The New Jersey Devils called up Riley Tufte from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets, on Nov. 9 ahead of the game against the Winnipeg Jets. The move comes following the Anthony Mantha injury, which occurred when he took a stick to the throat during the Nov. 7 game against the New York Islanders. 

After playing on Sunday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, the Devils have a replacement. Tufte’s call-up is long overdue, as the veteran AHLer has waited years for this call and finally has a chance to prove he belongs in the NHL. 

Tufte has traveled around in his hockey career, with the Devils being his fourth team since he debuted in the 2019-20 season with the Texas Stars. While Tufte has played 28 games at the NHL level, he’s never established himself as a full-time forward. It's left him on the roller coaster between the AHL and NHL, where he'll get the call-up for a few games and then get sent down shortly thereafter. 

However, he’s been a standout at the AHL level. Last season, he scored 32 goals for the Providence Bruins, playing a pivotal role in their successful season where they finished the season with the league’s best record. Tufte also scored 21 goals with the Bruins' AHL team in 2024-25 and had 23 with the Colorado Eagles in 2023-24, proving he's a consistent scorer at the AHL level. 

Moreover, the 28-year-old forward has leaned into the leadership role in recent years. In the AHL, he was one of the older skaters on the team and a guiding presence for top prospects. The Comets benefited early on this season as he mentored some of the young players in the Devils' pipeline and helped the team get off to an 8-2 start.

While Tufte hasn’t had the same impact this season on the offensive end as he has in the past, he’s worthy of the call-up. Likewise, he checks off a lot of the boxes to replace Mantha, with many overlapping skill sets. 

Mantha was a pivotal part of the forward unit as he gave the Devils a physical element and a scoring presence on the wing. At 240 pounds, he’s the power forward who can get to the net and make the most of scoring chances. 

It’s how Mantha scored 33 goals last season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s allowed him to have a strong start to this season, with five goals and five assists in 17 games. Interestingly, when Mantha scored 33 goals in the NHL, Tufte had 32 in the AHL. 

Tufte also adds a physical aspect to the forward unit, even if he’s playing on the top line, as was the case with the Bruins' AHL team. He weighs 233 pounds and plays a heavy checking game. 

It allows Tufte to play on the fourth line at the NHL level when given the chance, not just for the Devils but for any NHL team. Likewise, Tufte can play the same role as Mantha, giving the Devils a checking presence who can add a few goals as well. 

It makes sense for Tufte to play alongside Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist. It’s where Mantha played and took the Devils' line to another level. Tufte can slide right in, and there won’t be a significant drop. 

The Devils have also found chemistry on the Cody Glass line with Amadeus Lombardi and Connor Brown on the wings. Along with their forecheck and defensive play, the trio has also added a scoring touch, with Brown and Glass combining for five goals while Lombardi has added four assists. It makes sense to keep that line together.

That said, it’s a wait-and-see situation. Sheldon Keefe will see how Tufte looks in the forward unit and whether he can play alongside Rodrigues and manage the ice time that comes with it. It makes Tuesday morning’s skate a pivotal one for Tufte and the rest of the Devils as they prepare for a Jets team that’s won three games in a row and wants to make a statement.