Siegenthaler flew back to D.C. with the Capitals following their game in Boston Sunday. He packed his bags and made a solo three-and-a-half-hour drive to Newark Monday. Upon arrival at Prudential Center, he met with the Devils coaches and his new teammates. The 6-foot-3, 211-pound defenseman hit the ice for morning skate Tuesday and played later that evening.
"It was a quick turnaround," he said. "Settled in pretty quick. I feel pretty confident with the boys here."
"I was a little nervous, I'm not going to lie," he continued speaking of his first game as a Devil. "I haven't played for a while. I tried to play simple, keep it short, get into the game and work my way up."
Including Tuesday, Siegenthaler has played only eight games on the year. And before playing with the Devils, he appeared in just one contest since Feb. 4. Between not playing a lot this season and having to learn a new system there were some expected growing pains.
"Caught a little bit between how Washington plays and how we play, which is totally understandable," Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said of Siegenthaler's debut. "But overall I thought he adjusted to the game. We put him in a tough situation and we got him through it."
Patience will be key as Siegenthaler learns how the Devils want to play.
"I've never played that system. It takes time," he said. "I think once I figure it out, it's actually a pretty good system. It's just a little different. The system makes sense. It's a good system. I just have to get used to it, get a couple practices in me."
Siegenthaler, who is half-Swiss and half-Thai, was a second-round pick (57th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft by Washington. He played in a career-high 64 games for the club in 2019-20, but was buried on the roster after the team signed Zdeno Chara in this past off-season.
"In Washington, a veteran laden type team, he wasn't getting the minutes," Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. "They added Zdeno Chara. (Siegenthaler) hasn't played all that much. We thought we have the opportunity for him to come in and play."
But Fitzgerald still sees the potential in Siegenthaler that made him a second-round selection.
"He's a guy that we believe has some upside. With more time he may be able to blossom into a Top-4," Fitzgerald said. "Play some heavier minutes, he's a real good penalty killer, he skates well, has good size, blocks pucks, he's a simple puck mover. Things that we need on our team. He looks like a complimentary guy to an offensive guy. The hope is with more ice time that he can grow his confidence and mature into a Top-4 defenseman."
Siegenthaler, who still visits family in Thailand every other year, went from the oldest team in the NHL (Washington) to the youngest (New Jersey). And he said the difference is noticeable.
"New Jersey is a young team, fast team. I think it's the right fit," he said. "When I see the guys, I'm not the youngest one anymore."
One guy that Siegenthaler saw was Devils captain Nico Hischier, his former Team Switzerland teammate.
"It's always nice if you go to a new team and you know somebody," Siegenthaler said. "He helped me out a lot so far."
Siegenthaler hopes to be another piece to the puzzle of New Jersey's locker room.
"I feel like the guys are pretty tight here. I think that's a good thing," Siegenthaler said. "You can translate it into the game. The tighter the group is the better chemistry you have on the ice. I'm trying to fit in here, get comfortable with the guys here.
"In the end, it's just playing hockey."
