New Jersey Devils defenseman Damon Severson is expected to make his season debut against the visiting Seattle Kraken on Tuesday after being activated from injured reserve.
Severson has been sidelined with a lower-body injury.
To make room on the roster, goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood was placed on IR retroactively to Oct. 11 with a heel injury.
“We thought he looked really good in practice (on Monday). He had a good morning skate and he’s ready to go,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said of Severson.
Severson, 27, recorded 21 points (three goals, 18 assists) in 56 games last season. He has 184 points (40 goals, 144 assists) in 486 career games since being selected by the Devils in the second round of the 2012 NHL Draft.
“It’s nice to come back,” Severson said, per NorthJersey.com. “The first one of the year, it would have been nice for it to be last game, but the first one of the year is this one tonight for me. I’m looking forward to having hopefully a good memory of this one tonight and keeping the streak rolling.”
Like Severson, Blackwood did not play in New Jersey’s season-opening 4-3 overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.
Blackwood, 24, sported a 14-17-4 record with one shutout, a 3.04 goals-against average and .902 save percentage in 35 games last season. He signed a three-year, $8.4 million contract in December.
The Devils selected Blackwood in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. He has played 105 games with New Jersey, posting a 46-41-12 record with a 2.83 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and six shutouts.
–Field Level Media
