New Jersey Devils Update

Nico Hischier is anticipated to make his return to the Devils’ roster in their match against the Dallas Stars this Saturday at 6 p.m. ET (broadcast on MSGSN and Victory+).

“The plan is for me to play tomorrow,” Hischier stated on Friday. “I felt much better during today’s practice, and I’m focusing on getting back into the right mentality for the game.”

The forward was placed on injured reserve on February 6, retroactive to January 25, due to an oblique injury, resulting in him missing six games. This week, he has participated in all three of the team’s practices.

“We need to evaluate where he stands,” said New Jersey’s coach Sheldon Keefe. “That’s been our strategy…getting him ready to play. With a back-to-back coming up against the Nashville Predators on Sunday, we’ll need to discuss his status with him and the medical team to ensure everyone is aligned.”

“He managed to complete some intense and competitive practices this week, which is a strong indicator of his progress. We’ll see how he’s feeling tomorrow.”

Keefe also mentioned that center Jack Hughes may be a game-time decision on Saturday. Hughes recently competed for Team USA in the championship match of the 4 Nations Face-Off held in Boston on Thursday.

“I haven’t had a chance to speak with him yet, and it was a tough loss for their team,” Keefe noted. “We’ll allow him some time before checking in this afternoon to assess his condition.”

Additionally, goalie Jacob Markstrom, who was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, participated in some pre-practice work for the second time this week. Markstrom is recovering from a sprained MCL in his knee, an injury he sustained during a 5-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on January 22, which is expected to sideline him for 4-6 weeks.

“He’s making progress,” Keefe commented. “Today he completed a full goalie session in his second practice back. He has followed our planned protocol in the early stages of his recovery. Although he isn’t ready to handle a full workload yet, his return to practice indicates he’s getting closer to being a full participant, which is the next step for him.” — Mike G. Morreale