New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils announced defenseman Dougie Hamilton was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Sunday ahead of surgery for a broken jaw on Wednesday.

Hamilton left Sunday's win over the Washington Capitals in the first period after being struck by a puck. He's recorded 20 points (seven goals and 13 assists) in 30 games during the 2021-22 NHL season, his first as a member of the Devils.

New Jersey assistant coach Alain Nasreddine, who's leading the staff on an interim basis while head coach Lindy Ruff is in COVID-19 protocols, previously confirmed the 28-year-old blueliner would miss Tuesday's game against the Boston Bruins.

A timetable for Hamilton's potential return wasn't immediately announced.

The Toronto native was one of the NHL offseason's marquee free-agent signings, landing with the Devils on a seven-year, $63 million contract in July.

In November, Hamilton told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski the lucrative deal didn't put any additional pressure on his shoulders.

"It's definitely weird. I don't feel like that. I don't want to portray that at all," he said. "For me, I just feel like I'm a new guy. I don't have an aura or anything like that. I'm just trying to fit in. I don't want to be above anyone else."

His 20 points are tied for 19th among NHL defensemen this season.

Hamilton was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Boston Bruins. He made his debut for the B's during the 2012-13 season and went on to play for the Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes before landing in New Jersey.

In all, the 2020-21 All-Star selection has racked up 361 points (113 goals and 248 assists) across 637 regular-season appearances.

The Devils have shown some improvement amid a modest three-game winning streak, which has pushed their record to 13-15-5 following a sluggish start to the campaign.

Now, they'll try to maintain that upward trajectory without one of their most important players.

The New Jersey Devils and star forward Jack Hughes are reportedly close to finalizing an eight-year, $64 million contract extension, per Corey Masisak of The Athletic. 

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN added more details on the pending extension:

Jack Hughes extension breakdown:
22-23: $9 (includes $2M SB)
23-24: $8.5M
24-25: $8.5M
25-26: $8.5M
26-27: $8M
27-28: $7.5M
28-29: $7M
29-30: $7M
(10-team no-trade clause kicks in 26-27, so for last 4 years of deal)

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) November 30, 2021

Jack Hughes: "I love being in New Jersey and I love playing in New Jersey. I wouldn't want to play anywhere else, and we are really building something special."

— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) November 30, 2021

Hughes, 20, has played in just three games for the Devils this season after separating his shoulder in October, registering two goals and an assist in two games. He's returning to the team on Tuesday evening. 

"He's a very important piece on our team—his puck possession, his playmaking ability, the speed he adds to the team," head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters. "You know, we've missed that part. Just great to have him back. He's excited. We're all excited to have him back."

Hughes, the top overall pick in the 2019 draft, posted 18 goals and 34 assists in his first two seasons across 117 games. Hardly shabby production for a teenager, though not the sort of return that some of the other young stars in the NHL offered early in their careers. 

Connor McDavid, for instance, notched 46 goals and 102 assists in his first two campaigns (127 games).

Granted, McDavid is a unique and special talent. But Jack Eichel (48 goals, 65 assists in 142 games), Auston Matthews (74 goals, 58 assists in 144 games), Patrik Laine (80 goals, 54 assists in 155 games) and Nico Hischier (37 goals, 62 assists in 151 games) are other recent examples of top-five picks who hit the ground running in their first two seasons.

The weird future projection is, well, weird. Hughes has some really strong comps (Point, Aho, Giroux, Duchene), but also an interesting mix of tweener first liners – two of which had a strange bump in the two years after 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/UjKV4Phast

— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) November 30, 2021

That doesn't mean that Hughes doesn't have another level in him. His potential is obviously immense. But to live up to his current extension, he'll need to take that next step. 

The Devils are paying a premium on the bet that he'll do so. They clearly believe Hughes is going to be a star.

American Thanksgiving has passed, which means hockey fans are free to look at the standings.

The holiday serves as a benchmark that signals the unofficial start of playoff races. With two months of play complete and teams hitting the 20-game mark, we have an idea of team identities, strengths and areas that will be targeted as we approach the March 21 trade deadline.

We can start to determine which teams have chances and which teams do not.

But that isn't easy in the Metropolitan Division. The last-place team, the New York Islanders, was a game away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final last season. Metro teams hold the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, and two others are within four points. The Washington Capitals lead the NHL with 33 points, and the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers sit right behind them. It is an incredibly tight division.

