New Jersey Devils: 5 Potential Jonas Siegenthaler Replacements

The New Jersey Devils got more bad injury news on Saturday night. Early in the second period of the game against the Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler blocked a Filip Hronek one-timer and broke his foot. With Siegenthaler now down in addition to Dougie Hamilton, the Devils now find themselves without their entire top defense pairing until the spring, at the earliest.

Consequentially, this also means a new defense partner for rookie sensation Simon Nemec. The Devils have Brendan Smith, Kevin Bahl, and Luke Hughes on their roster, and Smith has been playing as a fourth-line forward lately. Given how little Max Willman played in his last stint in New Jersey, would the Devils move Smith back to defense and effectively roll three lines? With their already depleted forward core, the Devils can't afford to do that. Unless the Devils make a trade immediately, they will need to call someone up, if only to have an extra body on defense.

#5. Daniil Misyul, Utica Comets

If the team wishes to continue to give their prospects a chance and build toward the future, calling up Daniil Misyul would be conducive to that. The 23-year-old is actually in the midst of his first season of North American hockey. Before this year, Misyul spent parts of five seasons playing in the KHL. During his time there, Misyul scored only five times in 184 games but has three goals in 27 games with the Utica Comets this year. The Devils' 2019 third-round pick profiles as a defense-first defenseman who is physical, skates extremely well and excels in transition. Those are three things this team needs with Siegenthaler on the shelf.

Calling up Misyul depends greatly on how well Kevin Dineen and Dan MacKinnon feel the defenseman has adjusted to the North American game. If the Russian blueliner passes the eye test, the Devils can consider themselves lucky enough to welcome another young, exciting prospect to their blueline.

#4. Santeri Hatakka, Utica Comets

Pivoting to another Comets player, former San Jose Sharks defenseman Santeri Hatakka was a preseason standout for the Devils. Unfortunately, Hatakka fell victim to the numbers game and has instead plied his trade with Utica.

What separates Hatakka from Misyul is that Hatakka already has nine games of NHL experience from a brief cameo with the Sharks during the 2021-22 season. In those nine games, the 22-year-old posted two assists and a minus-5 plus-minus rating. Hatakka isn't overly physical at 6-foot, 174 pounds, but he's a steady defender with experience in the NHL and Liiga, Finland's top division.

At the moment, it wouldn't be a surprise if Hatakka has the inside track over Misyul in terms of potential call-ups. The NHL experience alone should make him a more favorable option over his Russian counterpart, even if Misyul might have a higher upside. Both players deserve the opportunity, so this will depend on what the organization sees from Hatakka and Misyul on the ice right now.

#3. Erik Brannstrom, Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators are sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The 2023-24 season hasn't been kind to them whatsoever, and now the team needs to consider their future with certain players following the GM and coaching changes. Defenseman Erik Brannstrom has long been a player under the microscope out there.

The 24-year-old has been a career bottom-pairing defenseman who hasn't entirely lived up to his 15th-overall pick draft status. However, the opportunities haven't always been there either.

Brannstrom is averaging fewer than 16 minutes of ice time this season on a struggling Senators team. The Swede had the best year of his career by far last season, so maybe the Devils would be willing to take a flier on a high-upside play. Brannstrom's underlying defensive numbers have always been poor, but they were about average last season. On the flip side, his underlying offensive numbers (at even strength) have been excellent.

Undoubtedly, the Devils' system would give Brannstrom a chance to flourish on a more competitive team. Obviously, multiple factors are at play here, including whether the Sens actually want to move him and what the cost will be if so. Brannstrom just turned 24 in September and will be an RFA in the summer, so he comes with team control. If available, the Devils wouldn't be the only team after him.

#2. Shayne Gostisbehere, Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings, like the Devils, are vying for a coveted Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. This might mean that Shayne Gostisbehere is off the table. If he isn't? The Devils should be all in. Gostisbehere is playing on a one-year, $4.125 million contract, meaning he's effectively a rental in the worst case.

Further complicating things is the fact that 'Ghost' has a 10-team no-trade list. If the Devils happen to be on that, all bets are off. Gostisbehere does have a history of playing in the East, though. He spent seven years with the Philadelphia Flyers and joined the Carolina Hurricanes via trade last year.

This year, the 30-year-old finds himself in Detroit. Indeed, Gostisbehere is not the defensive maven that Siegenthaler is, but he could also help the Devils better balance their defensive pairings. For example, Luke Hughes and Colin Miller have worked. Kevin Bahl and John Marino have not. Perhaps an offensive-minded puck-mover will help with Marino's struggles this season, as long as the price isn't too high. Again, it's not clear the Red Wings are willing to sell at this time.