NEW JERSEY DEVILS (22-20-2) at WINNIPEG JETS (16-22-5)

New Jersey heads to Manitoba to face the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday afternoon.

Read below for your game preview presented by Skyview Golf Club and check back for the pre-game story.

SHELDON KEEFE MEDIA AVAILABILITY

WINNIPEG, MB - The Devils did not hold a morning skate as they’ll face Winnipeg in an afternoon tilt. Head coach Sheldon Keefe did address the media beforehand. Here’s the takeaways from that chat…

KOVY AND DADDY

Both defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic (knee) and forward Evgenii Dadonov (undisclosed) will be back in the lineup today.

Both are “good to go.”

Kovacevic will be making his season debut. He’s rehabbed all year following off-season knee surgery. His absence has been deeply felt.

“We’re going to have to take some time here and give him an opportunity to play and find himself. He hasn’t played in a long time,” Keefe said. “Him at his best is physical, direct, predictable and that’s easy for everyone else to play off of.”

Kovacevic also has an uncanny ability to eliminate opposition offensive plays.

“He gets the play stopped defensively, which gets us the puck back quicker and keeps us a lot more structured and a lot less running around because we’re not chasing people. We’re getting people stopped. That’s a very important element of defensive play and I think we’ve lacked that. So, we’re excited to see if he can bring that. That’s certainly what his skillset is.”

For Dadonov, it’s been a tough season as he has barely played five games with the club.

“He’s been a tough go,” Keefe said. “He’s a skilled guy, he’s a veteran guy, he’s played a lot in the league. He’s played up and down the lineup. His versatility is an asset for us.”

ALLEN IN THE PIPES

Goaltender Jake Allen will get the start in goal for the Devils, while Jacob Markstrom will play Monday in Minnesota.

“Jake has been solid all season,” Keefe said. “We like Marky against Minnesota. That was more the decision maker in that case.”

CONSISTENCY

The Devils are still searching for consistency in their game. Keefe explained that the primary factor for this club is managing the puck. And everything else falls into place from there.

“A big part of it is how we manage the puck, because that allows us to be structured,” Keefe said. “It’s tough to be structured if you have to chase the puck around or you’re not putting it into spots where you can manage it and get to structure.

“Puck management is where it starts and then it’s just about being above people, being tight, making it hard for them to get through us to get through the neutral zone and get to our net.”

THE SCOOP

The New Jersey Devils may have an injection of new bodies into their lineup when they visit the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. Both Johanthan Kovacevic and Evgenii Dadonov are likely to return to the lineup after participating in a full practice on Saturday. Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated the intent is for both players to play if they wake up on Sunday morning feeling good enough after a full day of practice. Both players suggested on Saturday they are feeling ready to return.

For Kovacevic, it would be his first game of the season after undergoing knee surgery during the off-season, while Dadonov has been injury-stricken, injured in the first game of the season, and played just four games in his return before sustaining a new injury. With the expectation that Kovacevic will return, defenseman Dougie Hamilton will be scratched, per head coach Sheldon Keefe. Hamilton skated on the Devils' fourth pairing at practice with Colton White.

It has been a very tough stretch for the club, with just one win in their last four games and just four wins in their last 10 games. Most recently, the Devils lost in Pittsburgh, where Luke Hughes scored the game's lone goal.

The Winnipeg Jets have been through their own tough stretch as well and currently sit in last place in the NHL with a record of 16-22-5. On Friday night, the Jets posted their first win after having lost 11 straight games, and seven in regulation. During their losing streak, the Jets had seen opponents come from behind to beat them, most notably the Edmonton Oilers, which was a 4-3 final after the Jets led 3-1, and against the Vegas Golden Knights, a 4-3 loss in overtime, highlighting issues with holding leads and finishing tight contests.

In net, No. 1 Connor Hellebuyck has struggled, with just a 9-12-4 record, while they have also relied on backup goaltender Eric Comrie, who posted the victory against the Kings, and has a 7-9-1 record.

WHO’S HOT

Devils: Jack Huhges has four points, all assists, in the last four games.

Jets: Mark Scheifele is coming off a two-goal performance against the Kings and has four points (2g-2a) in his last two games, and seven points in his last five (4g-3a).

INJURIES

Devils:
Dadonov (upper body)
Kovacevic (knee)
McLaughlin (undisclosed)
MacEwen (upper body)

Jets:

Barron (upper body)
Pionk (foot)
Fleury (upper body)

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

• Jan 11 at Jets
• Jan 27 at Devils

GAME NOTES

• Brenden Dillon and Johnny Kovacevic are both former members of the Winnipeg Jets. Dillon signed as a free agent from Winnipeg to join the Devils in the summer of 2024. Kovacevic was drafted third round, 74th overall, by the Jets in 2017.
• The Jets are 14-7-3 when scoring first.
• Defenseman Dennis Cholowski was placed on waivers by the Devils and cleared. He has been assigned to the Utica Comets.
• Forward Stefan Noesen has been placed on injured reserve and will undergo knee surgery that will keep him out of the lineup long-term.