Devils' Hämeenaho Could Use More Time With Improved Comets
Lenni Hämeenaho showed some promise last season, but he could benefit from big minutes with an improved Utica Comets team.
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Lenni Hämeenaho has been one of the New Jersey Devils’ more promising prospects for a couple of years.
A second-round pick in the 2023 draft, he’s progressed nicely since then and made his NHL debut last season.
Hämeenaho showed some potential with the Devils, especially in the early part of his NHL call-up. He has a bright future, but a little more time in the AHL may benefit him.
Let’s look at why that’s the case and why the Devils don’t need to force Hämeenaho onto their NHL roster to start next season.
Hämeenaho Still Has Work to Do
The 2025-26 season was Hämeenaho’s first on North American ice, and there was certainly an adjustment period.
He began in the AHL with the Utica Comets, but he got off to a slow start, just as the Comets did as a team.
Hämeenaho totaled just four points in his first 17 games for the Comets, but he began to find his game soon after then. He totaled 17 points across his next 16 contests, leading to his call-up to the Devils.
It didn’t take long for Hämeenaho to show some potential as an NHLer. He scored his first NHL goal three games into his call-up and totaled four points in his first seven games.
Unfortunately, Hämeenaho hit a wall relatively quickly. He compiled just four points across his final 26 NHL games, and his underlying metrics were just so-so.
He finished with an expected goals share (xG%) of 47.26 percent and even goal differential in his first 33 games as an NHLer.
The Devils also didn’t generate much offense in Hämeenaho’s five-on-five minutes, averaging just 2.31 expected goals per 60 minutes.
More often than not, rookies struggle with the defensive side of the game, but Hämeenaho was decent enough in his own end.
The Devils allowed just 2.58 expected goals per 60 in his five-on-five minutes, and his RAPM chart shows his defensive impacts were slightly better than his offensive impacts.
Furthermore, much of Hämeenaho’s success was tied to being on a line with Arseny Gritsyuk. Together, they formed quite the duo.
Hämeenaho and Gritsyuk totaled an xG% of 55.38 percent and a goal differential of +5 (8-3) as linemates. Gritsyuk was the Devils’ most underrated play-driver last season, so it’s no surprise he had a positive impact on Hämeenaho.
However, Hämeenaho’s numbers cratered away from Gritsyuk. His xG% dropped to 40.71 percent without Gritsyuk, and he had a goal differential of -5 (7-12).
This is not to say Hämeenaho is a bust. There were certainly positives in his game last season, but there may be a bit more work to do before he becomes a full-time NHLer.
Comets Look Much Better on Paper
The Comets may not have been a good team last season, but Braden Birch, the Comets’ new GM and Devils AGM, has put in plenty of effort this offseason to make the Comets a more competitive team.
In an interview with Ben Birnell, who covers the Comets for the Rome Sentinel, Birch talked about how it’s his and Devils GM Sunny Mehta’s job to put together a team that can win:
“Ultimately, myself and Sunny come at roster construction a little bit unconventionally. Our job is to get good players. I know it is a really goofy way to say it. But, your roster construction determines the success of your team. It is our job to take information, whether convention scouting, sports science and metrically-based data.
“We’re all in the prediction business. We’re trying to predict wins. So, when you utilize that information, you decrease your error. And put yourself in the best position to make some bets and be successful. We’re not going to be successful at all of them. ... It is about making sure we’re taking in all the information, weighing it appropriately and making the smartest bets.”
Birch has made plenty of bets for the Comets, ones that could pay off.
Colin White was over a point per game in the AHL last season. He’ll likely be a top call-up option if any injury occurs with one of the Devils’ centers.
The Devils also signed Riley Tufte, who totaled 32 goals and 56 points in 64 games with the Providence Bruins last season. He also played in four games for the Boston Bruins.
Ben Steeves, who was part of the return for Jacob Markström, totaled 23 goals and 45 points for the Charlotte Checkers last season.
There should be plenty more talent in Utica to help prospects like Hämeenaho succeed. And that doesn’t include players from last season’s team, like Xavier Parent and Ryan Schmelzer, who will return to the Comets for another go-around.
The Devils’ NHL roster is also a bit bloated at forward at the moment. After acquiring Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist in the Markström trade, the Devils have a surplus up front, especially if Amadeus Lombardi begins next season in the NHL.
There probably isn’t enough room for Hämeenaho in the NHL at this time, but he will be in a better position to succeed with the Comets if he begins next season in the AHL.
That might be best for his development, because as his NHL call-up showed, he might not be quite ready to be a full-time NHLer.
But with the Comets looking much improved on paper, that could fast-track him for another NHL call-up if he gets off to a hot start in the AHL next season.
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick