Devils place veteran forward on IR, recall former first-round pick

The New Jersey Devils have placed forward Tomas Nosek on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Nosek has been out of action since October 13 and has only appeared in two games on the year, with a stat line limited to one shot and one hit. The Devils have also recalled defenseman Callan Foote.

Nosek signed a one-year, $1.0M contract with New Jersey this summer. The Devils become the fourth NHL team that the 31-year-old Nosek has played for throughout his nine-year NHL career. He’s tallied an even 400 career games through those nine years, recording 101 points and 146 penalty minutes. Nosek has never been much of a scorer, with his career-high sitting at a mere 18 points – a mark he’s hit twice, including in 66 games with the Boston Bruins last season. 

But despite the low scoring, Nosek has become a consistent feature of NHL lineups, not playing an AHL game since the 2016-17 season. In fact, his last assignment to the AHL came in April of 2017, only two months before he would be selected in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft and join the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s been a fruitful career for the undrafted Nosek, who was signed to an entry-level contract after the 2013-14 season after tallying 44 points in 52 games for Pardubice of the Czechia Extraliga.

Cal Foote receives a call-up in the wake of Nosek’s IR assignment, giving him a chance to make his debut with the Devils. Foote started the season with the Utica Comets of the AHL, where he’s recorded two points in three games. Foote joined New Jersey this summer, signing a one-year, $850K contract with what’s become his third NHL club. He previously appeared with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Nashville Predators, serving as a focal piece of the Tanner Jeannot trade. Foote has played in 141 career NHL games, recording 19 points.