Following the latest injury update provided by head coach Sheldon Keefe, the New Jersey Devils are going to have to fully lean into Simon Nemec mania for a little while longer.
Key veteran defenseman Brett Pesce, who hasn't played since a 4-3 overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche back on Oct. 26, is still "weeks" away from returning to the lineup, according to Keefe.
"I’d still put him in the weeks department," Keefe said of Pesce after the Devils' 5-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night. "Once his hand gets going and the strength gets there, I think it’ll be pretty quick. He’s not there yet. It’s not in the near future.”
Pesce, 31, had previously been spotted sporting a cast on his left hand and arm, which, obviously, aligns with Keefe's remarks on Pesce's hand and getting the strength back in it, which is required to grip the stick, make passes, take shots, and all the etcetera.
Nemec has been about as good as the Devils could have asked for in Pesce's absence, especially as Dougie Hamilton also went down with an injury at one point, but it has become clear in recent losses that well-coached teams can exploit the inbalances in the team's defense.
Colton White, who is back with the Devils in the NHL after bouncing around for the last several seasons, has been serviceable, but Keefe has only trusted him enough to play 12:02 a night so far this season.
When paired with someone playing as well as Brenden Dillon, who is also an extremely knowledgeable veteran relied upon to play heavy minutes, that is not exactly a recipe for success.
Pesce's new timeline of "weeks" may even align with Jack Hughes's return, who was ruled out for six-to-eight weeks after cutting his hand at a team dinner on Nov. 12.
Until then, the Devils are going to have to manage the revolving door on defense to the best of their abilities without sacrificing too much offense in the wake of Hughes's injury. So far, they've arguably done better than expected.