Nick DeSimone

The Devils announced that they have recalled right-shot defenseman Nick DeSimone from AHL Utica. He fills one of two open spots on their active roster, so no corresponding move is necessary.

DeSimone returns to the New Jersey roster after spending a good chunk of the last two months as an extra defender, frequently sitting in the press box but not seeing any playing time. He was booted to Utica on Dec. 11 in favor of Colton White, who the Devils recently loaned to Team Canada for the ongoing 2024 Spengler Cup. With White in Switzerland and thus unavailable to serve as injury insurance if needed, DeSimone will return to a familiar press-box role coming out of the holiday break.

Now 30, DeSimone is coming off a career-high seven points in 34 NHL appearances in 2023-24, split between the Flames and Devils. Selected off waivers from Calgary in late January, the minor-league mainstay inked a one-way, $775K extension to remain a Devil in late June but hasn’t seen any NHL ice in 2024-25. The Union College product has been the victim of an impeccably healthy New Jersey defense over the past couple of months, providing little opportunity for him to insert himself ahead of one of the most dynamic defense corps in the league.

DeSimone has looked rusty while on assignment to Utica this season, with only three assists and a -10 rating in 12 appearances. However, he’s historically been a good power-play option in the AHL, posting 179 points in 353 career AHL games over nine seasons and a +25 rating.

DeSimone last cleared waivers at the beginning of the regular season. He’s close to spending a cumulative 30 days on the active roster since then, after which point he’ll need them again to return to the AHL.

The New Jersey Devils had an opening on defense after reassigning Simon Nemec to the AHL’s Utica Comets yesterday. To fill that opening, the organization recalled defenseman Nick DeSimone.

DeSimone has suited up in NHL games for the last two years despite spending the past eight seasons in professional hockey. After signing as a collegiate free agent out of Union College, he began his professional career in the San Jose Sharks system.

His contractual rights bounced from the Vegas Golden Knights to the New York Rangers organization before finally landing as an unrestricted free agent with the Calgary Flames. It was with the Flames that DeSimone ultimately made his NHL debut securing four games played in the 2022-23 season.

Last year garnered the most playing time for DeSimone at the NHL level as he managed one goal and five points in 23 games with the Flames. He became a piece in Calgary’s blue-line exodus from last year after being claimed off waivers by the Devils in late January.

DeSimone scored one goal and two points with the Devils in 11 games down the stretch. His play for the team turned into a one-year, $775K extension on June 24, 2024.

Unfortunately for DeSimone, he’s more of a roster filler at this point with the Devils. He’s off to a dismal start in the AHL this year with two assists in nine games and a -10 rating. Even if New Jersey experiences on the blue line, they’ll likely make a call-up rather than give DeSimone meaningful minutes.

The Devils have re-signed defenseman Nick DeSimone to a one-year, one-way contract, per a team announcement Monday. It’s worth the league minimum salary of $775K.

DeSimone, 29, was headed for the UFA market next week. Instead, he’ll stay in New Jersey, which claimed him off waivers from the Flames in late January. This is the first one-way contract of his career.

Given his small role with the Devils, it was doubtful if general manager Tom Fitzgerald would offer him an extension, especially a one-way commitment. He was scratched more than he played, only skating in 11 of New Jersey’s 37 contests after his acquisition. DeSimone was serviceable when iced, though, posting a goal and an assist while controlling 48.4% of shot attempts when on the ice at even strength. He averaged 16:29 per game in a Devils uniform.

The minor-league veteran has only 38 NHL games to his name, 34 of which came this season. Across his stints with Calgary and New Jersey over the past two years, he’s totaled two goals and five assists without being a defensive liability in bottom-pairing minutes. He’s long been a strong puck-moving option in the AHL, totaling 38 goals and 138 assists for 176 points in 341 games in the Flames, Golden Knights and Sharks organizations.

In fact, most of his time under NHL contract has been spent with San Jose, where he signed as an undrafted free agent out of Union College in 2017. However, he never saw NHL ice during his four years collecting a paycheck from them.

A one-way deal indicates DeSimone has an inside track to start next season as the Devils’ seventh defenseman, although he’ll likely face competition for the role from the younger Santeri Hatakka. Their top six on defense is mostly solidified, with Dougie Hamilton, Luke Hughes, John Marino, Simon Nemec and Jonas Siegenthaler all guaranteed spots, plus a UFA signing to replace Kevin Bahl, who was traded to the Flames in last week’s Jacob Markström deal.

With DeSimone in the NHL, the Devils are down to $15.27MM in projected cap space with a roster size of 16, per CapFriendly. He’ll be a UFA upon expiry.