In a move announced on Sunday, the New Jersey Devils have placed forward Evgenii Dadonov on Injured Reserve (IR) and recalled forward Brian Halonen from the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL). The roster adjustments come after Dadonov suffered a hand injury during the Devils' season-opening game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.

Dadonov, 36, sustained the injury after blocking a shot, which later imaging revealed to be a fracture. He was unable to grip his stick properly and exited the game in the third period. Dadonov logged 9:32 of ice time, recording two shots on goal in the 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes. Initial X-rays taken on Thursday were negative, but further examination revealed the fracture. The veteran forward will miss the remainder of the Devils' current road trip and will be further evaluated upon the team's return to New Jersey. He will miss at least the next two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"A tough blow for one of the New Jersey Devils' top veterans". Dadonov signed a one-year contract with the team this season for $1 million, with the expectation that he would bring a veteran presence and offensive capabilities to the team. Last season with the Dallas Stars, Dadonov recorded 20 goals and 20 assists in 80 games.

Brian Halonen, 26, gets the call-up from Utica to fill the roster spot. He has appeared in two games this season in the AHL, scoring one goal. Halonen also played in two NHL games last season with New Jersey. In those games, he recorded two shots on goal and two hits while averaging 13:54 of ice time. During the 2024-25 season with Utica, Halonen led the team with 27 goals and added 13 assists in 62 games.

Halonen signed a two-year, two-way contract extension last May. The undrafted free agent signing out of Michigan Tech back in 2022 has been a valuable contributor in Utica, amassing 83 points in 135 AHL games.