Will injured New Jersey Devils players be ready for the start of training camp?

The Devils have at least five players known to be recovering from recent injuries and surgeries, but will they be able to start training camp on time?
New Jersey Devils v Buffalo Sabres
New Jersey Devils v Buffalo Sabres | Joe Hrycych/GettyImages

The New Jersey Devils have a handful of players recovering from season-ending injuries and offseason operations, which makes the start of training camp two weeks difficult to assess.

For example, Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes each underwent shoulder surgeries, with Jack going under the knife in early March and Luke in May. Both players would be returning on the earlier side of their recovery timelines should they participate in on-ice camp activities.

Jesper Bratt, too, underwent a surgery to correct a lingering shoulder injury, but the Devils announced at the time that he's expected to be ready for camp. But, the reality, at least two weeks removed from the start of training camp, is that head coach Sheldon Keefe can't make any promises on the injury front.

"We have a number [of players] who are making progress," Keefe told Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News in a recent interview. "They won't make those calls until training camp comes around in terms of who exactly will be available, who won't be, and to what degree they are available. It is sort of still up in the air at this point."

We know defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic is likely to miss a good amount of time while he rehabs a knee injury suffered in the Stanley Cup playoffs, while fellow blueliner Brenden Dillon suffered a dubious neck injury initially reported to be a lower-body injury.

Dillon, like Bratt, is expected to be ready, as per the Devils, but Keefe's non-committal response in the interview keeps all the Devils' cards close to their chests, for better or for worse for the fans.

Look for the Devils to issue more clarity on the injury situation within the next week or two.