The New Jersey Devils have added some more goaltending depth, signing Swiss netminder Gilles Senn. The team signed the 23-year old to a two-year entry-level contract that begins in 2019-20 and likely means Senn is ready to come over to North America after a successful European career.
Senn is a fifth-round pick of the Devils from 2017, and has spent his entire career to this point in Switzerland playing for Davoc HC. He recorded just a .901 save percentage there this season but that was at least partially due to the team’s overall struggles. The 6’5″ goaltender has shown plenty of promise, even performing extremely well in his two appearances at the most recent Spengler Cup.
There’s no doubt that this is a project for the Devils and not a goaltender that can step into an NHL role anytime soon, but it will give them another minor league option should MacKenzie Blackwood graduate to New Jersey. The team also has a strong Swiss presence already with Nico Hischier and Mirco Mueller, giving Senn some people to reach out to as he transitions to life in North America.