No offense to the Atlantic Division, but if the Boston Bruins have any shot of making the playoffs, they will likely need to bump the Florida Panthers, the Toronto Maple Leafs or the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning out of a playoff spot in their division. The Bruins could still bring back free-agent goalie Tuukka Rask and make a run, but with so many good teams in the Metro Division, it's an uphill battle for everyone in the Eastern Conference. 

Each team in this division started the season with playoff hopes, except for maybe the Columbus Blue Jackets. But Columbus has improved quickly, which has made for a crowded division. It's difficult to handicap this race because so much of the season is left and things like injuries will factor into performances, so we'll look at each team and determine whether its playoff hopes are legitimate or not.

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The teams at the top

Let's start with the three best. Carolina, Washington and the Rangers are pulling away from the rest of the division.

Alexander Ovechkin looks ageless with 19 goals. The captain netted a hat trick Friday against the Panthers, and while that might be standard for Ovi, it's not every day you see a 36-year-old score at that pace.

He's putting up 1.68 points per game, which ranks third in the NHL, and has recaptured some magic with Evgeny Kuznetsov. A reinvigorated Kuznetsov is important—for himself, considering the Caps looked into offloading him over the summer, but especially for the depleted lineup.

T.J. Oshie is out with a foot injury, Anthony Mantha is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, Lars Eller has been in COVID-19 protocol since Nov. 16, Nicklas Backstrom started the season on injured reserve after offseason hip surgery, and Conor Sheary and Justin Schultz are both day-to-day.

The subplot is Ovechkin's chase to match Wayne Gretzky's all-time scoring record. He needs 145 to match the Great One's record of 894 goals, and with the way he's playing, he could knock off 30 more this season.

Carolina is one of the best possession teams in the league in 5-on-5. This has been the Hurricanes' calling card for a few years. It's a straightforward approach: Shoot the puck. A lot. The best defense in today's NHL is offense.

Buoyed by elite shooters like Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho, Carolina started the season winning nine straight. A plus-23 goal differential suggests these numbers are sustainable, and this has been an elite team for years.

Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta might not be an elite goaltending tandem, but Andersen is having a bounce-back season. Until he slips, the doubters can remain quiet. 

The Rangers have been among the worst teams in the league at 5-on-5. Per NaturalStatTrick.com, their 45.19 Corsi percentage is the lowest in the NHL. The bulk of their offense has come from Chris Kreider (15 goals). Only 37 of the team's 59 goals have been scored at even strength. But they're defending well and have had elite goaltending from Igor Shesterkin. 

The Rangers have made it known they would like to take the next step in their rebuild and make the playoffs. This could be the year, and it should with the high-end talent they possess, but they might be on the bubble with other teams on their heels.

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The teams in the middle

A cluster of teams is within a few points of one another. The Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins each have 24 points. The New Jersey Devils have 22, and the Philadelphia Flyers have 20. The Blue Jackets and Devils are on the upswing, and the Flyers and Penguins appear to be hanging on, trying to stave off rebuilds. 

The Penguins are sticking around in the standings because of goalie Tristan Jarry. Last year, some blamed Jarry for Pittsburgh's lack of success. The club cleared the path for Jarry by parting ways with Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray, and many wondered if that was the right move, especially as Fleury played Vezina-caliber hockey in Las Vegas. 

Some of the criticism was valid, but Jarry is proving to be the No. 1 goalie the club envisioned he would be. 

After shutting out the Islanders on Friday, Jarry's .936 save percentage is tied for third in the league, and his mark of 9.63 goals saved above average is the third-best. His performance has been crucial considering the Penguins went without Sidney Crosby to start the season and Evgeni Malkin is still on IR. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wPZz2_Rlr4

The Devils and the Blue Jackets have a road map in place. They know where they want to go, and they're attempting to get there through talent development. New Jersey is seeing good results as players like Dawson Mercer and Yegor Sharangovich play big roles. When the Devils finally get Jack Hughes healthy again, they could be dangerous. 

But the Flyers are in a tough spot. They have lost six straight, and the season appears to be falling apart. The lack of roster depth has been exposed as injuries to key players like Ryan Ellis have piled up. Philadelphia is in a precarious spot and may need to blow it up and start trying to retain assets. It's right up against the salary cap, so it's tough for general manager Chuck Fletcher to make any moves that might improve the team in the short term.

The one good thing the Flyers have going for them is their draft capital. They have all but one pick each of the next two years. It's time for them to get younger, and they can do that with high picks and prospects. It might not be a palatable move, but Claude Giroux is in the final year of his contract, so trading the captain at the deadline might be a painful but necessary move.

