As anticipated, the third-place Devils aren’t punting on their season following Hughes’ damage. They’ve lots of work to do with defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler becoming a member of Hughes on LTIR and main protection point-getter Dougie Hamilton out week-to-week, although.
Dumoulin, coming in at an reasonably priced $1.575M price ticket and on an expiring contract, is a short-term alternative down the stretch for the previous. In the meantime, Anaheim will end the season with their three lefty rearguards beneath 25 – Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger.
Dumoulin, 33, has performed all 61 video games with the Geese and turned in a really stable 2-14–16 scoring line with a plus-two ranking whereas averaging practically 20 minutes per sport, though his possession numbers aren’t as encouraging. The stay-at-home defender’s 43.4 even-strength CF% is properly under Anaheim’s 46.6% share with out him on the ice, though he’s beginning a career-high 57.9% of his zone begins within the defensive finish. His -12.9 anticipated ranking is worst on the Geese, although, and his 42.2 xGF% is his profession’s worst possession high quality management determine. Some constructive regression on these numbers down the stretch is probably going in a way more competent possession system in New Jersey.
Even with this 12 months’s struggles, Dumoulin has a prolonged historical past of being a robust complementary top-four piece. He’s had above-average possession impacts as lately as final 12 months with the Kraken, who signed him to his present two-year, $6.3M contract within the 2023 offseason. He was a tad too costly for his or her liking after loading up their blue line with Brandon Montour final summer time, although, prompting them to trade him to Anaheim for a 2026 fourth-round choose. That’s a very good little bit of enterprise for Geese common supervisor Pat Verbeek, who upgrades that choose by two rounds and lands a further prospect whereas getting 60-plus video games out of Dumoulin.
New Jersey’s blue line wasn’t considered as a precedence space on the deadline a number of weeks in the past, however accidents to Hamilton and Siegenthaler evidently modified that. The latter was solely expected to miss two to three weeks after present process a process over the 4 Nations break, however he’s already missed two and a half and hasn’t returned to follow.
Dumoulin will probably step right into a bottom-pairing spot on the left facet behind Brenden Dillon and Luke Hughes within the interim, probably pushing teen Seamus Casey again right down to AHL Utica when Siegenthaler is able to return.
Whether or not Dumoulin stays within the common lineup at that time stays to be seen. Siegenthaler has produced much less particular person offense this 12 months when wholesome with 9 factors in 55 video games however has higher relative possession impacts in harder minutes. That might presumably push Dumoulin to the press field in need of somebody shifting to their off facet, making a second-rounder and a C-tier prospect a steep worth to pay.
Traff, 19, was chosen by New Jersey within the third spherical of final 12 months’s draft. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic tabbed him because the No. 6 prospect within the Devils’ system in his 2025 rankings, however they acquired one other large winger with an analogous projection by selecting up Shane Lachance from the Oilers on this week’s Trent Frederic three-team deal. That softens the blow of shedding Traff, who’s posted a good 3-4–7 scoring line in 25 video games with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League as a youngster this 12 months. The 6’3″, 216-lb winger shall be buried a bit extra in a deeper Geese system however nonetheless has reputable NHL upside.
He’ll stay with HV71 to shut out the season. The Geese will retain Traff’s signing rights by June 1, 2028. Notably, they’re down to 1 accessible retention slot after this transfer.
