The New Jersey Devils are off to a hot start this season as they are in first place in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference. The Devils have a 10-4-0 record and they had an eight-game winning streak in October and have won two of their first three games in November. They are scheduled to host the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night in a battle for the top spot in the division.
The Devils will have to play without high-scoring defenseman Dougie Hamilton. The right-handed shooting Hamilton suffered a lower-body injury in New Jersey's 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens Thursday. He will be out of action for about a week.
Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe sis not worried about Hamilton being out long term. Keefe says that it's a matter of when Hamilton feels comfortable again. “Minor injury, it will be probably a minimum of a week for him, and then from that point it will just be a matter of how he's feeling in terms of when he will come back,” Keefe said, per NHL.com.
The 14-year veteran is in his fifth season with the Devils. He had his most productive season in 2022-23 when he scored 22 goals and 52 assists and finished with a plus-23 rating. Hamilton has scored 4 goals and 3 assists in 14 games this season.
Devils have plenty of firepower in Hamilton's absence
The Devils have more than enough goal-scoring talent to thrive despite Hamilton's status.
Center Jack Hughes and winger Jesper Bratt are the leading scorers for the Devils and Keefe. Hughes is one of the most creative players and elusive skaters in the league. He has 10 goals and 8 assists in 14 games, and he is connecting on an eye-catching 20 percent of his shots.
Bratt has 5 goals and 10 assists and he has scored 2 game-winning goals to this point. Dawson Mercer has provided excellent support with 8 goals and 6 assists, and 3 of his goals have come on the power play.
