New Jersey acquired Shane Bowers in the one-for-one trade.
NEWARK, N.J. -- Ahead of the 2023 NHL Awards, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald announced that defenseman Reilly Walsh was traded to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Shane Bowers.
Walsh, 24, was drafted by the Devils in the third round, 81st overall, at the 2017 NHL Draft. He was a mainstay with the club's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates, the Binghamton Devils and Utica Comets for the past three seasons. The Framingham, MA native made his NHL debut on April 26, 2022, against the Ottawa Senators earning his first career NHL assist.
The writing was on the wall for Walsh who was set to become a restricted free agent this summer. The organization has an abundance of right-shot defensemen including Dougie Hamilton, John Marino, and Simon Nemec. Additionally, the club has Brendan Smith and Kevin Bahl who are comfortable playing on either side of the defense.
Walsh's 41 points were second-best on the Utica Comets this past season behind forward Graeme Clarke. For the past three seasons in the AHL, Walsh led all Binghamton/Utica defensemen in points and in a recent interview with NJ Advance Media, Devils assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon shared his belief that Walsh could contribute to a NHL club.
"Reilly’s kind of a unique guy,” MacKinnon said “I do believe he could play on an NHL team’s power play, certainly a second power play for a lot of NHL teams. (Walsh) realizes, because of our build through the draft and our talented defenseman, that’s going to make that competitive and challenging for him." (from 'Devils prospect Reilly Walsh could be traded ‘early next season,’ assistant GM says,' NJ.com, June 22, 2023).
With Luke Hughes and Nemec expected to play in the NHL next season, there was not going to be an opportunity for Walsh in New Jersey. This trade gives him a chance to prove himself at training camp and potentially earn a roster spot in Boston joining former teammate A.J. Greer and past Devil Pavel Zacha.
New Jersey acquired forward Shane Bowers from the Bruins. He was previously a teammate of defenseman Ryan Graves and was selected 28th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators. The 23-year-old made his NHL debut with the Colorado Avalanche on November 10, 2022, against the Nashville Predators. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury and left the game after less than two minutes of ice time.
The 6-foot-2, 180 pound winger appeared in 174 AHL games earning 66 points (31 goals, 35 assists).