Friday morning, the New Jersey Devils hit the ice for their skate, with one notable change made to their practice lines.
Below is a look at the Devils' practice lines and pairs.
Hughes - Hischier - Bratt
Meier - Mercer - Gritsyuk
Palat - Glass - Brown
Lammikko - Glendening - Noesen
Siegenthaler - Hamilton
(Cholowski) - Pesce
Dillon - White
Markstrom | Allen
Extras: Kovacevic, McLaughlin & Cotter
This adjustment sets the stage for the most significant change—Juho Lammikko returned to the lineup in place of Paul Cotter.
Discussing this move, The Hockey News’ Kristy Flannery asked head coach Sheldon Keefe about the change in the lineup.
"I've been wanting to get Lammikko back in. I liked his game previously. Last time we scratched (Cotter), he came back in. I liked what he brought to the group. That's part of it,” Keefe said. “(Cotter's) done good things. [..] The consistency hasn't been there."
This season, Cotter has notched ten points in 40 games. The 26-year-old has encountered offensive struggles since he joined the Devils on June 29, 2024. The trade brought Cotter and a 3rd-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from Vegas to New Jersey in exchange for Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid.
Having played 19 games for the Devils this season, Lammikko has earned two points since being signed as a free agent by New Jersey on June 15, 2025.
The Devils will likely give Lammikko a start on Saturday against the Utah Mammoth at the Prudential Center, with puck drop at 3 pm.
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