik Haula did not practice with the team today after suffering an injury on Saturday night. Haula was forced to leave the Devils 7-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres with an undisclosed ailment. The 32-year-old did not join the team on the bench for the third period leading to speculation about what might have happened to the native of Pori, Finland.
Haula has found a home in New Jersey after bouncing around to four different teams between 2019-2022. In 18 games this year Haula has six goals and six assists which is well above his average point production per game. His hot start can be credited to a shooting percentage of 17.1% which is well above his career average of 12%.
Star-Ledger reporter Ryan Novozinsky tweeted that Devils head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters that Haula probably won’t be available for the team’s game tomorrow night which would be another blow to a Devils team who have already sustained injuries to much of their forward group, including Timo Meier and Tomas Nosek who were also absent from practice this morning as they continue to deal with ongoing ailments.
In other Metropolitan notes:
- Mollie Walker of the New York Post is reporting that New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox was an active participant in the team’s practice this morning and is eligible to return to the Rangers lineup on Wednesday night when they take on the Detroit Red Wings. The native of Jericho, New York was placed on the injured reserve after suffering an injury on November 3rd when he was hit by Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho. Fox had been on a torrid pace to start the season with three goals and eight assists in the first 10 games of the Rangers season. The 2021 Norris Trophy winner will add a jolt to a Rangers team that sits tied for first in the league with a 15-3-1 record to start the season.
- Matt Vensel of Post-Gazette Sports is reporting that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust was a full participant in Penguins practice this morning and he attempts to work his way back into the lineup after missing the team’s last three games with a lower-body injury. Rust practiced on the team’s top line along with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel and took reps of the Penguins’ first power play unit signalling that a return could come sooner than later. Shelly Anderson of Pittsburgh Hockey Now is reporting that Rust told reporters that he could play tomorrow night when Pittsburgh visits the Nashville Predators, but nothing is official yet. The Penguins could certainly use Rust back as they’ve had Drew O’Connor filling in during his absence. O’Connor did have an assist in Saturday night’s win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he lacks the offensive upside that Rust brings to the Penguins top-6 forward group.
Snapshots: Carlsson, Petry, Devils
When the Anaheim Ducks made a somewhat unexpected choice at the 2023 NHL draft to select Swedish pivot Leo Carlsson over Hobey Baker winner Adam Fantilli, many had circled today as a date to watch on the NHL calendar. That’s because Carlsson’s Ducks are set to play Fantilli’s Blue Jackets tonight, and with both players likely to be in the NHL today’s contest was viewed to be the first chance to watch the two players go head-to-head.
Fans will have to wait to get that chance, though, as Ducks team reporter Aly Lozoff confirms that Carlsson will not dress for today’s game. Carlsson began this season dealing with an injury and the Ducks have reportedly been attempting to “ease” Carlsson into the rigors of the NHL schedule. That means he’ll sit tonight, and as a result, fans will have to wait until the Blue Jackets travel to Orange County in February to get the chance to see Carlsson and Fantilli face off.
- Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry did not skate this morning and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, according to Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde. Petry, 35, was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins (via the Montreal Canadiens) this offseason and has thus far skated in four games for the Red Wings. The Red Wings’ defensive depth is an area of strength, so while Petry’s injury is definitely unfortunate, the Red Wings are well-equipped to survive in his absence.
- As relayed by Devils team reporter Sam Kasan, forwards Erik Haula and Nico Hischier “will be able to play” in tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, according to head coach Lindy Ruff. Hischier, the Devils’ captain, missed the later stages of the Devils’ last game with an upper-body injury, while Haula hasn’t appeared in the lineup since October 16th. With Tomáš Nosek out with an injury, these two players returning to health is an important development in helping the Devils maintain their impressive strength at the center position.
Devils Notes: Hischier, Haula, Recalls
New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier did not practice today after leaving Friday’s overtime win over the Islanders with a reported shoulder injury, NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky notes. Head coach Lindy Ruff told Novozinsky that Hischier is “being evaluated right now” and will give another update on his status when the team reconvenes on Monday.
