Devils Wrap: 2024 All-Star Game, Difficult Upcoming Schedule, and More

Here's a recap of the latest Devils' news and notes.

NEWARK, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils next game will officially mark the halfway point of the 2023-24 season. The club owns a record of 22-15-3 and sits just outside the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Below is a recap of some of the biggest headlines from the past few days.

- The NHL revealed their 2024 All-Star Game jerseys on Jan. 13. Per the official press release, they were designed in collaboration with drew house, the fashion brand co-founded by Justin Bieber.

- With his goal versus the Florida Panthers on Saturday night, Jesper Bratt has 46 points, the team lead. Jack Hughes, who is sidelined with an upper-body injury, has 45 points (15 goals, 30 assists).

- On Jan. 11, Nathan Bastian became the 15th player in franchise history to score in their 200th career NHL game.

On Jan. 13, the NHL released the complete roster for the 2024 NHL All-Star game. Jack Hughes will be the lone representative for the Devils if he is healthy enough to participate.

Hughes has been out of the lineup since sustaining his injury versus the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 5. Head coach Lindy Ruff recently shared that his young center will be out for weeks instead of months. The 2024 NHL All-Star weekend will be held from Feb. 1-3 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Chris Johnston of TSN Hockey and The Athletic shared the top vote-getters among fans for the NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 9. The lone Devils player on the list was rookie defenseman Luke Hughes, who at the time received 192,627 votes.

The 12 players voted in via the fan vote are: Jeremy Swayman (BOS), Alexandar Georgiev (COL), Cale Makar (COL), Leon Draisaitl (EDM), Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA), William Nylander (TOR), Morgan Rielly (TOR), Mitch Marner (TOR), Elias Pettersson (VAN), JT Miller (VAN), Brock Boeser, (VAN), and Thatcher Demko (VAN).

The 2024 AHL All-Star Classic will be held at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, California, from Feb. 4-5. Graeme Clarke will represent the Devils' American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets.

"We're excited for him to represent us," Comets' head coach Kevin Dineen said. "He's done a great job over a three-year period, and this is a good acknowledgment of the work that he's put in."

In 30 games this season, Clarke has 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists), which is the second-most on the Comets behind Xavier Parent. Clarke made his NHL debut on Jan. 6 versus the Vancouver Canucks and was reassigned to Utica the following day.

The Devils will play seven more games ahead of the All-Star break. Their opponents include: the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

While most fans would look at the above list and count the Canadiens and Blue Jackets as a win, the reality is that any team can win on any given night.

At the time of publication, New Jersey is in the third wild card spot, one point behind the New York Islanders, who have played two more games. Their schedule and the team's injuries to key players make it imperative for the Devils to continue to stick to their system and get reliable goaltending.

Nico Daws has performed well since he was recalled from the Comets. The 23-year-old has a record of 3-1-0 in four games, with a goals-against average of 2.77 and a save percentage of .916.

NEWS

- Devils' Brendan Smith's Kancer Jam Event Surpasses Goal and Raises Over $100,000

- Devils' Jonas Siegenthaler Injured in Team's 6-4 Loss to Canucks

FEATURES

- Devils Dish: Curtis Lazar Reveals Which Teammates Are Most Likely

- Ahead of 200th NHL Game Devils' Bastian Talks' I Made It Moment' & Sustaining the Dream

- Devils' Unlikely Duo of Alexander Holtz and Michael McLeod Continue to Build Chemistry

OPINIONS

- Devils Face Difficult Task of Improving Goaltending Amidst Hot Market

- 3 Things the Devils Need to Address as The Second Half of the 2023-24 Season Nears