New Jersey Devils News

Dillon has served his three-game suspension and will return to Winnipeg's lineup on Saturday in Vancouver. The 33-year-old defenseman will make a welcome return to the Jets' back end as he had six goals, 15 points, 47 SOG, 75 PIMs and a +16 plus/minus through 48 games prior to his suspension.

Minnesota claimed Chisholm from waivers at the end of January and he will make his debut with the team on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. The 24-year-old has a one-year, $775,000 contract and had appeared in two games for the Jets this season, collecting one assist, and a +1 plus/minus.

Despite being pulled after giving up five goals on just 17 shots in Tuesday's 7-0 thrashing at the hands of the Sabres, Rittich will be back between the pipes for the Kings on Thursday. This might be the strongest indication that it really is Rittich's starting job at this point, though to be fair, Cam Talbot didn't fare much better on Tuesday. Rittich owns a 6-2-3 record on the season to go along with a .919 SV% and a 2.23 GAA. He and the Kings have even odds to pick up the win in New Jersey on Thursday.

With Vitek Vanecek recovering from a lower-body injury, Daws was thrust into starting on back-to-back nights earlier this week and will start again on Thursday. Despite an up-and-down campaign, Daws played phenomenally with two games in 24 hours (2-0-0), saving 57 of 60 shots (.950 SV%). Daws will look to continue his hot hand as the Devils are -112 home favourites against a Los Angeles club that was defeated 7-0 by the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday and is 3-5-2 in their last 10 games.

Pesce has missed the last two games due to an illness, and his status remains in the air for Tuesday's matchup against the Dallas Stars. The 29-year-old Pesce isn't flashy on the blueline but provides a steadying defensive presence for the Hurricanes. Through 41 games this season, he was seven points (3G / 4A), 61 shots, and 71 blocks.

With Vitek Vanecek sidelined due to an illness and a lower-body injury, the Devils will opt against giving Akira Schmid his first start since December 21st, instead turning to Nico Daws for the second time in as many nights. The 23-year-old German netminder was outstanding in last night's game against the Kraken, stopping 27 of the 28 shots he faced enroute to a 2-1 victory. He'll have to outduel Juuse Saros with a tired Devils team in front of him if Daws wants to pick up back-to-back victories on Tuesday.

Rittich will continue his reign over the Kings' crease and start his fourth straight game on Tuesday evening. The Czech netminder is riding a two-game winning streak and is coming off a tremendous performance in his last outing, saving all 26 shots he faced in a 4-0 shutout victory over the typically high-scoring Edmonton Oilers. The Kings are -131 road favourites against a Buffalo Sabres club that has scored only two goals in their last two games (0-2-0).

With Brandon Smith being activated from the Injured Reserve on Tuesday, Santeri Hatakka was reassigned to Utica (AHL) as the odd man out. The 23-year-old made a strong impression in his first seven games with the Devils' this season, with two assists, eight SOG, two PIMs, and a +7 plus/minus. He will return to Utica, where he had 11 points (3G/8A) in 31 games before his call-up.

Rittich will continue his reign over the Kings' crease and start his fourth straight game on Tuesday evening. The Czech netminder is riding a two-game winning streak and is coming off a tremendous performance in his last outing, saving all 26 shots he faced in a 4-0 shutout victory over the typically high-scoring Edmonton Oilers. The Kings are -131 road favourites against a Buffalo Sabres club that has scored only two goals in their last two games (0-2-0).

Pesce has missed the last two games due to an illness, and his status remains in the air for Tuesday's matchup against the Dallas Stars. The 29-year-old Pesce isn't flashy on the blueline but provides a steadying defensive presence for the Hurricanes. Through 41 games this season, he was seven points (3G / 4A), 61 shots, and 71 blocks.

Vitek Vanecek played the last four games for the Devils, and despite being outstanding in a 1-0 losing effort to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, the Devils will turn to Daws between the pipes. A rested Daws will hope to rebound after troubling performances in his last three outings (0-3-0), allowing 12 combined goals and posting an ugly .836 SV%. The Devils will attempt to snap a two-game losing streak (0-1-1) as -127 home favourites against a Seattle Kraken club that has been outscored 5-2 in their last two games (0-2-0).

Vitek Vanecek played the last four games for the Devils, and despite being outstanding in a 1-0 losing effort to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, the Devils will likely turn to Daws between the pipes. A rested Daws will hope to rebound after troubling performances in his last three outings (0-3-0), allowing 12 combined goals and posting an ugly .836 SV%. The Devils will attempt to snap a two-game losing streak (0-1-1) as -127 home favourites against a Seattle Kraken club that has been outscored 5-2 in their last two games (0-2-0).

Pesce was a late scratch for Thursday's game against Colorado, with the Hurricanes not announcing his absence until the start of warmups. Tony DeAngelo will likely draw into the lineup in his place.

Hughes has not played since January 5th but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. The Devils are coming off an impressive 5-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday but have predominantly struggled in Hughes' absence. Hughes has been limited to only 32 games in an injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign but has 45 points (15G / 30A).

Hughes has not played since January 5th but has a chance to return to the lineup this week as he is considered day-to-day. Regardless of his exact return date, his presence as a full participant at practice on Tuesday is an encouraging sign for a Devils club that has struggled in his absence. Hughes has been limited to only 32 games in an injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign but has 45 points (15G / 30A) in that span.