The New Jersey Devils’ roster trim on Sunday came with a few eyebrow-raising moves of its own, but the bigger headline for a lot of fans was the sight of former first-round pick Alexander Holtz back on waivers.
New Jersey cut down toward Monday’s deadline while also making some notable goalie business, placing David Rittich on waivers and claiming Remi Poirier from the Dallas Stars. That points to a three-goalie setup for the Devils heading into the season.
Around the league, the waiver wire was crowded with familiar names. Nathan Bastian signed a two-way deal with the Florida Panthers and then landed on waivers after being on a PTO.
The New York Islanders took a risky swing by putting Vitek Vanecek on waivers. Kaapo Kahkonen is there too.
Other former Devils ties on waivers include Adam Beckman, Reilly Walsh and Georgii Romanov, who was in New Jersey for last year’s training camp. But Holtz is the name that jumps off the page.
Notable players on waivers
Broissoit (Ana), Jokiharu (Bos), Blackwell (Dal), Perbix (NSH), Lyubushkin (NSH), Rittich (NJ), Holtz (VGK), Heinola (VGK) Brodzinski (WSH)
- Jonathan Stuart Davis (@westcoasthkyNHL) September 27, 2026
That’s because Holtz arrived in New Jersey with real expectations attached. As the seventh-overall pick, he was supposed to be the kind of pure scorer you could plant in the top six and trust for years. The Devils viewed him as an elite finisher in his draft class.
Instead, the fit never really took hold. He got chances in New Jersey, but the organization never fully committed to keeping him in the NHL, and he bounced between the big club and the minors. The whole thing became a messy development story, not unlike what happened with former second-overall pick Simon Nemec.
The Devils eventually moved on, dealing Holtz and goalie Akira Schmid to the Golden Knights for Paul Cotter and a third-round pick. That trade drew plenty of questions from Devils fans, but Holtz had already stopped looking like the high-end scorer they once hoped for. He was coming off a 16-goal season, yet the scoring touch never really held.
Now the downward slide has continued in Vegas. Holtz has four goals in 2024-25 and three goals last season, and his name on waivers is no shock after the Golden Knights also put him there last March. Even so, plenty of people figured he’d have a real shot to stick on the roster this time.
Instead, another chapter in his career has ended with uncertainty. Holtz had the talent to become a major goal threat in this league, but the path never stayed straight long enough for that version of him to take root.
In Other News...
Devils Just Made Nico Daws' Situation A Lot More Complicated
The Devils added another layer to their goaltending picture by claiming Dallas prospect Remi Poirier off waivers, a move that comes on the heels of David Rittich landing on waivers. It is the kind of transaction that can look minor on paper but carries real weight in a position group where opportunity is often as important as talent, and New Jersey now has another young goalie in the mix as it sorts out its depth chart.
For Nico Daws, the timing makes an already crowded situation more complicated. The Devils appear to be considering a three-goalie rotation, which could reshape how the team manages starts and development at the position, while also forcing a closer look at who fits where over the coming stretch. For now, the move adds competition and uncertainty, and it leaves Daws' immediate path a little less straightforward than it was a day ago. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Final Roster Fight Just Got A Lot More Intense
The Devils have already started trimming the roster for the 2026-27 season, sending several players down to their AHL affiliate in Utica after a preseason that gave the coaching staff plenty to weigh. New Jersey closed exhibition play at 3-0-1, and the results were encouraging enough to leave the final decisions a little more complicated than a typical early cutdown.
Wins over the Islanders and Rangers helped set the tone, but the bigger story was how some of the younger pieces handled the moment. Amadeus Lombardi was among the players who made a strong case with his preseason work, and now the Devils have to sort out which performances translate into openings in Newark and which ones mean a longer stay in Utica. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Goaltending Search Could Suddenly Open A Real Trade Chance
The goaltending market could get a lot more interesting for the Devils if Buffalo lands Connor Hellebuyck, because that kind of move would naturally ripple through the rest of the position. In that scenario, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen could become available, and New Jersey would be the kind of team that at least has to take notice as it looks for ways to stabilize its crease.
Of course, this is the sort of idea that lives on layers of hypotheticals, and the Devils would not be able to add Luukkonen without parting with one of their current goaltenders. So even if Buffalo's plans move in the right direction, New Jersey would still have a real decision to make before anything becomes more than a plausible trade fit. [Read more 🡒]