New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Devils winger Kyle Palmieri is being held out of the lineup in hopes the team can trade him prior to the April 12 trade deadline, his agency confirmed Sunday. 

Palmieri is in the final year of the five-year, $23.25 million deal he signed in restricted free agency in 2016. 

In mid-March, Palmieri's agent, Brian Bartlett, told Corey Masisak of The Athletic that he and Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald had talked about Palmieri's contract situation, but the conversations were "more theoretical in nature."   

"I don’t think there is any doubt that we want to keep him," Fitzgerald said in March. "Everybody in our organization loves Kyle Palmieri, respects what he’s done for this organization over the past five, six years. I wouldn’t be talking to (Bartlett) if I didn’t think that. I wouldn’t even waste my breath." 

Despite that, the Devils' decision to move on from the assistant captain represents a trend that has plagued the franchise since he joined them five years ago. According to Masisak, the Devils have not signed a player who is set to hit the open market before the trade deadline in the past five seasons, instead trading them as they continue to rebuild. 

The 30-year-old has 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists) through 34 games for the Devils, who are just 13-16-6 and ahead of just the Buffalo Sabres (8-23-6) in the East Division. 

While he has a no-trade clause that consists of eight teams, Palmieri told Masisak he would consider waiving it for the right opportunity, which may be a choice he'll have to make over the coming weeks. 

The New Jersey Devils are sidelined through Feb. 6 because of COVID-19 issues within the organization.

The NHL announced the schedule changes on Monday, noting that four more players have been moved to the league's COVID Protocol Related Absence List. The Devils' facilities are closed until further notice. 

According to Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media, there are 10 Devils players on the COVID-19 list. 

The Devils were slated to play the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road on Tuesday and Thursday before a game at home against the New York Rangers on Saturday. The first game after the postponements comes as the Devils are scheduled to host the Penguins on Feb. 9.

The four players added to the list on Monday played in Sunday night's win over the Buffalo Sabres, and other players were added over the weekend, but Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood has been in the league's COVID-19 protocols since Jan. 24, per Ryan. 

Blackwood, Connor Carrick, Aaron Dell, Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Pavel Zacha and Travis Zajac are the players in the COVID-19 protocol, per TSN. 

New Jersey is not the only team to have issues so far. The Dallas Stars missed the first week of the season when 17 players tested positive for COVID-19, while the Carolina Hurricanes had four postponements in January and the Vegas Golden Knights are scheduled to resume play on Friday after three postponed games.

Longtime Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford announced his retirement Saturday after 10 NHL seasons.

Crawford released the following statement regarding his retirement, per the NHLPA:

"I have been fortunate to have had a long career playing professional hockey for a living. I wanted to continue my career, but believe I've given all I can to the game of hockey, and I have decided that it is time to retire. I would like to thank the New Jersey Devils organization for understanding and supporting my decision. I would like to thank the Chicago Blackhawks organization for giving me the chance to live my childhood dream. I am proud to have been part of winning two Stanley Cups in Chicago. Thank you to all of my teammates and coaches throughout the years. Also, thank you to the fans who make this great game what it is. I am happy and excited to move on to the next chapter of my life with my family."

The 36-year-old Crawford spent his entire career with the Blackhawks, winning two Stanley Cups with the franchise.

He signed a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devils in October, but instead of continuing his career in New Jersey, Crawford decided to retire prior to the 2020-21 season, which begins January 13.

Crawford made his NHL debut during the 2005-06 season and appeared in eight games over the course of three seasons before becoming a full-time player for the Blackhawks in 2010-11.

Overall, the Montreal native appeared in 488 regular-season games for the Blackhawks across 13 seasons. He posted a record of 260-162-53 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and 26 shutouts, including an NHL-leading seven in 2015-16.

Crawford was named an All-Star twice during his career and won the William M. Jennings Trophy—given to the goalie or goalies whose team allows the fewest goals in a season—in both 2013 and 2015.

Those were the same seasons that Crawford was between the pipes for Stanley Cup triumphs. Crawford appeared in 96 playoff games during his career, making 94 starts. In those games, he went 52-42 with a 2.38 GAA, .918 save percentage and five shutouts.

Additionally, Crawford was part of the Canadian team that won gold in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He started one game in that tournament and allowed just one goal in a Team Canada victory.

