Ahead of their tilt with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, the New Jersey Devils called for reinforcements.
Brian Halonen is with the team, and will seemingly make his 2025-26 debut on Monday night. It’s the result of another forward injury to Zack MacEwen, who is said to be out an “extended period” of time.
Devils Notebook: Another Forward Injured; Keefe Changes Power Play Units
However, when reflecting on the Devils’ roster, you’ll see Juho Lammikko’s name appear. The Devils forward is not with the team in Columbus, and he hasn’t practiced with the regular season squad in weeks.
Lammikko sustained an injury in the preseason, and it was assumed he would begin the year on season opening injured reserve. Yet, he remains off any injured reserve list, and appears as an active player.
So, why is that the case?
A team source explained to New Jersey Hockey Now that it’s pretty straight forward.
“He’s injured, skating on his own back in [New] Jersey,” the source said. “We haven’t put him on [injured reserve] in case he’s able to come back quickly. If it’s longer, we can [put him on injured reserve] if needed.”
The source further explained that if Lammikko does go on injured reserve, it would be retroactive to when he was injured, seemingly on October 2nd.
In other words, it sounds like the Devils are still evaluating how long Lammikko needs to recover.
The Devils signed Lammikko over the summer to a one-year, one-way contract, bringing the forward back to the NHL from overseas.
He was in the mix to bid for fourth-line center duties for the 2025-26 season, a role that’s since been usurped by veteran, Luke Glendening, who turned a professional tryout contract into a one-year deal.
Lammikko is one of a handful of injured Devils injuries, however, he remains off the injured list for now in the case he can return sooner than later.
Then, it’ll be about where he fits amid some newfound depth in the Devils’ organization.
