Devils Place Marc McLaughlin on Waivers, Plan Utica Assignment

The New Jersey Devils placed forward Marc McLaughlin on waivers Wednesday, notifying that they intend to activate him and send him to the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League. The short transaction language from the club read: "New Jersey has placed forward Marc McLaughlin on waivers, with the intention of activating him and assigning him to Utica of the American Hockey Leauge."

The move signals McLaughlin is on the verge of returning from the upper-body injury he suffered in a preseason game against the New York Islanders on Sept. 26, an ailment that sidelined him through the first four months of the 2025-26 campaign. He returned to Devils practice in late December but left the ice early. Placing him on waivers is the procedural step expected to activate him off the injured list and, if he clears, move him to Utica.

McLaughlin is a 26-year-old center from North Billerica, Massachusetts, who captained Boston College for two seasons and represented the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He joined the Devils organization after being acquired from the Boston Bruins at last season's trade deadline. Contract reports say he re-signed with New Jersey in mid-2025 to a one-year, two-way deal with an NHL cap hit of $775,000; one report lists a $350,000 AHL salary. Sources vary on the exact signing month.

Stat lines in reporting differ by source and scope. DailyFaceoff cites a 2024-25 NHL line of 14 games with two goals and one assist, and lists career NHL totals of 28 games, six goals and seven points. The Hockey Writers notes McLaughlin finished last season with six assists in 16 games for Utica after the trade. ProHockeyRumors summarizes a career NHL line of 6-1-7 with a minus-3 rating and an average of 9:54 time on ice per game, adding an even-strength shot attempt control figure of 48.0 percent while he is on the ice. Yahoo/CA Sports also provided a Bruins-era snapshot that differs slightly, reflecting the fragmented nature of team-by-team and career totals across the reports.

New Jersey's roster context helps explain the timing. The Devils still list several players on injured reserve, including Luke Hughes, Zack MacEwen and Stefan Noesen, with uncertain return timetables. The club has been active moving pieces to Utica this month, having reassigned players such as Hameenaho, White and Lammikko earlier in February while acquiring Nick Bjugstad in an early-February transaction. The waiver move comes during the NHL's Olympic break when waiver placements are allowed but trades are frozen until Feb. 22.

For Utica, McLaughlin represents a defensive-minded center who can strengthen a two-way structure that has struggled to score, ProHockeyRumors cites Utica at roughly 2.40 goals per game. His net-front presence and AHL production after last season's trade suggest he could be an immediate fit for penalty kills and matchups against opposing top lines, even if he is not expected to be a high-volume scorer.

If McLaughlin clears waivers and reports to Utica, the practical takeaway is twofold: New Jersey clears NHL roster flexibility while Utica gains a seasoned, two-way pivot for the playoff push. Longer term, McLaughlin will head into the summer with his contract situation in focus; one report notes he will be a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer, an item that will shape his next contract conversations.