Michael Vukojevic
New Team: Lahti Pelicans
There will always be AHL players who become fan favorites because they are in the organization for a while. The Devils have a few players like that, but it felt like Michael Vukojevic was going to become that player. The former third-round pick seemed satisfied with his role with the Utica Comets. He was a veteran defenseman as new rookies continued to come through the door.
Vukojevic joined Utica for the first time in 2020-21. He spent that first season in “Utica” (it was the year they played in New Jersey during the COVID pandemic). Some assumed they saw growth the next season, and he saw better positioning in the AHL lineup.
This was a player we saw growing year after year. However, he started to see himself lose some time in the lineup. He wasn’t even a regular by the end of the season. This is why he went from a player who could be a full-time minor leaguer who might one day get the occasional call up to a player who saw a better opportunity overseas.
Vukojevic was a good player in juniors with the Kitchener Rangers, and his size (6’3, 210 lbs.) made him a coveted pick for the Devils in 2019. It never worked out, and now he’s off to play in Finland.