Devils’ Jacob Markstrom activated from IR, returns to lineup

The New Jersey Devils have announced that goaltender Jacob Markstrom has been activated from injured reserve.

It’s not confirmed whether Markstrom will start for Sunday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, but his activation does indicate that he will be in the lineup.

Markstrom had missed the past 11 games with the Devils after sustaining a sprained left MCL when Justin Brazeau crashed into him in the second period of their 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins on January 22nd. New Jersey went 6-5-0 during his absence.

Markstrom was expected to miss 4-6 weeks, with his return falling a few days short of six weeks. Luckily for the Devils, a good chunk of the recovery came during the mid-season break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, although it meant that the Gavle, Sweden native had to miss representing his country in the tournament.

Markstrom has been having an excellent season in his first year in net for the Devils, a revelation for the team after they missed the playoffs last season due to inconsistent performances in net. In 36 games, he has a 21-9-5 record, a .912 save percentage, three shutouts, and a 12.67 goals saved above expected.

With Markstrom’s return to the lineup, Nico Daws has been re-assigned to the AHL to make room on the roster. Daws has a 3-0-0 record. a .966 SV%, 1 shutout and a 6.31 GSAx in 5 games with the Devils, as well as a 6-15-1 record, an .891 SV% and 1 shutout in 23 games with the Devils’ AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.

The Devils currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 33-22-6 record. They’ll look to build off of Saturday’s win over the Utah Hockey Club when they visit the Golden Knights in Vegas on Sunday at 8 p.m. EST.