Due to recent injuries, the New Jersey Devils have opted to recall two players from their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. These call-ups include defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon and forward Maxwell Willman.
Wotherspoon, the more seasoned of the two, has limited NHL experience compared to Willman. Drafted 57th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 2011 NHL Draft, Wotherspoon has appeared in just 30 NHL games, registering three assists.
However, Wotherspoon boasts extensive experience in the American Hockey League, having played a total of 605 regular-season games across stints with the Flames, Flyers, and Devils organizations. Now serving in a veteran leadership role, Wotherspoon has accumulated 37 goals and 209 points over his minor league career.
Willman is the lone player of the pair who has seen ice time with New Jersey this season, contributing two points across 13 games thus far. In his debut season with the Devils organization, Willman already brings experience from 50 NHL games played over the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Beyond his NHL contributions, Willman has proven to be a valuable asset for the Comets this season, tallying 11 goals and 21 points in 31 games. Currently, the Comets are vying for a playoff spot in the AHL’s North Division, but they’ll need to manage without Willman, who ranks as their seventh-highest scorer, for the time being.
