New Jersey Devils News

Nico Hischier (upper-body) will not play on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild.

Hischier was hit in the head by Connor Clifton of the Buffalo Sabres on Friday before exiting the game with only 11:11 time-on-ice. Clifton was issued a match penalty on the play. Hischier, whose status beyond Sunday is still unknown, has been off to a slow start this season, tallying only two points (0G / 2A) through seven games.

Nico Hischier
Jacob Markstrom will start Thursday vs. St. Louis.

Markstrom dropped his fourth straight contest in his previous start vs. the NYR after allowing three goals on 20 shots (.850 SV%) but will start Thursday against St. Louis. The 33-year-old is disappointing yet again as he is producing a SV% below .900 for a second-straight season with his 1-3-1 record, .897 SV% and 2.80 GAA. He hosts the St. Louis Blues, who have lost three of their last five games and are struggling mightily offensively as they rank last in the NHL in shots per game (23.2) and goals per game (2.0).

Jacob Markstrom
Brett Pesce (lower body) had surgery and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.

Pesce has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury and will now likely miss anywhere from 2-4 weeks after he underwent surgery Tuesday. His presence will be missed by a Hurricanes team that has struggled defensively to start the season, allowing an average of 4.71 goals per game. Pesce, whose minutes have been replaced primarily by Jalen Chatfield, has two points (1G / 1A) in five games this season.

Brett Pesce
Jacob Markstrom will start Tuesday vs. the New York Rangers.

Markstrom will look to end his three-game losing streak (0-2-1) as he prepares himself as the starting goalie against the New York Rangers on Tuesday. He has served as the backup to Dan Vladar in two of the Flames' last three games but even with a losing record (1-2-1), Markstrom has played reasonably well this season with a 2.75 GAA and .905 SV%. The Flames are +112 home underdogs tonight.

Jacob Markstrom
Brett Pesce (lower body) will not travel to Tampa on Tuesday and will miss a second-straight game.

Pesce did not play on Saturday due to a lower-body injruuy and will remain out for Tuesday's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning after not traveling with the team. After registering a career-best 30 points (5G / 25A) in 82 games in the 2022-23 season, Pesce has had a nice start to 2023-24 with two points (1G / 1A) in five games. Jalen Chatfield will likely remain in the lineup until Pesce can return.

Brett Pesce
Nico Hischier (upper body) will be available to play Tuesday vs. Montreal.

Hischier left the Devils' previous game vs. the New York Islanders early in the third period after just 13:20 TOI due to an upper-body injury but will return to the Devils' lineup Tuesday vs. Montreal. The 24-year-old star has surprisingly failed to pick up a point in any of his four games played in 2023-24, but he has seven SOG, two PIMs, and a +1 plus/minus. He will return to the Devils' second line and first powerplay unit.

Nico Hischier
Brett Pesce is day-to-day with a lower-body injury after missing last game.

Pesce did not play on Saturday and his status remains up in the air for Tuesday's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After registering a career-best 30 points (5G / 25A) in 82 games in the 2022-23 season, Pesce has had a nice start to 2023-24 with two points (1G / 1A) in five games. Jalen Chatfield will likely remain in the lineup until Pesce can return.

Brett Pesce
Nico Hischier (upper body) was a full participant in Monday morrnings skate.

Hischier left the Devils' game early on Friday after suffering an upper-body injury but was back at practice as a full participant on Monday morning. This is a good indication that Hischier won't miss any more time and will slide back into his usual spot on the second line. He has zero points, seven shots, and four hits in four games this season.

Nico Hischier
Markstrom will start in Columbus on Friday.

Markstrom will return to the crease for his fourth start of the season after his understudy, Daniel Vladar, served between the pipes in Thursday’s win over the Sabres. Markstrom has endured an up and down start to the season, featuring a pair of solid performances against the Jets and Capitals, and one not-so-solid performance against the Penguins. His record on the season sits at 1-1-1 to go along with an .898 SV% and a 2.96 GAA. He’s in a good spot to get back in the win column tonight in Columbus with the Flames currently being favoured at -145.

Jacob Markstrom
Markstrom will start in Washington on Monday.

