The New Jersey Devils’ season was derailed by injuries. There was so much more wrong than that, but if it wasn’t for the injuries, they probably would have at the very least made the playoffs. Instead, they are closer to the number-one overall pick and drafting Gavin McKenna than they are to making the postseason after Friday night’s loss to the Washington Capitals.
The injuries started before the season, with Stefan Noesen getting injured before training camp. They continued in game one when Evgenii Dadonov broke his hand. Following that, injuries to Jack Hughes and Brett Pesce turned their season around in the worst possible way. They were solidly a playoff team coming into December, but they left the month on the outside looking in.
Fast forward to today, and the injuries keep piling up as the season comes to a disappointing end. On Sunday, Devils' head coach Sheldon Keefe gave two upsetting injury updates. We’re learning we may have seen the last of Noesen and Pesce this season.
Sheldon Keefe says that Brett Pesce is questionable to be able to return this season.
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) March 22, 2026
Stefan Noesen has been ruled out for the remainder of the year.#NJDevils
Brett Pesce and Stefan Noesen are likely to miss the rest of the season
There was always a chance that Noesen was going to miss the rest of the season. He suffered a knee injury in January and was forced to undergo surgery. However, at the time, anything was still possible with the Devils’ season. Now that it’s clear the playoffs are nothing more than a dream, it makes sense that the Devils are shutting him down.
Noesen had a disappointing season in the middle of his second stint in New Jersey. After signing a three-year deal that pays him $2.75 million per season, Noesen followed up a 20-goal season with just three goals and four assists this season. He has one more year left on his deal, but if a new regime comes in to replace Tom Fitzgerald, we wouldn’t be surprised if he were a buyout candidate.
Pesce is the real disappointment. He recently suffered a lower-body injury, his second major injury of the season. While he was originally listed as week-to-week, it makes sense that we’re now looking at a season-ender for the right-handed defenseman.
During the NHL Trade Deadline, Pesce and Luke Hughes were considered the two untouchable defensemen on the Devils’ roster. And while no defenseman actually moved, we wouldn’t be surprised if the injury impacted his availability.
This Devils season will go down in the history books as one of the most disappointing, and Sunday’s news is only going to add to the bad memories that have come from the 2025-25 season.