New Jersey Devils: It’s A Miracle Mirco Mueller Returns This Season

One of the scariest hits in recent memory ended with the best possible news. It’s as close to a miracle as possible that New Jersey Devils defenseman Mirco Mueller could play in a game this season.

It was one of the scariest hits we can remember. Mirco Mueller went hard into a 2-on-1 during the New Jersey Devils tilt with the Calgary Flames back on February 28th. He seemed to lose his footing, and went full speed, head first into the boards. He did not move for a good two minutes, but it felt like 30. Mueller seemed to be out cold, and the worst possible scenario was possible for the New Jersey Devils.

Fans were thinking it could be a broken neck, it could be paralysis, it could be the end of his career. At the very least, it had to be a severe concussion, right? Somehow, some way, Mueller avoided all of that and a mere three weeks later is back on the ice.

Mueller practices on Friday for the first time since the scary hit. Listen, maybe you’re not into divine intervention or you don’t believe into magical things in this world that keep us safe, but it’s a miracle this man is ready to play professional hockey after going as fast as possible head first into a solid object. There’s no other way to describe it. It doesn’t make scientific sense. The give your neck and spine has only goes so far, and the speed and inertia of the collision should have done a lot more damage.

Mueller participated fully in practice. He was not limited in the least bit. Mueller came into practice with just a handful of games, and he showed he was ready to prove he deserves a spot on this team.

There’s not much else to say about what this kid is doing. He’s just 24 years old and he was forced to face the mortality of his career. In a split second, all the work he did to become a 1st-round pick and an NHL player may have been out the door forever. One slip of the skate was all it took to face that question no player wants to answer, especially this early in their career.

Even if things don’t work out for Mueller in New Jersey, there will be plenty of teams looking to give him one more shot, especially if it only costs them money. If things don’t work out for him in North America, he can go back to Sweden and dominate the SHL for the rest of his career. Sure, he won’t make NHL money, but he will make a decent living for years to come.

However, if the worst happened on that slip, it all goes out the window in an instant. That’s why we use words like “miracle” to describe this situation. Mueller was facing a scary proposition. He needed a stretcher to get off the ice. We’ve seen this before where the outcome wasn’t as lucky.

Mueller might suit up for the Devils Saturday against the Coyotes. In fact, with the injury status of the team right now, it’s likely. It seemed like he played his last game in a Devils uniform. Now, he’ll get one more chance to show he deserves to stick around on this roster.