The Devils have signed 23-year-old Swiss goaltender Gilles Senn to a two-year, entry-level contract according to a press release put out by the team.
Senn, the Devils’ fifth round pick (129th overall) in the 2017 Draft, had been playing the last five seasons with HC Davos of the Swiss National League A. According to the press release, Senn was “the NLA Youngster of the Year… during the 2016-17 season, when he finished with a .910 save percentage and a 2.64 GAA in 34 games played.”
He also “finished his career with HC Davos with a .901 save percentage and played in 16 playoff games.” In addition, this past season, “Senn also helped lead HC Davos to the semi-finals at the Spengler Cup held in Davos, Switzerland, posting a .937 save percentage and” a 2.03 GAA “in two games played.”
Senn’s contract will kick in for the 2019-20 season. He will only help to strengthen the position for the Devils. Last season was rough in the early going as Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid struggled to find their form. Once Mackenzie Blackwood was called up, things began to straighten out. Cory got some time on the IR to rest his injury and then a rehab stint in Binghamton and got his game going from there.
Senn may have trouble at first cracking the New Jersey lineup with Blackwood seemingly the future for the Devils and Cory locked up in a long-term contract. Injuries are always a way to the NHL for a goalie and hopefully when called on to perform for the big club, Senn is up to the challenge.
One other housekeeping note is that the third round for the OHL playoffs has been set with Mitchell Hoelscher and the Ottawa 67’s taking on the Oshawa Generals starting tomorrow (April 18) at 7 PM at Ottawa. We will have coverage of that for you here tomorrow as well as the opening of the IIHF World Under-18 Championship, which also starts tomorrow. Team USA and Jack Hughes will take on Sweden in the American’s opener in the tournament.