Devils Forward to Make Debut After Recall

A morning recall and an immediate NHL debut, safe to say Xavier Parent is having himself a good day for the New Jersey Devils.

The Devils and head coach Sheldon Keefe announced Parent's recall from the franchise's AHL affiliate of the Utica Comets on the morning of Dec. 11. Puck drop against the Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey's Prudential Center is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST that same day.

This latest development for the Devils comes in the midst of New Jersey placing Evgenii Dadonov on Injured Reserve with a wrist injury in addition to announcing that fellow-forward Timo Meier has stepped away from the Devils in order to attend to a personal leave of absence to address a family health matter.

Parent, a forward, has played 20 games with the Comets this season and leads the club in points with six goals and six assists.

Who is Xavier Parent for the Devils?

Parent was originally undrafted and has been with Utica since the 2022-23 season, he's seen 166 games played while at the AHL level.

Per Devils' rinkside reporter Amanda Stein, Parent led the end of skate stretch for New Jersey at morning skate with many stick taps being heard by the media — making it fairly certain he'll see his league debut. She also reported that Parent's brother, cousin, girlfriend and parents will be in attendance for the game against the Lightning.

Sep 24, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Faceoff between Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans (71) and New Jersey Devils forward Xavier Parent (67) during the first period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images | Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Dadanov — a left wing who has been placed on the previously referenced IR — has seen 622 games of action in the NHL. He was signed as a free agent by New Jersey back in July.

Meier is in the midst of his fourth year on the Devils' roster and has 458 points to his NHL career across 228 goals and 230 assists.

"Devils' forward Timo Meier has taken a personal leave of absence from the team as he tends to a family health matter," the Devils' statement on Meier reads. "The entire organization supports Timo and his family and appreciates everyone respecting their privacy at this time."

Goaltender Jacob Markstrom likely has the nod between the pipes for the Devils against the Lightning. The netminder has a .880 save percentage on the year as of press time.

Back to Parent — the 24-year-old has tallied 41 goals and 58 assists for 99 points in his time with the Comets. At morning skate he was paired with Luke Glendening and Angus Crookshank.

Tampa Bay currently has 36 points in the Atlantic Division and are coming off a 6-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens, while the Devils (17-12-1) most recently snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-3 on the road against the Ottawa Senators. New Jersey currently boasts 35 points in the Metropolitan Division.

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