The New Jersey Devils have sent Steven Santini down to Albany of the AHL. Santini was signed out of Boston College last season after a successful junior campaign.
After being a healthy scratch for the first five games of the season, Santini will join an Albany team off to a tremendous start. The minor-Devils are 4-0-0 this season and have outscored their opponents 14-7. After a successful season in 2015-16, the team should compete once again for the Calder Cup.
Santini, a 21-year old former second-round pick, rounded into form last year for the Boston College Eagles, scoring 19 points in 41 games while registering a solid +24 rating. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract in April and made his NHL debut at the end of last year. The reigning top “Defensive Defenseman” in Hockey-East, he seems like a lock to eventually join an NHL squad as a shutdown middle pairing defenseman.