Should The Devils Let The Kids Play? For Now, It’s Happening Regardless

The injuries have spread the New Jersey Devils thin. Anthony Mantha and Johnathan Kovacevic are out, and the Devils are without a depth forward and a depth defenseman, both of whom have stepped up.

However, the call-ups have stepped up. In the 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals, three Devils who were called up from the American Hockey League found the back of the net. “It’s a Utica hat trick,” head coach Sheldon Keefe noted after the game.

While Stefan Noesen is a veteran who is back on the NHL roster, Lenni Hämeenaho and Vladislav Kolyachonok are younger skaters who have impressed. Likewise, Amadeus Lombardi, who was out of the lineup on Thursday but has played otherwise, has been a…