Devils place Nico Hischier on injured reserve; Simon Nemec called up
Some roster management is making way for a young prospect to return to the NHL.
On Thursday, the New Jersey Devils announced that they have played forward Nico Hischier on injured reserve. In response, the team called up defenseman Simon Nemec from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets.
#NEWS: We have placed C Nico Hischier on injured reserve, retroactive to Jan. 25.
We have recalled D Simon Nemec from Utica (AHL). He will join the team for today’s morning skate.
Nemec is projected to be in the Devils lineup on Thursday night when they host the Vegas Golden Knights.
Hischier’s placement on IR is retroactive to Jan. 25, when he last appeared in the lineup in a 4-3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens. Given that it would be 12 days since he was put on IR, Hischier is eligible to return to the lineup whenever he’s ready.
While no one from the Devils has admitted what exactly is ailing the 26-year-old, Hischier noticeably received a cross-check from Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki in his last game, forcing the New Jersey captain to leave the match prematurely.
The Swiss-born star has been having a great season up until this point. The former first-overall pick has 24 goals and 19 assists for 43 points in 51 games. At the current pace, Hischier could surpass his career-high 31 goals that he posted during the 2022-23 campaign.
After playing 60 games with the Devils in his rookie season, Nemec has spent the majority of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL. In 32 games with the Comets, the Slovakian blueliner has potted five goals and 17 assists for 22 points, registering a plus/minus of +9.
Nemec actually started the season in New Jersey, posting an assist in nine games before being sent down to Utica. In 69 career NHL appearances, the 20-year-old has three goals and 20 points with a -9 rating.
The Devils (30-19-6) are third in the Metropolitan Division, 11 points back of the first-place Washington Capitals.