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Devils Assign Max Willman To Minors

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The Devils have done some roster trimming before tomorrow’s game against the Senators, announcing the assignment of forward Maxwell Willman to AHL Utica. His reassignment signals that Nolan Foote, who hasn’t played since a four-game conditioning stint in Utica one month ago, could soon be cleared for game action. Foote participated in today’s practice, per Amanda Stein of the Devils’ official site, but line rushes indicate he’s unlikely to make his season debut for New Jersey tomorrow. Willman’s now-vacant roster spot could also go to a defense callup, as interim head coach Travis Green told Stein that blue-liner John Marino is questionable against Ottawa due to an undisclosed injury.

Willman, 29, was inked to a one-year, two-way deal last offseason and has logged significant action in both New Jersey and Utica. He’s been recalled six times, making 18 NHL appearances, but his four points, 40.1 CF% at even strength, and minimal usage (8:20 per game) have done little to put him in consideration for a full-time spot on the Devils’ roster.

His NHL career began with six points in 41 games with the Flyers in 2021-22, although his possession metrics were similarly poor in that span: a -13 rating and 42.9 CF%. He played only nine games the following campaign, spending most of it in the minors. Since turning pro five years ago, he’s held down a middle-six role with 88 points in 173 AHL games and 25 points in 20 ECHL games.

With six games remaining on their schedule and playoffs no longer a remote possibility, this will be Willman’s last transaction of the season unless a sudden rash of injuries strikes the Devils’ forward group. He’s not going to be a long-term NHL option for anyone at this rate, but with 11 goals and 21 points in 31 games with Utica this season, he’s proven his value to the organization as a veteran presence in the minors. A pending UFA, Willman likely won’t earn anything much higher than his current $150K guaranteed salary on his next deal.

Evening Notes: Trouba, Foote, Pelletier

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New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba has returned to the practice sheet after missing the last five games with a lower-body injury. It’s Trouba’s first significant absence of the season, after playing in 60 of the team’s 63 games up to the point of his injury. Head coach Peter Laviolette told The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (Twitter Link) that the team wants to take their time with transitioning Trouba back into the lineup, wanting to make sure he’s fully healthy first.

Trouba is managing another strong season, despite seeing a dip in his scoring – netting just three goals and 22 points in 60 games this year and likely to miss the 30-point mark for the first time in three years. His value has instead come on the other side of the puck, with Trouba ranking third on the Rangers in hits-per-game (2.73), behind William Cuylle and Matt Rempe. Laviolette has employed a physical presence in his first year with the Rangers and Trouba has been happy to comply, leaning into the presence that’s made him one of the league’s most divisive players. The Rangers will need to make sure Trouba is fully ready to go before returning because there’s no doubt he’ll jump right back into his heavy-hitting role.

Other notes from around the league:

  • New Jersey Devils forward Nolan Foote is facing an undisclosed injury and did not join the team on their three-game road trip last week, per Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com. Foote was assigned to the AHL on a four-game conditioning stint in early March, scoring three goals and four points in four games. He was formally activated off of season-opening injured reserve on March 12th, though he’s yet to make his season debut in the NHL. It’s unclear when fans can expect him to work his way into the Devils lineup.
  • The Calgary Flames have sent Jakob Pelletier to the AHL (Twitter Link) after placing him in the press box for their last two games. Pelletier is playing out his formal rookie season in the NHL, with one goal and three points in 13 NHL games on the year. He appeared in 24 games with Calgary last year, netting three goals and seven points. Despite scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace in the minors – 102 points in 105 games since 2021-22 – Pelletier is still searching for his scoring groove at the top level. He’ll get another chance to hone his craft, now again with the Calgary Wranglers.

Afternoon Notes: Global Series, Athanasiou, Foote

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The NHL has announced their Global Series matchups for the 2024-25 season, with the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils slated to face off in Prague, Czechia on October 4th and 5th, and the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars set to play in Tampere, Finland on November 1st and 2nd.

The games will mark homecomings for players on all sides, headlined by Florida star Aleksander Barkov’s return to his hometown of Tampere. He grew up through Tampere’s youth hockey program, playing for the Tappara Tampere (often shortened to just ’Tappara’) at every level from U16 in to his professional debut in the Liiga. Barkov’s father, who shares the same name, ranks fifth in Tappara’s all-time scoring, with 416 points in 517 Liiga games. He also coached for the program, though he never oversaw his son. Top Stars scorer Roope Hintz was born in Nokia, Finland – just outside of Tampere. He and Barkov are two of the eight Finns between the Florida and Dallas lineups. When asked about visiting home, Barkov said, “It’s more than a dream come true because you don’t even dream about this… This will probably be one of the best days in my life.”