Crawford ranks third in Blackhawks history in regular-season games played by a goalie behind only Hall of Famers Tony Esposito and Glenn Hall. He is also third in team history in wins and seventh in shutouts.

Despite his excellent track record, the Blackhawks decided to move on from Crawford this offseason in favor of Malcolm Subban and Collin Delia.

With Crawford retiring, the Devils will turn to Mackenzie Blackwood in goal this season with Scott Wedgewood likely serving as the backup.

Former Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn announced that she and New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban are splitting up after a three-year relationship.

"Over the past three years PK and I have had some incredible times together. He is a kind, good man, and someone I respect a great deal," Vonn posted on Instagram. "However, after much consideration we have decided to move forward separately. We will always remain friends and love each other immensely. We ask that you please respect our privacy during this time."

Vonn and Subban were engaged in Aug. 2019, per Morgan Smith and Ashley Boucher of People.com.

"Lindsey is one of the most kind and caring people I know," Subban posted on his Instagram page. "I will always treasure our time as a couple together and the many laughs we shared."

Teams looking for a goalie in free agency can add another name to the mix, with Cory Schneider's tenure as a member of the New Jersey Devils expected to end. 

Per NHL Network's Brian Lawton, the Devils will buy out Schneider's contract before the start of free agency on Friday. 

Schneider has two years and $12 million remaining on the seven-year contract extension he signed with the Devils in July 2014. 

Speaking to reporters about his future in May, Schneider emphasized he wasn't thinking about retiring: "It's all about trying to be in peak physical condition because I feel good, mentally. I want to continue my career. I haven't entertained thoughts of retirement at all."

It's hardly a surprise that New Jersey would look to move on from Schneider. His performance since the start of the 2018-19 season has been rough. The 34-year-old has allowed 3.22 goals with an 89.7 save percentage in 39 games over the past two seasons combined. 

The Devils assigned Schneider to their AHL affiliate in Binghamton last November after he cleared waivers. He was brought back to New Jersey for brief stints with the main club in January and February but had fallen behind Mackenzie Blackwood and Louis Domingue on the depth chart. 

In 12 NHL seasons between the Devils and Vancouver Canucks, Schneider has a 170-159-58 record with a 2.43 goals-against average and 91.8 save percentage. 

The New Jersey Devils have reportedly found their new head coach.

According to Kevin Weekes of NHL.com, the Devils will name Lindy Ruff as their head coach and remove the interim tag from general manager Tom Fitzgerald's title.

New Jersey fired John Hynes and named Alain Nasreddine as the interim head coach in December. Hynes was the head coach of the Devils from the 2015-16 campaign and finished with a 150-159-45 overall record. They made the playoffs once during his tenure, losing in the first round in the 2017-18 season, and were just 9-13-4 in 2019-20 when he was fired.

New Jersey finished this campaign with a 28-41-12 record, which was the worst mark in the Metropolitan Division and not good enough to earn an invitation to the league's restart plan.

The Devils, who haven't won a playoff series since they reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, will have a veteran in Ruff leading the way as they look to turn things around. Ruff played from 1979-80 through 1990-91 for the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers and has even more experience as a head coach.

In 15 seasons as the head coach of the Sabres, Ruff finished with a 571-432-78-84 record and eight playoff appearances. He helped lead them to the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, when they lost to the Dallas Stars.

Ruff also has experience with the Stars, serving as their head coach for four seasons before they fired him in 2017. He was 165-122-41 in Dallas and was most recently an assistant coach with the New York Rangers. 

As for Fitzgerald, he has been the interim general manager since the Devils and Ray Shero agreed to part ways in January.

New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban praised players and staffers in the NHL for speaking out about ongoing protests in the wake of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis Police custody on May 25.

Subban tweeted his message Saturday:

The NHL released a statement Sunday, saying it "stands with all those who are working to achieve a racially just society, and against all those who perpetuate and uphold racism, hatred, bigotry and violence."

A number of teams and players have taken to social media to offer their support for the protests and condemn racism and police brutality against the black community.

Members of the NHL community came together to release a video in support of Black Lives Matter:

Floyd was killed after now-former officer Derek Chauvin pinned him facedown to the ground with his knee pressed on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes while Floyd repeatedly said he was unable to breathe.

