How the Devils’ Blueline Future Can Change Due to the Siegenthaler Injury

The New Jersey Devils were dealt a blow when defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler went down with an injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins just before the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

That blow was doubled down upon when it was announced the 27-year-old was undergoing surgery and would be re-evaluated in two to three weeks.

The Devils’ corresponding move was to put the veteran defenseman on long-term injured reserve and recall the organization’s two most promising defensemen who featured early in the season; Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey.

Since Siegenthaler’s injury, Nemec and Casey have appeared in just a handful of games, with mixed results. Nemec was benched in his first game back in the lineup against the Vegas Golden Knights and also drew the ire of head coach Sheldon Keefe after a subpar performance against the Dallas Stars.

RELATED: Devils Head Coach Critical of Young Defense Pair

Meanwhile, Casey has performed well in limited action, finding himself on the scoresheet against Nashville. However, how he fits into an every night lineup remains to be seen due to his lack of size.

With the Devils entering the final stretch of games before the playoffs, the magnitude of each game and each point grows. And with cap space limited and the NHL Trade Deadline looming, the focus for general manager Tom Fitzgerald appears to be on the offensive side, giving either Nemec or Casey the runway to showcase they belong in an NHL lineup.

While Siegenthaler will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks, there is no guarantee that he’ll be back before the postseason. This opens up a window of opportunity for one of the two young defensemen to take a spot and potentially determine the fate of the future of the Devils d-core.

While Casey is a standout prospect in his own right and has flashed early, Nemec is the player to watch down the stretch. The former second-overall pick has had a largely negative season during his time in the NHL. However, last season he appeared in 60 games as a rookie and looked like a sure-fire future top-four defenseman. So good that he was penciled in as a full-time starter to open the season.

However, whether it was adjusting to a new system, being partnered with Casey early on, or the typical bumps a young defenseman faces, Nemec’s sophomore campaign has yet to take off.

Even some of the reports about a potential trade request or unhappiness with the organization have cast a cloud over what was once the Devils premier prospect. With all that being said, Nemec will have every opportunity to take, and hold down, a spot on the defense and cement himself as a full-time NHLer heading into the 2025-26 season.

READ: Simon Nemec Clarifies Comments, Trade Rumors, Devils Future

With the pending contract of right-handed defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic, the Devils – in theory –  have their in-house replacement with Nemec, or even Casey.

If either can show that they can handle the rigors of being in the lineup every night, and earn the trust of Keefe, it may affect how Fitzgerald attacks free agency and the Kovacevic negotiations.

As of now, the Devils are projected to have roughly $19 million in cap space with Luke Hughes in line for a massive contract extension. If Nemec or Casey falter over the next few weeks, Fitzgerald may need to concede adding multiple high-end pieces to the top-six or at third-line center, and instead allocate his budget elsewhere to bring back Kovacevic on a medium-term deal. While the Devils breakout star is projected to sign a very modest two-year, $1.5 million AAV contract according to AFP Analytics, it’s much more likely to wind up in the three to five-year, and $3 to 4 million dollar AAV range.

READ MORE: Devils Difficult Decision Looms as Result of Kovacevic Play

With the Devils in their championship window and Fitzgerald likely not wanting to waste any more of the prime years of his core players, bringing back a known commodity may be the best course of action, rather than waiting for a 21/22-year-old defenseman to develop.

However, if Nemec can regain his 2023-24 form, or Casey can continue to utilize his offensive tools and his elite skating, then the conversation changes. Fitzgerald may be comfortable letting one of the two young defensemen battle it out for Kovacevic’s vacated spot and using the additional cap space to plug holes such as adding a top-six wing, 3C, or multiple bottom-six wingers to stretch the lineup.

On a micro level, how the next few weeks play out will be crucial in determining whether or not the Devils finish as the second or third seed in the Metropolitan division, or even as a Wild Card. But on a macro level, it will go a long way in determining the future of the Devils’ blueline and how the organization feels about its two best young defensemen heading into the offseason and beyond.

For more Devils news, visit New Jersey Hockey Now and like our Facebook page.

Follow us on 𝕏:

@NJDHockeyNow, @JamesNicholsNHL, @NickNatale10

And on Threads:

@JamesNicholsNHL