Ex-New Jersey Devils forward, Max Willman, has inked a one-year contract in the KHL, with Barys Astana.
Willman played for the Devils across two seasons, after coming over from the Philadelphia Flyers. He converted on a professional tryout contract in Fall 2023, turning it into a one-year, two-way contract. He inked another deal the following summer, signing a one-year, two-way contract extension to remain with the Devils.
Willman spent the majority of his time playing with the Utica Comets. In 102 AHL games, Willman netted 22 goals and 30 assists for 52 points.
At the varsity level, however, Willman clawed out a respectable 18 games, scoring three goals and four points in 18 games with New Jersey.
The then 28-year-old scored his first goal with the Devils against the Blackhawks, skating in his first game for New Jersey.
Willman, 30, was taken by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He never cracked the Sabres’ lineup, skating the following five seasons after he was drafted in the NCAA, after enrolling in a graduate program to give him an extra season of eligibility. Willman attended and played for Brown University, scoring 17 goals and 51 points in 135 NCAA games.
He moved his professional career to the Flyers organization in 2019-20. Willman skated one season for the Reading Royals, splitting time that season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He proceeded to play three-plus seasons with the Phantoms, scoring 32 goals and 67 points in 142 games.
In 50 games with the Flyers at the NHL level, Willman netted four goals and six points.
Willman was a fill-in for former Devils, Curtis Lazar, Nathan Bastian, and Kurtis MacDermid amid injuries.
Now, Willman will skate overseas, seeking to extend his professional career, with the idea to return to North America with a strong showing in the KHL.
