The Devils are bringing two familiar faces back to the NHL roster after the Olympic break: forward Lenni Hameenaho and defenseman Colton White. And the timing couldn’t be better. With no corresponding roster moves needed, New Jersey is opting to double down on players who’ve already shown they can contribute - and in Hameenaho’s case, potentially much more than that.
Let’s start with Hameenaho, who has quickly gone from intriguing prospect to someone the Devils seem ready to trust in a meaningful role down the stretch. The 21-year-old got his first taste of NHL action in the nine games leading into the break - and he didn’t waste the opportunity.
He tallied two goals and four points, with a +1 rating, skating primarily alongside Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass. That line didn’t just hold its own - it dominated, controlling a whopping 75% of expected goals at 5-on-5, according to MoneyPuck.
That’s not just good chemistry - that’s line-driving impact.
What’s especially impressive is how quickly Hameenaho has adapted to the NHL pace, despite coming from an AHL situation in Utica that’s been, frankly, tough sledding this season. Even so, the 6’1” Finnish winger has managed to lead the team in scoring with a 9-13-22 line through 34 games, even while carrying a -13 rating. It’s not ideal, but context matters - and the fact that he’s still producing in a struggling environment says a lot about his trajectory.
This isn’t coming out of nowhere, either. Hameenaho made plenty of noise overseas before jumping to North America.
In 2024-25, he put up 20 goals and 51 points in 58 games for Ässät in Finland’s Liiga - leading all under-20 players in scoring. That kind of production doesn’t just happen by accident.
It’s a sign of a player with real offensive upside, and now we’re starting to see that translate at the NHL level.
The Devils aren’t making a playoff push this year, but that doesn’t mean these games don’t matter. For a young player like Hameenaho, getting top-nine minutes in the final stretch of the season could be a springboard into a full-time role next fall. If he continues to build on what he’s already shown, don’t be surprised if he’s skating on opening night in October.
As for Colton White, his return doesn’t come with the same buzz, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. The 28-year-old defenseman has carved out a nice role for himself as a reliable depth option. He’s logged 23 games this season, picking up four assists and a +2 rating - his first NHL action since playing a career-high 46 games with the Ducks back in 2022-23.
White isn’t flashy - and that’s kind of the point. He’s a stay-at-home defenseman who’s averaging just over 12 minutes a night, and he’s done his job quietly and effectively.
His underlying numbers are solid: 47.7% of shot attempts and 53.9% of expected goals at even strength. That tells us that while he’s not driving play, he’s helping the Devils keep things in check when he’s on the ice - especially against bottom-six competition.
In a season where injuries have forced the Devils to shuffle their blue line more than they’d like, having someone like White who can step in and hold the fort without a lot of drama is a real asset.
Bottom line: New Jersey’s not just playing out the string here. They’re using this post-break stretch to evaluate who’s ready to be part of the next phase - and both Hameenaho and White are making strong cases in very different ways.