Chauvin and three other officers at the scene, who were responding to an alleged forgery, were fired the following day after video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck was widely spread. Chauvin has been charged with second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, while the three other officers were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

Subban has been outspoken in his support of the protests and justice for Floyd. He announced a $50,000 donation to Floyd's six-year-old daughter, Gianna, which the NHL matched, and encouraged everyone to "change the game" by getting involved in the effort to end systemic racism.

It's shaping up to be an interesting offseason for the New Jersey Devils, who own three first-round draft picks and could be active on the free-agent market while trying to fill the holes on their roster. Not to mention, they could also have a new general manager and head coach by the time the 2020-21 season arrives.

In December, the Devils fired head coach John Hynes and promoted Alain Nasreddine to the role on an interim basis. A month later, they fired general manager Ray Shero and named Tom Fitzgerald the interim GM.

While it's possible Nasreddine and Fitzgerald will lose their interim tags and continue to lead New Jersey, there's also a chance the team will hire a new head coach and/or a new GM this offseason.

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Devils "are not yet ready to make any proclamations" about who their general manager will be moving forward. While Fitzgerald continues to operate in the role, Friedman is unsure what direction New Jersey could be heading with a potential GM search.

"I do think ownership is continuing its search at the executive level," he wrote. "Admittedly, I find it hard to read and am not sure about where this will go. Personally, I feel that, at some point, you have to make your call and end the uncertainty."

Fitzgerald was hired by the Devils to serve as assistant general manager in July 2015, so he has history with the organization. He also had a 17-year playing career and won the Stanley Cup as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.

Friedman also weighed in on the Devils' search for a head coach, noting that the team is eyeing at least four candidates: Nasreddine, Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette and John Stevens. He also noted there might be a fifth candidate as well.

"The wrinkle here is that Fitzgerald did the initial interviews, and will any of them want him as their boss should they be the choice?" Friedman wrote. "It's also possible ownership will want a conversation before any decision is made. It's a unique time to try and hire someone."

After taking over from Hynes, Nasreddine led the Devils to a 19-16-8 record. It marked his first stint as a head coach after he had previously served as an assistant coach for New Jersey since June 2015.

However, the other three candidates Friedman listed have much more NHL head-coaching experience than Nasreddine.

Gallant has had a trio of three-season stints as a head coach, leading the Columbus Blue Jackets (2003-07), Florida Panthers (2014-17) and Vegas Golden Knights (2017-20), although he was fired during his third season by each team. He led Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season in 2018, but the team fired him in January.

Laviolette has been the head coach of four NHL teams: the New York Islanders (2001-03), Carolina Hurricanes (2003-09), Philadelphia Flyers (2009-14) and Nashville Predators (2014-20). His most successful season came when he led the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in 2006. His most recent head-coaching stint came to an end when he was fired by the Predators in January.

Stevens was the head coach of the Flyers from 2006-10. He spent four games as the Los Angeles Kings' head coach during the 2011-12 season, then later was promoted to the position full-time ahead of the 2017-18 season. He was fired 13 games into the 2018-19 season. This season, he's been an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars.

If the start of the 2020-21 season is pushed back so the 2019-20 season can be resumed and finished, perhaps the Devils won't be in too much of a rush to make decisions on the GM and head coach positions.

They are one of the seven teams that wouldn't be included in the expanded playoffs in the NHL's return-to-play plan, so they likely won't have many moves to make until the offseason arrives.  

New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban announced Wednesday that he made a sizable donation to the GoFundMe page that was set up for George Floyd's daughter Gianna.

Subban said he donated $50,000 to the GoFundMe and then reached out to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who matched that donation on behalf of the NHL:

The GoFundMe page for six-year-old Gianna had eclipsed $800,000 as of Wednesday afternoon and has an end goal of $1 million.

Floyd died last Monday while in police custody in Minneapolis. Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee placed on the back of Floyd's neck for several minutes straight despite the fact that Floyd said he couldn't breathe on multiple occasions. Floyd was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Chauvin was subsequently fired and then arrested, and he has since been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Protests against police brutality and racial injustice have been held in cities across the United States since Floyd's death.

The 31-year-old Subban recently completed his first season with the Devils after previous stints with the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.

Subban has registered 426 points in 713 career regular-season games, and is a three-time All-Star and one-time winner of the Norris Trophy, which is given annually to the NHL's top defenseman.