Another Devils Defenseman Potentially Injured; What It Means

If the list of injured players on the New Jersey Devils thus far is an omen for 2024-25, we could be in for another wildly disappointing season.

General manager Tom Fitzgerald did all he could to ensure the Devils’ depth will keep them afloat this summer. Yet, although we haven’t even played a regular season game, things are looking rough already. On Tuesday night in Montreal, defenseman Santeri Hatakka suffered an injury and missed the third period against the Habs.

According to head coach Sheldon Keefe, Hatakka remains under evaluation and didn’t indicate whether it was an upper or lower-body injury.

Read: Santeri Hatakka Wants Full-Time NHL Role With Devils

Hatakka missing any sort of significant time would be another blow to the Devils’ blue line. He was seemingly the last viable replacement on the left side of the defense with major injuries to Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce keeping them sidelined.

Realistically, the Devils are down to just Jonas Siegenthaler and Brenden Dillon as viable left-defense options without having someone play on their off side.

A glance at the Devils’ depth chart will show that after Hatakka, the next left-handed options are Colton White, Topias Vilen, and Daniil Misyul — in no particular order.

So, what can the Devils do?

Sign Jakub Zboril

Well, the Devils have a left-handed defenseman on a professional tryout contract right now. Jakub Zboril is in training camp and is learning Sheldon’s Keefe-isms since training camp opened on Sept. 18th.

The good news is Zboril isn’t a complete stranger to the NHL. He’s accrued 76 games under his belt and has scored a goal and 16 points in that span. The bad news is that the former first round selection (13th overall) in 2015 has yet to establish himself as a reliable NHL player and hasn’t recorded a single complete NHL season.

Zboril certainly isn’t the first choice, however, what can the Devils do at this point? He may very well be the preference over Colton White or other AHL-bound defenseman.

Play Johnathan Kovacevic on the Left

Johnathan Kovacevic has certainly shown through training camp and preseason that he’s got the tools to be an everyday NHL defenseman. Over the last two seasons, the 6-foot-5 defenseman has put together near full seasons, skating in 77 and 62 games respectively for the Montreal Canadiens.

In training camp he’s shown poise, solid defensive work, above average puck moving ability, and some offensive flare.

Minus Hughes and potentially Hatakka, the Devils are missing a puck-mover on the left side of the blue line. The Devils will suffice in that area of need on the right with Dougie Hamilton, Simon Nemec, and Nick DeSimone.

On the left, however, Siegenthaler and Dillon aren’t the answer for puck-moving purposes.

Kovacevic has proven to be a reliable enough defenseman to be efficient that he should be okay to fill the void.

Further, perhaps Seamus Casey does make the initial roster — at least as an extra — after all.

Sign a Left-Handed Free Agent

Worst case scenario? The Devils need to dip into the free agent pool. However, the list of defenseman still available is… slim.

Anyone worth taking a flier on is a right-handed shot. Names such as Kevin Shattenkirk and Calen Addison don’t help in this instance. And any others who may have been useful before have fled overseas.

If the Devils need to sign a free agent, there’s little doubt it would provoke a collective groan from the fan base.

A couple of name who could somewhat help and come in at what the Devils can afford are Victor Mete or… Mark Giordano.

The Devils are certainly hoping Hatakka isn’t dealing with anything serious.

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