Anthony Mantha Lands on LTIR After a High Stick to the Throat as the Devils Recall Stefan Noesen and Lenni Hameenaho: Lineup and Fantasy Fallout

The New Jersey Devils placed forward Anthony Mantha on long-term injured reserve Wednesday, retroactive to Nov. 7, and recalled Stefan Noesen and Lenni Hameenaho from AHL Utica. Mantha took a high stick to the throat in last Saturday's 5-4 overtime win over the New York Islanders and has already missed games against Toronto and Winnipeg.

For fantasy managers, the move turns a short absence into a multi-week one. Mantha had been one of New Jersey's hottest forwards, and his spot in the top six now goes to younger, cheaper options. For bettors, the Devils face Washington in a home-and-home starting Thursday, with defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic also in question after leaving Tuesday's loss in Winnipeg.

The injury and the timeline

Mantha was hurt on Nov. 7, picking up an assist in the game before the high stick ended his night. New Jersey initially treated it as a short-term issue and called up Riley Tufte, but Wednesday's LTIR placement signals a longer recovery. Tufte was sent back to Utica to make room for the two recalls.

LTIR rules require a player to miss at least 10 games and 24 days. Because the placement is backdated to Nov. 7, Mantha cannot return before early December. Reports differ on the exact earliest date: one outlet puts it at Dec. 1 or later, while others have said he will be out until at least Dec. 7. Either way, fantasy managers should plan for roughly a month without him.

What New Jersey loses

Mantha was producing when he went down. He had five points in his last four games, including the assist in the game he was injured, giving him five goals and five assists in 17 games. That is useful depth production for a team built around Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier, and it gave New Jersey a big-bodied net-front presence.

The injury comes at an awkward moment. The Devils had won five straight before Tuesday's 4-2 loss at Winnipeg, a game in which they went 0-for-4 on the power play and allowed two power-play goals, including the winner by former Devil Dawson Mercer. They have still won nine of their past 11 games, so the roster is healthy enough to absorb one absence. Two at once is a different story.

Kovacevic is the second concern. He left in the second period Tuesday after a collision with Jets defenseman Tyrel Bauer, and coach Sheldon Keefe said he would need imaging back in New Jersey before the club could give an update. Some local coverage has suggested the team moved Mantha to LTIR partly to preserve roster flexibility in case Kovacevic also needs to go on injured reserve.

Fantasy fallout: who moves up

The most direct beneficiary is Arseny Gritsyuk, who has been slotted into the top-line spot alongside Hughes and Bratt during Mantha's absence. Any forward skating with Hughes gets a significant boost in shot and point volume, and Gritsyuk is worth an add in deeper leagues and a look in daily lineups while that assignment holds. Watch the morning skate before Thursday's game to confirm he stays there.

Noesen is the other name to monitor. He has three points in five NHL games this season, and he has historically been most effective as a net-front power-play option, which is exactly the role Mantha's absence vacates. If he lands on a power-play unit, he becomes a sneaky deep-league pickup with hit and shot upside. Without power-play time, he is a fourth-line body with limited fantasy value. Recent line projections have him fitting alongside Evan Rodrigues or Cody Glass in the bottom six.

Hameenaho, a scoring winger in his first recall of the season, is a dynasty stash more than a redraft add. He leads Utica in goals and points, but a debut on the bottom six rarely comes with enough ice time to matter in standard formats. If Kovacevic misses time, New Jersey's blue line also thins out, and any defenseman who picks up extra power-play minutes would be worth a short-term look.

The Verdexed angle

Losing Mantha does not change New Jersey's ceiling, which still runs through Hughes, Bratt, Hischier and a goaltending group led by Connor Hellebuyck. It does change the margins. A thinner forward group means more minutes for the top line, which slightly raises the floor for Hughes and Bratt player props, and less depth scoring, which matters when evaluating Devils team totals against strong defensive opponents.

The power play is the piece to watch. New Jersey went scoreless on four chances in Winnipeg, and Mantha's net-front role is one of the things it has to replace. If the unit keeps stalling, the Devils become a team whose totals lean on five-on-five play and goaltending. For how the model views New Jersey's upcoming games, check the board at /nhl/predictions before puck drop.

What's next

The Devils host Washington on Thursday and visit the Capitals on Saturday, then return home to face Montreal on Nov. 18 before a road game in St. Louis on Nov. 21. Washington arrives with rookie defenseman Cole Hutson on a run of six points in his past five games, including an overtime winner in Ottawa on Tuesday.

The key updates to track this week are Kovacevic's imaging results, whether Gritsyuk stays on the top line, and whether Noesen gets power-play time. Mantha himself should not be on fantasy rosters in shallow leagues until he is cleared to resume skating; in deeper leagues with IR slots, he is worth stashing for a December return.