Hanzel and a 2025 fourth-round pick were dealt to the Devils from the Predators in exchange for Erik Haula on Wednesday.
Hanzel has yet to make his NHL debut. He signed a contract with the Avalanche in March of 2024 but was dealt to the Predators just hours after the trade, and he'll now be on his third organization. He played most of 2024-25 with ECHL Atlanta, earning 22 points in 61 appearances while also seeing four games with AHL Milwaukee. Given the Devils' depth on defense, Hanzel is nowhere close to earning a promotion to the big club -- he'll spend most of 2025-26 with AHL Utica.
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Devils' Juho Lammikko: Returning to NHL
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Lammikko signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with New Jersey on Saturday, per PuckPedia.
Lammikko supplied 13 goals and 38 points across 48 regular-season outings with the ZSC Lions of Switzerland's National League in 2024-25. The 29-year-old last played in the NHL during the 2021-22 campaign when he recorded seven goals and 15 points in 75 regular-season appearances with Vancouver. Lammikko figures to be in the mix for a bottom-six spot on the Devils' Opening Night roster.
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Devils' Nico Hischier: Suffers lower-body injury
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Hischier suffered a lower-body injury at the 2025 IIHF World Championship and will miss the remainder of the tournament, Daniel Amoia of The Hockey Writers reports Friday.
The injury should not affect Hischier as far as next season is concerned, as he is expected to return to full health well before training camp. Hischier had 35 goals and 34 assists across 75 regular-season games in 2024-25, leading the Devils in goals while finishing third on the team with 69 points.
Legare signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Devils on Thursday.
Legare spent the 2024-25 campaign with New Jersey on a two-way deal, and he made his first three NHL appearances in early December. He recorded no points, 12 hits and a blocked shot while averaging 10:41 of ice time over his three outings with the Devils. However, he was more productive with AHL Utica, racking up 17 goals, eight assists and 102 PIM over 69 appearances.
Hameenaho inked a three-year, entry-level contract with New Jersey on Thursday, per Mike Morreale of NHL.com.
The Devils selected Hameenaho with the 58th pick in the 2023 Draft. He had 20 goals and 51 points in 58 regular-season games with Assat Pori of the SM-liiga and will cross the pond to play in North America in time for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
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Devils' Johnny Kovacevic: Has knee surgery Thursday
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Kovacevic underwent knee surgery Thursday and won't be ready for the start of training camp, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.
Kovacevic's timeline hasn't officially ruled him out for Opening Night of the Devils' 2025-26 campaign, but this update certainly doesn't bode well for the blueliner. The Ontario native is coming off a career year in which he set new personal bests in games played (81), assists (16) and points (17). Even if Kovacevic is ready for the start of the season, he may be hard-pressed to push for the 20-point threshold, especially considering he has yet to reach that mark in his career.
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Devils' Arseni Gritsyuk: Pens one-year deal
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Gritsyuk signed a one-year, entry-level contract with New Jersey on Tuesday.
Gritsyuk will finally make the jump to North America after being selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Devils. Considering it's a one-year deal, the 24-year-old winger should get every chance to make the Opening Night roster ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
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Devils' Jesper Bratt: Undergoing shoulder surgery
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Bratt (shoulder) will have offseason surgery but should be ready for the beginning of training camp in the fall, the Devils announced Monday.
Bratt will be unavailable to participate in the 2025 IIHF World Championship for Sweden, but he probably won't miss the beginning of the 2025-26 campaign. He amassed 21 goals, 88 points, 180 shots on net and 96 hits across 81 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. Bratt added one goal, two helpers, 20 shots on target, six hits and five blocks in five playoff outings during New Jersey's first-round defeat versus Carolina.
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Devils' Luke Hughes: Undergoes shoulder surgery
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The Devils announced Monday that Hughes recently underwent successful shoulder surgery and is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp this fall.
Hughes made 71 regular-season appearances this year and recorded seven goals and 37 assists while averaging 21:09 of ice time. However, he sustained an injury during the team's playoff opener and was unavailable for the remainder of the first round. He'll face a recovery process during the offseason but should be ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
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Devils' Johnny Kovacevic: Likely headed for surgery
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Kovacevic is dealing with a knee injury that will probably require surgery, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports Thursday.
Kovacevic missed the Devils' last two games due to his knee injury and could be in danger of being sidelined for the start of training camp in the fall. Fortunately for the 27-year-old defenseman, he signed a new five-year deal with the Devils in March, otherwise, he'd be heading into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent with a questionable knee.
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Devils' Brenden Dillon: Dealt with neck injury in playoffs
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Dillon missed the final four games of the Devils' first-round series with a neck injury, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports Thursday.
