The New Jersey Devils' regular-season came to an end on April 16 with a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Now, the playoffs are here for the Devils, and they are set to face off against the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 1 of the first round on April 20.
The Devils have made some changes to their roster ahead of the start of the playoffs, as the team announced that forwards Mike Hardman and Marc McLaughlin have been re-assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets.
Hardman, 26, was just called up by the Devils on April 16 ahead of their season finale against the Red Wings. The 6-foot-2 forward dressed for the game and made an impact, recording an assist and two shots in 9:41 of ice time. He made one other appearance for the Devils earlier this season on Dec. 2 against the New York Rangers, where he was held off the scoresheet.
Hardman has spent most of this season with Utica. In 57 games with the AHL squad on the year, he has 18 goals, 35 points, and a plus-11 rating.
As for McLaughlin, he was recalled by the Devils on April 14. Following this, he played in his first two games with New Jersey, recording one assist, five hits, and a minus-1 rating. He also scored two goals in 12 games for the Boston Bruins this season before being traded to New Jersey.
In 48 AHL games this season split between the Providence Bruins and Comets, McLaughlin has five goals, 20 points, and a plus-6 rating. This includes six assists in 14 games with Utica.
Recent Devils News
Devils Superstar Has Hit New Level This Season
After missing the playoffs during the 2023-24 season, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils/">New Jersey Devils</a> certainly bounced back this campaign. The Devils finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 42-33-7 record and secured the third-place spot in the Metropolitan Division. Now, they are set to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the post-season, with the series kicking off on April 20.
Devils Sign Promising Prospect To Entry-Level Deal
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils/">New Jersey Devils</a> have announced that <a href="https://x.com/NJDevils/status/1912514051730534575?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet">they have signed</a> prospect Shane Lachane to a two-year entry-level contract, which will begin during the 2025-26 season. In addition, the Devils shared that Lachance will spend the rest of this season with the Utica Comets on an AHL deal.
Devils Goalie Named Among NHL's Top Pending Free Agents
<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils/">New Jersey Devils</a> goaltender Jake Allen has had a strong 2024-25 season as the team's backup. In 30 appearances, he has a 2.61 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage, and four shutouts. He also stepped up very nicely when Devils starter Jacob Markstrom was sidelined from late January to early March.