The New Jersey Devils have lost yet another player to injury, and this time, it could ultimately end up being for the rest of the 2025-26 season.
On Saturday afternoon, the Devils announced that forward Stefan Noesen, who was absent from practice, is set to undergo knee surgery and has subsequently placed on injured reserve.
Noesen, 32, has struggled badly this season with just three goals, four assists, and seven points in 38 games, and we can now only assume that injuries played a part in that.
The journeyman had missed time early in the season and in training camp due to a groin injury, which he had sustained at the end of the 2024-25 season. But, even after recovering, Noesen never truly re-established himself as the middle-six staple that scored 11 power play goals and a career-high 41 points last season.
So, the burly winger's production suffered in lockstep with a hefty decrease in ice time, which can only further be attributed to the two aforementioned lower-body injuries.
The good news for Noesen is that speed has never been his game, so, when finally fully healthy, should more or less return to being the same effective power forward presence he has been known to be.
Stefan Noesen is the latest forward to hit the injured list, and he's going to be out for a while
And, fortunately for the Devils, veteran forward and free agent newcomer Evgenii Dadonov is finally set to return to the lineup after overcoming his second injury of the season, so Noesen's vacant spot in the lineup will be filled immediately.
If Noesen is unable to return by the end of the 2025-26 season, it should be noted that the 2026-27 season is the last remaining year on his contract. The 32-year-old will be facing a big offseason of training and recovery if he cannot give himself some games to shake off the rust and return to his previous form.
Noesen has a seven-team no-trade list and will be a 34-year-old unrestricted free agent at the end of next season.