Dillon was hurt early in the second period of Game 1 versus Carolina and never returned. He was slated to miss at least the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs if New Jersey had advanced. Dillon managed two goals, 14 assists, 191 hits, 108 blocked shots and 67 PIM across 82 regular-season games in 2024-25. He should be ready to go in time for the start of training camp in September.
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Devils' Brett Pesce: Played through shoulder problem
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Pesce was fighting through a shoulder injury during the playoffs, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports Thursday.
Pesce didn't miss any game action despite being a game-time decision heading into Game 5 on Tuesday. The blueliner picked up two assists in that contest, bringing him to three in five postseason contests. During the regular season, Pesce notched three goals and 14 helpers but missed the 20-point threshold for the second consecutive season. While Pesce offers some value in blocks (138), he doesn't offer enough broad category coverage to be more than a mid-range option in most fantasy leagues.
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Devils' Paul Cotter: Contributes assist in loss
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Cotter logged an assist, two shots on goal and nine hits in Tuesday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5.
Cotter ended his nine-game point drought with the helper. The 25-year-old was limited to one assist, five shots on net, 22 hits, three blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over five playoff outings. He's under contract for 2025-26 and is lined up for restricted free agency next summer, so he'll be looking for a big season. Cotter put up 22 points, 90 shots, 245 hits, 62 PIM and a minus-14 rating over 79 regular-season appearances in his first year with the Devils.
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Devils' Brett Pesce: Two helpers in Game 5 loss
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Pesce notched two assists, two shots on goal and four blocked shots in Tuesday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5.
Pesce was questionable heading into the game but ultimately suited up for 32:17 of ice time. The defenseman put up three assists, eight shots on net, 18 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over five playoff contests. Pesce just finished the first season of a six-year contract, so he's set to be part of the Devils' defensive core for the remainder of the decade.
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Devils' Dawson Mercer: Costly penalty in Game 5 loss
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Mercer scored a goal, added six PIM and went minus-2 in Tuesday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5.
Mercer opened the scoring 3:46 into the game. However, the Hurricanes proved resilient and the contest went into double overtime, where the 23-year-old's double-minor for high-sticking Jesperi Kotkaniemi led to the end of the Devils' season. Mercer was relatively quiet in the postseason with two goals, a minus-6 rating, eight PIM, eight shots on net and 15 hits over five contests. The 23-year-old was limited to 36 points in 82 regular-season appearances, and while he's yet to miss a game in his career, his offense has trended in the wrong direction over the last few years.
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Devils' Timo Meier: Nets goal in Game 5 loss
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Meier scored a goal on five shots, added seven hits and blocked three shots in Tuesday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5.
Meier had four points, 18 shots on net, 21 hits, eight blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over five playoff contests. The 28-year-old winger continues to be a part of the Devils' core and will likely be a significant all-around contributor in 2025-26. He had 53 points, 141 hits, 65 blocks, 58 PIM, 239 shots on net and a plus-7 rating over 80 regular-season contests this year.
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Devils' Nico Hischier: Tallies in season-ending loss
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Hischier scored a goal on four shots and added three hits in Tuesday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5.
Hischier briefly restored a lead for the Devils with his goal at 7:26 of the second period. This came after the Hurricanes erased the Devils' initial 3-0 lead. Hischier was excellent in the postseason, scoring four times over five games. He added 16 shots on net, 11 hits, seven blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating. Injuries caught up to the Devils late in the year, but they should once again be a contender in 2025-26 if everyone is healthy, and Hischier figures to play a large role next season.
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Devils' Stefan Noesen: Two points to end campaign
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Noesen produced a goal and an assist Tuesday during the Devils' 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5 of their first-round series.
After failing to pick up a point in the first four games of the series, Noesen broke through Tuesday, but it wasn't enough to extend New Jersey's season. The 32-year-old put together a career-best regular season with 22 goals and 41 points in 78 appearances, and he should be back to provide depth to the Devils' forward corps in 2025-26 given the two years and $5.5 million left on his contract.
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Devils' Jacob Markstrom: Heartbreaking loss in 2OT
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Markstrom made 49 saves Tuesday in the Devils' 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5 of their first-round series.
With New Jersey on the brink of elimination, Markstrom did everything he could to keep his team alive -- the Devils were outshot 19-4 in extra time, but the 35-year-old netminder finally got beaten by Sebastian Aho on a Carolina power play 4:17 into the second OT. Markstrom had an up-and-down regular season but still posted respectable numbers with a 26-16-6 record, 2.50 GAA and .900 save percentage, and with one year left on his current contract he should be back as the Devils' No. 1 goalie in 2025-26.
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