One day after getting a defenseman back with the signing of Luke Hughes, the New Jersey Devils could be without another key defenseman, at least in the short term.
Late in the second period of Thursday night's preseason matchup with the New York Rangers, key Devils defenseman Brett Pesce blocked two shots while killing a Jonas Siegenthaler penalty, with the first striking him directly in the ankle area.
Pesce, 30, did manage to play until the whistle despite hobbling around the ice, but did not return for the third period and finished his night with just 11:08 of ice time. Without Pesce, top defense prospect Simon Nemec led the Devils in ice time with 23:13, recording one assist.
HC Keefe had no update on the status of Pesce, who missed the 3rd period. He’s being further evaluated.
— Sam Kasan (@samikasan) October 3, 2025
After the game, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe was unable to provide an update on Pesce, and the second-year Devil will need to be evaluated further before any determinations are made.
The Devils will play the Philadelphia Flyers in Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon before opening their season against the Carolina Hurricanes on the road on Oct. 9, so Pesce does have some time to recover if necessary.
Brett Pesce injury could create an opportunity for the Devils' top defense prospect
In the worst-case scenario, though, the Devils would be down both Pesce and Johnathan Kovacevic to start the regular season, which would likely see Seamus Casey join the NHL lineup alongside a rusty Luke Hughes.
Casey was the favorite to replace Hughes in the event he wasn't signed before the start of the season, but he could find himself playing an arguably more important role if Pesce is to miss any time.
The balance of the Devils' defense will undoubtedly be thrown off now, too, though Keefe and assistant coach Brad Shaw have a pretty clear path towards managing that.
As it stands, the most optimal path forward would be to pair Hughes with Nemec, Siegenthaler with Dougie Hamilton, and Brenden Dillon with Casey.
Hughes and Nemec have a proven history of tilting the ice in the offensive zone, while Siegenthaler and Hamilton are a tried and true duo on the blueline. As for Dillon, the well-traveled veteran should be stable enough to allow Casey to do his thing offensively while preserving the integrity of the defensive side of the game.
Expect more clarity from the Devils in the coming days, but it's not quite time to panic about Pesce and the defense yet.