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The Islanders

What to make of the Islanders? Many (myself included) picked them to win the division. The team seemed poised for another long playoff run. A new arena. A top coach. This was supposed to be the year it came together.

It still could be. We know the Islanders are capable of reeling off five, six, seven or even eight wins at a time. Instead, they've lost eight straight. They're 5-10-2 with only 12 points.

How can a Stanley Cup contender be this bad?

You could start with COVID-19. The Isles have eight players in COVID protocol, and their next two games are postponed. The league was late on postponing games, forcing them to play with as many as seven players in protocol.

Plus, they're without defenseman Ryan Pulock because of injury, and Brock Nelson is hurt too. 

It's still early, but is it getting late early for the Islanders? This team has proved doubters wrong many times in the past. Barry Trotz and his system are never really out of the game. But with the division this competitive, one of the Eastern Conference favorites could be left out this spring.

The Ottawa Senators' next three games have been postponed amid a COVID-19 outbreak with the team.

Games against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, the Nashville Predators on Thursday and the New York Rangers on Saturday are impacted. The Senators currently have 10 players in the NHL's health and safety protocols.

SCHEDULE UPDATE: @Senators games postponed at least through Nov. 20. https://t.co/bJpC88cb5F pic.twitter.com/sWwojm1W1h

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) November 15, 2021

“You’re almost crossing your fingers every single day hoping that you get through with a negative (test),” veteran defenseman Michael Del Zotto told reporters. “It is a learning experience, with the different tests we’re doing, and trying to keep everyone safe, not just the players but their families and staff as well. It’s a great opportunity for guys to learn the mental side of the game.”

The Senators have essentially been on lockdown between games, with their players unable to practice or leave their homes. The team has understandably struggled under the mounting pressure and has lost seven of its last eight games overall.

With the Senators (4-10-1, last in the Atlantic Division) struggling to field an NHL-caliber team and the AHL Belleville Senators also barely scraping by because all of the call-ups, the NHL was forced to take some action. This temporary pause in the schedule should allow a majority of the players currently in health and safety protocols to get back on the ice while mitigating any further potential spread. 

New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood is the only member of his team who is not vaccinated against COVID-19.

"I have a couple health concerns, health reasons why I'm working through it a little slower," Blackwood said, per Corey Masisak of The Athletic. "I have a couple boxes I want to check off and not just rush to do it."

Masisak noted the other 49 players at Devils' training camp are all vaccinated.

"Everyone has been great," Blackwood said. "I'm not trying to be a distraction to them while I work through it. I am really lucky to have a great set of teammates that support me no matter what, whether they agree or disagree with me."

While the goaltender said he is working through his decision, Lena H. Sun and Joel Achenbach of the Washington Post reported a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined fully vaccinated people were 11 times less likely to die and 10 times less likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 during the spring and summer.

The Devils were hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic than most teams last season when they were forced to shut down activities for two weeks with more than 12 players testing positive.

Blackwood was among those who did and said he was symptomatic for weeks.

As Masisak explained, Blackwood's status as an unvaccinated player also represents a potential competitive disadvantage because he will not be allowed to travel to Canada for any of the team's nine games there this season if he is not fully vaccinated two weeks before the games.

New Jersey's first game in Canada is Dec. 3, meaning its goaltender depth could be tested if he cannot take the ice.

What's more, the team could suspend him without pay if he misses those games or time with the virus or as a high-risk close contact.

Blackwood appeared in 35 games for the Devils last season and had a 14-17-4 record with a goals against average of 3.04 and save percentage of .902. It was a step in the wrong direction after he posted a goals against average of 2.61 in 2018-19 and 2.77 in 2019-20.

The Devils are scheduled to start their regular season Oct. 15 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Dougie Hamilton is moving on from the Carolina Hurricanes, agreeing to a seven-year, $63 million deal with the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

7 years $63 million for Hamilton and Devils

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 28, 2021

The defenseman's departure from Carolina was anticipated after he and the Hurricanes were unable to reach agreement on a new contract during the season.

Hamilton was granted permission to seek a sign-and-trade elsewhere after the team was eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the playoffs. 

It didn't take long before interest in the 28-year-old around the league began to surge, as Chris Johnston of Sportsnet noted on June 19: 

"It sounds like there's been a lot of conversations between Hamilton's agent, J.P. Barry, and teams around the league. You get the feeling here that this isn't necessarily gonna resolve itself quickly. He has the ability to agree to terms with a team that could work out a sign and trade with Carolina. The business of the league is slowly getting up and going again. I don't think we'll see something here for a few weeks, much closer to that free agency date on July 28."

