The New Jersey Devils had a busy day on Sunday, cutting their roster down ahead of the official deadline on Monday. Some of the surprises include putting David Rittich on waivers and claiming Remi Poirier from the Dallas Stars, confirming they will have a three-goalie rotation going into the season.
Around the league, there were a ton of former Devils on waivers. Nathan Bastian actually signed a two-way contract with the Florida Panthers just to go on waivers. He was there on a PTO. Vitek Vanecek was placed on waivers in a risky move by the New York Islanders. Kaapo Kahkonen joins the list of goalies on waivers, as well.
Some of the other waivers players who formerly had Devils ties include Adam Beckman, Reilly Walsh, and Georgii Romanov, who spent last year’s training camp in New Jersey. However, the name that stands out among the rest is former first-round pick Alexander Holtz.
Notable players on waivers
— Jonathan Stuart Davis (@westcoasthkyNHL) September 27, 2026
Broissoit (Ana), Jokiharu (Bos), Blackwell (Dal), Perbix (NSH), Lyubushkin (NSH), Rittich (NJ), Holtz (VGK), Heinola (VGK) Brodzinski (WSH)
Holtz was a player the Devils had high hopes for, as one would expect from a seventh-overall pick. He was considered an elite finisher in his draft class, and the Devils thought they might have someone they could staple in the top six for a decade or more.
He got opportunities in New Jersey, but they didn’t do his development justice. They didn’t commit to him in the NHL, and they kept moving him up and down from the minors. His development was frustrating, similar to that of former second-overall pick Simon Nemec.
Alexander Holtz takes yet another hit on his NHL career journey
The Devils eventually gave up, trading Holtz and goalie Akira Schmid for Paul Cotter and a third-round pick. The trade made Devils fans question Tom Fitzgerald, but he was right to move on. Holtz was no longer capable of scoring at a high clip, despite coming off a 16-goal season.
Something changed in Holtz, and he’s been pretty terrible in Vegas. Cotter wasn’t much better, but at least he brings a toughness factor. Holtz has four goals in 2024-25 and three goals last season.
It’s not a huge surprise that Holtz is on waivers, as the Golden Knights put him on waivers last March, but many thought he should have a good chance to make the roster this year.
Instead, his development failure hurts another team. Holtz had all the talent to be a great scorer in this league, but the Devils ruined that development by losing focus on who he could become. They made him focus on defense and gaining speed instead of building on his strengths.
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