New Jersey Devils can't afford to lose Brett Pesce long term

New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce left the preseason game against the Rangers with an injury last night. The status of Pesce has yet to be determined as of right now, but it could be a blow to New Jersey if it is long-term.
New York Islanders v New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders v New Jersey Devils | Rich Graessle/GettyImages

New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce left their preseason game against the New York Rangers early last night after blocking a couple of shots on a penalty kill in the second period. He did not return in the third period, raising concerns about the potential injury. Brett Pesce was also missing on the ice for the Devils' second practice group.

There has yet to be an official update on the right-shot defenseman but Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said he has to be evaluated to see if he will end up missing time. Brett Pesce's father, Brian Pesce, said on X/Twitter that he will be fine.

Brett Pesce is viewed as not only one of the more essential defensemen but one of the more important players on the entire team. Potentially losing a player for some time will damage the defense, paving the way for the young Seamus Casey to see the ice early in the season. The consistency that Pesce brings to the Devils is unmatched, something that they won't get from a replacement while he could be gone. His shot blocking and positioning skills are out of this world as well, reading plays and getting into lanes, disrupting the opposing team is phenomenal.

In the 72 regular-season games he played last year, Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes logged 943 minutes of 5-on-5 play, a pairing that was relied on for the Devils and will be for this upcoming season. New Jersey seems to control the puck more and contribute to shut-down defense when those two players are on the ice together.

Hopefully this is just a minor injury for the defenseman and he is ready to go for the Devils' season opener on October 9th against the Carolina Hurricanes.

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