Carolina acquired the Toronto native along with Michael Ferland and Adam Fox for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin in June 2018. Over the following three seasons, Hamilton notched 121 points (42 goals, 79 assists) in 184 games while averaging 21:30 time on ice per night. His career-best 50 points in a season came with the Calgary Flames in 2016-17.

The Bruins' 2011 first-rounder scored a career-high 18 goals over a full 82 games in 2018-19, but the coronavirus pandemic shortened the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, limiting his ability to match that number. 

With a full 82-game season expected in 2021-22, Hamilton moves onto his fourth NHL team looking to set career marks once again. 

Longtime Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils CEO Scott O'Neil stepped down Wednesday after eight years in the role.

According to Sportico's Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams, O'Neil said, "I'm not riding off into the sunset. I like big opportunity."

O'Neil was a limited partner in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which is headed by 76ers and Devils principal owner Josh Harris and 76ers and Devils minority owner David Blitzer.

According to Soshnick and Novy-Williams, O'Neil said he reached an agreement with Harris and Blitzer on a buyout and will aid in the search for his replacement.

Regarding O'Neil's eight years with the Sixers and Devils, Harris said:

"Scott has accomplished so much on behalf of the organization in a relatively short amount of time, driving our growth, culture and commitment to strengthening the communities in which we live, work, play and win. I cannot overstate how much we value Scott's enormous contributions to the company and how grateful I am for his leadership and partnership in creating a best-in-class culture at HBSE."

O'Neil essentially saw it all during his time at the helm, as he took over as 76ers CEO at the beginning of "The Process," which resulted in three consecutive seasons of less than 20 wins.

The Sixers eventually blossomed into a contender after the draft selections of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, though, reaching the playoffs in each of the past four seasons and finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference this season.

While the Devils didn't enjoy as much success as the Sixers during O'Neil's tenure, reaching the playoffs only once, he did witness Taylor Hall win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP with New Jersey in 2018.

O'Neil's greatest success came on the financial side, as Soshnick and Novy-Williams noted that the Sixers' value alone went from $415 million in 2013 to $2.5 billion currently.

Harris and Blitzer have owned the 76ers since 2011, and they purchased the Devils in 2013 shortly after hiring O'Neil.

Among the most groundbreaking deals brokered during O'Neil's time as CEO of the Sixers and Devils was the agreement the franchises made with Caesars Entertainment in 2018.

The Sixers and Devils became the first NBA and NHL teams, respectively, to partner with a gaming company, although it has become commonplace since then.  

The New Jersey Devils have hired former U.S. women's national ice hockey team captain Meghan Duggan as their new manager of player development.  

"I'm looking forward to getting to work and adding value in an area that I've committed my entire life to," Duggan told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "But I also hope people see this and realize there's a space for those who haven't traditionally been in these roles—women, or BIPOC community members; there's a space for that. Times are definitely changing, and I'm excited to be part of it."

The role was specifically created for Duggan and will see her working closely with upper management. The press release says her focus will be on implementing the "design, improvement and execution of progress plans for all players within the organization."

General manager Tom Fitzgerald highlighted Duggan's success on the ice and her "attention to detail and creative thinking" as the main attributes that led to her hiring.

Duggan retired from hockey last October after winning three Olympic medals (one gold, two silver) and eight medals in the World championships (seven gold, one silver) as part of the USA women's hockey team. She captained the 2014 and 2018 United States Olympic teams, capturing her first gold medal at the 2018 Winter Games.

She retired as one of the most accomplished players in women's international hockey history. 

In addition to her international career, Duggan played for the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women's Hockey League and the Buffalo Beauts and Boston Pride of the National Women's Hockey League.  

The New Jersey Devils announced in a statement Monday that it will become the first NHL team to release its own non-fungible token, or NFT, in a partnership with Fanaply. 

The team will sell a one-of-one "NJD EST 1982" NFT coin and a one-of-one "NJD 3x Champ" coin. Per the press release, the NFTs will feature "imagery inspired by iconic moments in Devils history, the team's vibrant fanbase and the team's recent 'Made in Jersey' brand campaign."

"The partnership between the Devils and Fanaply originated from a shared vision and desire to provide a creative vehicle for fan engagement that honors the Devils storied legacy and continued brand story in new, digital ways that will build with the debut of each new digital collectible," team president Jake Reynolds said in a statement.

As NFTs continue to grow in popularity, especially in the world of sports—even amidst the ongoing questions and concerns about the energy usage and environmental impact of NFTs and cryptocurrency—expect more teams to embrace the burgeoning technology.