Meanwhile, New Jersey Devils winger Ondrej Palat will be able to stay at his house in Prague while the team visits. Palat grew up playing in Vitkovice, just a few hours outside of Prague, and told NHL.com that he’s excited to play in front of friends and family. Fellow Devil Tomas Nosek grew up much closer to Prague, in Pardubice. The pair are the only two Czechs on New Jersey’s roster, with recent recall Lukas Rousek being the only one on Buffalo’s roster. However, the two teams do have plenty of other talents from Central Europe – including Germans Nico Daws (NJD) and John-Jason Peterka (BUF), Swiss skaters Nico Hischier, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Timo Meier (NJD), and Slovakia’s Simon Nemec.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Andreas Athanasiou is expected to make his return from injury on Tuesday night, when the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Anaheim Ducks. Athanasiou has been out for the last four months with a groin injury, playing just 11 games this season. He’ll re-enter the lineup still searching for his first goal on the year, recording just four assists prior to his injury. Athanasiou has proven to be an effective winger in Chicago, scoring 20 goals and 40 points in 81 games last season.
  • The New Jersey Devils have formally activated Nolan Foote off of non-roster injured reserve. He’s been working his way back from an upper-body injury suffered during the pre-season that’s since delayed his season debut. Foote was primarily a minor-leaguer last season, scoring 20 goals and 37 points in 55 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets. He’s also managed five goals and seven points in 19 career NHL games, dating back to his debut in 2020-21.

Devils Recall Nolan Foote From Conditioning Stint

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Left winger Nolan Foote led the New Jersey Devils onto the practice sheet today as he was officially recalled from his AHL conditioning stint. Foote has been working his way back from a preseason upper-body injury that held him out until February 26th, when he was assigned to the Utica Comets. Foote has appeared in four games with Utica, scoring three goals and four points. He’ll now have a chance to establish himself in the NHL, back with the Devils for the first time since late March of last season.

Foote is still new to his professional career, making his AHL debut in the 2020-21 season. He’s since spent the majority of his time in the minors, including 55 games in each of the last two seasons, though he’s received six or seven NHL games every year. In total, he’s managed 86 points across 134 career AHL games, on top of five goals and seven points in 19 NHL games.

Foote’s return comes at an apt time, coming right after the team traded top-scoring winger Tyler Toffoli to the Winnipeg Jets. That’s left a hole in the lineup that’s currently being filled by utility player Kurtis MacDermid, who has just two goals in 33 games this season. Foote should be able to compete for that role, though he’ll need to take advantage of his opportunity, with the Devils on the tail ends of the playoff race.

Morning Notes: Blue Jackets, Hoglander, Foote and Halonen

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The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline recently sat down with the Columbus Blue Jackets’ President of Hockey Operations, John Davidson, to discuss the team’s early season woes. But despite the nine-game losing streak, which has seen Johnny Gaudreau get benched and Patrik Laine get scratched, Davidson says no rash changes are inbound for the Blue Jackets. “Woe is me does not work. It’s an emotional game, a hard game,” Davidson told Portzline, “but we need the improvements we’re seeing with some of our younger players — Alexandre Texier, Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli, these guys — to continue, and we need our best players to start playing like they’re capable of playing.”

Davidson went on to support the hard decisions being made by first-time NHL head coach Pascal Vincent, who has benched and scratched players at will through his first two months on the job. Davidson said, “Coach is the coach. Coach works tightly with Jarmo. They discuss things daily, and Jarmo fills me in. The bold moves that Pazzy has made … you have to make bold moves sometimes.”

The topic of Columbus’ slide was also discussed by Elliotte Friedman in the most recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. Friedman disagreed with the decision to scratch Laine but did speak optimism about the impact that significant struggles can have on a young star like Fantilli, calling back to his days covering former NBA rookie of the year Damon Stoudamire. The 32 Thoughts team closed the conversation by acknowledging that, while no rash decisions were inbound, heavy losing can still weigh on the team’s veterans. Columbus will be looking to avoid their 10th loss in a row on Wednesday. If they can’t, they could change their tune on what decisions are looming.

Other morning notes:

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