New Jersey Devils place John Marino & Ryan Graves on injured reserve

New Jersey Devils Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald has announced that the Devils have placed defensemen John Marino, and Ryan Graves on the injured reserve (IR).

Marino was placed on the IR with an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old is considered week to week, he had missed two games prior with an upper-body injury already. Marino was acquired in the summer when the Devils traded defenseman Ty Smith and a third-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Through 32 games this season, Marino has registered 9 points (3G, 6A) and has averaged more than 21 minutes of ice time. Meanwhile, the Devils will also be without defenseman Ryan Graves. Graves left the Dec. 21 game against the Florida Panthers following his second shift. The 27-year-old will also be out on a similar week-to-week timeline. Through 33 games this season, Graves has registered 9 points (3G, 6A). 

The Devils have recalled defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon from their AHL affiliate Utica Comets. The 29-year-old has not played in the NHL since the 2016-17 season where he played four games with the Calgary Flames. However, he has gained traction in Utica. Last season, he recorded 21 points in 53 games and represented Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics, putting up two assists in five games. This season with the Comets, Wotherspoon has registered nine points in 23 games. The Devils also recalled Tyce Thompson. Thompson is the son of former NHLer Brent, and brother of Buffalo Sabres superstar Tage Thompson. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. In nine NHL games through two years, Thompson has one assist. In 22 AHL games this season, he has 13 points (6G, 7A).

The Devils are currently second in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 22-10-2. They host the Boston Bruins Wednesday.