Hischier has had a slow start to 2023-24, at least on the scoresheet. He and Dawson Mercer are the only Devils forwards who have played in all four games this season and are yet to record a point. His 17:34 average ice time thus far is also the lowest since his rookie season, a further sign of the stranglehold Jack Hughes is taking as the team’s bonafide number-one center. He hasn’t taken a step back defensively, however, still showcasing the form that earned him a Selke Trophy nomination last season. He has a Corsi share of 57.1% at even strength, which ranks fourth among Devils forwards to play in all four contests.
Other Devils updates coming this weekend:
- Depth center Erik Haula is continuing his recovery from the upper-body injury that sidelined him against the Islanders on Friday. Devils team reporter Amanda Stein said today that Haula skated on his own prior to practice, and the team is “hopeful” he’ll be available for Monday’s game against the Canadiens, limiting him to just one game missed. Haula’s line with Ondrej Palat and Alexander Holtz has provided solid secondary scoring so far, and Haula has two goals and one helper through three appearances. The 32-year-old signed a three-year, $9.45MM extension with the Devils to avoid free agency this summer.
- While Hischier’s and Haula’s statuses are up in the air, don’t expect any recalls from AHL Utica until the last minute. Ruff told reporters today that their minor-league affiliate is dealing with some injuries of their own and that a recall would only be necessary on Monday if both Hischier and Haula are unavailable against Montreal. With 22-year-old Nolan Foote still on season-opening injured reserve, look for Shane Bowers or Tyce Thompson to get an NHL nod if they’re healthy.
Injury Notes: Devils, Penguins, Ducks
NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky has shared that Erik Haula and Tomas Nosek will likely both miss New Jersey’s Friday night game with an upper-body and lower-body injury respectively. Haula was the only one of the two to play in the team’s most recent game, being named the game’s third star after a two-point performance. Head coach Lindy Ruff told Novozinsky that the duo will likely not travel with the team on their upcoming two-game road trip.
The absence of Haula and Nosek leaves a dent in New Jersey’s bottom six that’s expected to be filled by Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian. Bastian has been with the Devils for five of his six NHL seasons, briefly joining the Seattle Kraken for 12 games of the 2021-22 season before the Devils claimed him off waivers partway through the year. Lazar is a much more recent addition, joining the Devils via trade ahead of the 2022-23 trade deadline. He’s only played six games with the Devils between last season and this season and has yet to record a point. New Jersey could also turn towards summer signee Chris Tierney to fill an empty role. Tierney has yet to make his debut with the Devils.
Other injury notes:
- Jamie Drysdale is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss Anaheim’s next game. In his spot, rookie Tristan Luneau is expected to make his NHL debut. Luneau was a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and has spent the last three seasons with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques, winning the league’s ‘Defenseman of the Year’ award last season.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins’ injury woes continue, with head coach Mike Sullivan sharing that Kris Letang is being evaluated for a lower-body injury. Noel Acciari is also dealing with an upper-body injury. Both players missed the team’s Thursday practice.
Snapshots: Demko, Haula, Hintz
Thatcher Demko was mysteriously pulled from the team’s season opener after just over 48 minutes of play. After the game, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet shared that Demko was battling the flu before the game and tried to play through it but was pulled after getting sick. Despite the bug, Demko recorded 21 saves on 22 shots – a big piece of the staggering 8-1 win Vancouver would go on to notch. Recent trade acquisition Casey DeSmith relieved Demko and saved all five shots that he faced.
Vancouver hasn’t shared that they’re expecting Demko to miss any more time with this flu. They visit the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, October 14 to kick off a five-game road trip. The gap between games will likely be plenty for Demko, although his status will be one to monitor over the coming days. While DeSmith was suitable in relief, the Canucks will certainly still want as much of Demko as they can get this season. The 27-year-old goalie played in 64 games during the 2021-22 season, recording a .915 save percentage, but was held to only 32 games and a .901 save percentage last year as he battled with a groin injury.
Other notes from around the league:
- Erik Haula is looking good to go for New Jersey’s home opener against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. He’s been dealing with an undisclosed, “nagging” injury for part of training camp and was recently considered day-to-day.
- Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz has officially been ruled out for the team’s season opener against the St. Louis Blues. Hintz has been dealing with an upper-body injury and was recently announced as a game-time decision for the team’s first tilt. But head coach Pete DeBoer shared that playing Hintz wasn’t worth the risk, as the team has five days off after their Thursday night game against St. Louis.