Markstrom appears to have a firm grip on his role as a workhorse in the Calgary crease this season. The 33-year-old netminder averaged 61 starts over the last two seasons and has been named the starter for each of the Flames' first three games to begin the 2023-24 campaign. How much fantasy value that role will provide remains to be seen. Markstrom put on an impressive 34-save performance on route to a 5-3 victory over the Jets to open the season, but surrendered four goals on just 28 shots in Saturday's loss to Pittsburgh. The Flames are slight favourites in Washington tonight, so fantasy managers can be hopeful for a bounceback game from Markstrom.

Jacob Markstrom
Markstrom will start Saturday in Pittsburgh.

Markstrom allowed three goals on 37 shots in the Flames' opening night win over the Jets. It was a strong start to the season for Markstorm, who is looking for a bounce-back after a difficult 2022-23 season. He only faced Pittsburgh once last year, stopping 32 of 33 shots in a 4-1 win.

Jacob Markstrom
Markstrom is in the starter's net at the Flames' morning skate.

Markstrom allowed three goals on 37 shots in the Flames' opening night win over the Jets. It was a strong start to the season for Markstorm, who is looking for a bounce-back after a difficult 2022-23 season. He only faced Pittsburgh once last year, stopping 32 of 33 shots in a 4-1 win.

Jacob Markstrom
Jacob Markstrom will start Calgary's season opener vs. Winnipeg.

Markstrom struggled in 2022-23 with a 23-21-12 record, a .892 SV%, and a 2.92 GAA and will take the crease for Calgary's season opener vs. Winnipeg on Wednesday. The 33-year-old veteran is entering his 14th NHL season and fourth with the Flames. He faces the Jets, who finished last season 21st in the NHL in both goals (246) and shots per game (30.3).

Jacob Markstrom
Colorado has signed Tomas Tatar to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

Tatar had 20 goals, 28 assists, 30 PIMs, 153 SOG, and a +41 plus/minus through 82 games with New Jersey in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, $1,500,000 contract with Colorado on Tuesday. The 32-year-old will join his fifth NHL team and has 211 goals, 455 points, and 276 PIMs through 783 career games played. It is a great depth signing for the Avalanche as Tatar comes at a cheap price tag and has seven 20+ goal seasons across his 12 years of playing in the NHL.

Tomas Tatar
Jonathan Bernier has retired after 14 NHL seasons with six different teams.

Bernier went 4-4-1 with a .902 SV% and 3.06 GAA through 10 games with New Jersey in 2022-23 and has called it a career Monday after 14 NHL seasons. The 35-year-old goaltender was drafted in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft's 1st round (11th overall) and went on to play for six different teams (LAK, TOR, DET, ANA, COL, NJD) picking up a 165-163-40 record, 2.78 GAA, and .912 SV%.

Jonathan Bernier
The Canadiens acquired Nathan Legare in a three-way trade with the Penguins and Sharks.

Legare was acquire by Montreal as part of a three-team trade including San Jose and which saw three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson head to Pittsburgh. The 22-year-old right-winger was Pittsburgh's 2019 third-round pick (74th overall) and has yet to see any NHL action through his first two seasons in the AHL. In 2022-23 he had eight goals, 19 points, 76 PIMs and a -17 plus/minus through 68 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).

Nathan Legare
Pittsburgh has re-signed Jonathan Gruden to a one-year, $775,000 contract extension.

Gruden had 16 goals, 15 assists, 54 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 54 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) in 2022-23 and has re-signed a one-year, $775,000 contract extension with Pittsburgh. The 23-year-old left-winger made his NHL debut with the Penguins in 2022-23, but failed to pick up a point across a short, three-game showing. He was drafted in the fourth-round of the 2018 draft (95th overall) by the Ottawa Senators.

Jonathan Gruden
New Jersey has signed Erik Kallgren to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000.

Kallgren was 3-2-4 with a .267 GAA and .898 SV% with Toronto in 2022-23 and has now signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with New Jersey. The 26-year-old goaltender was Arizona's 2015 seventh-round pick (183rd overall) and has a career NHL record of 11-6-5 S with a 3.04 GAA and .892 SV% across two seasons in Toronto.

Erik Kallgren