The New Jersey Devils are gearing up for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they could have their top defenseman back in the mix before the regular season concludes.
While Dougie Hamilton wasn’t expected to return until the postseason due to an injury on March 4, there’s reportedly hope he could be back in the mix sooner.
Via Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic:
“After Hamilton was injured on March 4, the Devils indicated he would be out for the regular season and likely wouldn’t be back until the second round of the playoffs. He started skating late last week, which is a positive development, and if he continues to progress with no setbacks, the Devils are now holding out slim hope of their No. 1 defenseman returning before the end of the regular season — or at least for the opening round of the playoffs. There’s definitely no guarantee of that, though,” LeBrun wrote.
“My understanding is that it’s the type of knee injury that would normally require four to six weeks’ recovery time. It marked four weeks on Tuesday, but it all depends on how it feels when he pushes it in recovery. His availability and effectiveness loom large if the Devils, without star center Jack Hughes for the rest of the season (playoffs included), have any chance of upsetting Carolina in the opening round.”
As LeBrun mentioned, the Devils are already without Jack Hughes, which is a massive blow in their pursuit of a deep playoff run. Hamilton is the main man on this blue line, and New Jersey certainly misses him. The veteran has nine goals and 31 assists in 63 games in 2024-25.
Of course, the Devils want to be smart when it comes to Hamilton’s recovery. Knee injuries can be tricky, and the last thing they want is for him to return sooner than he should and reaggravate the ailment.
New Jersey is 40-29-7, sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division.
The post Devils rumors: Dougie Hamilton injury update teases possible return before playoffs appeared first on ClutchPoints.
