The New Jersey Devils have activated defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler off of injured reserve and placed goaltender Vitek Vanecek on IR, retroactive to February 10th. Vanecek is set to miss his fifth consecutive game on Tuesday, fighting to recover from a lower-body injury. His absences have satisfied the required time missed, making him eligible to be activated off IR whenever he may be healthy. Meanwhile, Siegenthaler is making his return from a foot injury that’s held him out since January 6th.
Getting Siegenthaler back gives New Jersey half of their top pairing back from injury, though star defenseman Dougie Hamilton is still out indefinitely with a torn pectoral muscle. Still, Siegenthaler represents a big addition to the lineup. The 26-year-old has averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time this season, scoring one goal and eight points in 38 games before his injury. Siegenthaler is in his fourth season with the Devils, joining the team in a trade with the Washington Capitals that saw New Jersey send away a third-round draft pick. Washington flipped the pick to the New York Rangers, who used it to draft Ryder Korczak in the 2021 NHL Draft. Siegenthaler has established himself as a top-end shutdown defenseman since joining the Devils and currently sits ranked third among the team’s healthy defensemen in Corsi-For behind Luke Hughes and Colin Miller, per Natural Stat Trick.
In the wake of Vanecek’s injury, the Devils have turned towards rookie Nico Daws, who has posted an impressive six wins and .912 save percentage in 12 appearances. Daws is the only Devils goaltender to boast a save percentage above .900 this season, though Vanecek’s .893 is close. Daws will look to continue solidifying his grip on the Devils starting position, now with an expanded opportunity.