According to a staff report on the Devils app, a few of the injuries that have ravaged the team of late have been updated.
To begin with, we already know that Jack Hughes has been shut down for the remainder of the season due to his low grade MCL sprain. Imaging and evaluation done “by the Devils medical staff and head orthopedic surgeon/Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow” confirmed the injury to his left knee.
As for other injured Devils, Yegor Sharangovich, who left Tuesday’s game against the Rangers after fighting Braden Schneider, “skated on his own prior to the team’s optional practice Wednesday.”
Coach Lindy Ruff commented that “That’s a positive. We’ll see how he makes out after that and how he feels tomorrow. I think there’s a possibility (he plays Thursday against Montreal). We’ll see where he’s at.”
Jimmy Vesey, who left the Rangers game when he collided with Schneider later on in the contest and was unable to “put weight on his leg” will also have “imaging done on his left leg Wednesday.”
Ruff said about Vesey: “We’ll find out more with regards to where he’s going to be at.”
Nathan Bastian got hurt in the Islanders game this past Sunday and was out for the Rangers game on Tuesday.
On Bastian, Ruff said: “Nate’s doing better. Hopefully he can skate tomorrow, but I don’t think he’ll be available to play.” That would likely rule him out for tomorrow’s game against the Montreal Canadiens at Prudential Center which will be completing the four-game homestand.
Due to the most recent rash of injuries, the Devils needed to make some call ups from AHL Utica to replace the four forwards who will be missing or their status touch-and-go.
In that regard, forwards Fabian Zetterlund and AJ Greer have been recalled from the Comets to fill the gaps.
For each, this is another call up to the NHL level. Zetterlund, 22-years-old, first played a series of three games for the Devils back in late November according to Sam Kasan of the “Inside the Devils Blog.”
He has led the Comets in goals this season with 24 as well as points with 52.
Greer made his most recent appearances for the Devils back on March 23 to 27 (three games) and has played a total of five games for New Jersey in 2021-22. For the Comets, he is tied for second in goals with 22 and is also second in points with 50.
Greer has more NHL experience having played 43 total games at the big-league level between the Colorado Avalanche and the Devils. He has a goal, five assists and six points in the NHL.
And, in a final bit of news from Peter Robinson (who writes the “Prospect Report” column on the Devils’ website, the Devils will have some players representing their future in the NCAA Frozen Four – which gets underway on Thursday in Boston.
The University of Michigan will face the University of Denver in the first semifinal then while the University of Minnesota will take on Minnesota State in the other semifinal.
The Wolverines have two freshmen defensemen in Luke Hughes and Ethan Edwards who are Devils draft picks.
(On a side note, Edwards’ brother, Brett, plays for Denver.)
Ethan Edwards was fourth-round pick in 2020 (120th overall) by the Devils.
Michigan last won a national championship in 1998 (as Robinson points out, in the same building in Boston – which was known as the Fleet Center back then) and then-future Devils Brendan Morrison and John Madden won an NCAA championship with Michigan in 1996.