Devils Place Nick Bjugstad On LTIR

The New Jersey Devils have placed center Nick Bjugstad on long-term injured reserve following his recovery from offseason pectoral surgery. Bjugstad is expected to miss at least the first half of the season, with an estimated return timeline between late January and late March. Alongside this transaction, veteran winger Stefan Noesen cleared waivers and was assigned to AHL Utica, while prospect defenseman Anton Silayev underwent a procedural paper recall.\n\nSilayev's temporary promotion was executed to maximize future salary cap flexibility under LTIR rules. By recalling Silayev before placing Bjugstad on LTIR, the Devils locked in the prospect at his base cap hit of $1.075 million rather than triggering his full $1.925 million average annual value. This technicality will make it considerably easier for the team to recall Silayev from the Utica Comets later in the regular season.