The New Jersey Devils have assigned forward Andreas Johnsson to the Utica Comets of the AHL, now that Captain Nico Hischier is set to return after dealing with a strained hamstring:
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Johnsson, once a 20-goal scorer in Toronto, cleared waivers earlier this week. The Devils were likely hoping another team would claim him and relieve them of his $3.4 million cap-hit. Alas, no.
New Jersey acquired Johnsson from Toronto in exchange for forward Joey Anderson in the summer of 2020. In 121 games with the Devils, Johnsson has totaled a mere 46 points; which is simply not good enough considering his salary.
As for Hischier, the Devils' captain has had a serious problem staying healthy, to the point where fans grow restless. On his injury, Hischier offered that hockey is a rough sport, and any fans criticizing him are welcome to suit up.
Nevertheless, the Devils were trounced by John Tortorella's Flyers, 5-2, on Thursday and already the desperation is showing. Not a great sign, just one game into the season.
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