Injuries have been the story of the season so far for the New Jersey Devils, but the light at the end of the tunnel is seemingly finally within sight.
Earlier in the week, we learned that franchise forward Jack Hughes is likely to return earlier than expected from his hand injury and subsequent surgery, and reinforcements on defense could soon be on the way, too.
Devils breakout star Simon Nemec has already missed over a week of action due to an injury sustained in practice and had points in two straight contests before going down.
Subsequently, Nemec, 21, was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday in order to create a roster spot for further injury replacements and isn't expected back until after the holiday break, but the Slovakian's absence might just end there.
According to Slovakian hockey insider Tomas Prokop of Dennik Sport, "there is hope that he will make it [back] by the end of the calendar year."
"The most important thing is that the Olympics should not be jeopardized," Prokop added via his X account.
Simon Nemec could be back on the Devils' blue line before New Year's Day
Excluding Friday night's game against the Utah Mammoth, the Devils play only two more games before the holiday break: Dec. 21 against Lindy Ruff and the Buffalo Sabres, and Dec. 23 against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena.
From there, the Devils will play three games - two on the road, including a back-to-back - before the New Year. So far, the Devils have won three of their last four without Nemec, and, based on Prokop's latest reporting, that absence could be reduced down to just two more games.
Either way, we don't want to put Nemec back on the ice in a Devils jersey weeks in advance, but putting an end to the Colton White-Dennis Cholowski carousel will be beneficial for all parties involved.
Now that Brett Pesce is back, the Devils are oh-so-close to being back to full strength on defense for what feels like the first time in forever.