Forward Ondrej Palat, who was acquired by the New Jersey Devils this summer, underwent groin surgery on Tuesday and will be sidelined indefinitely.
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The Czech has missed his last three games, having scored three goals in six games this season. The Devils have not specified how many weeks the 31-year-old will be on the sidelines.
The New Jersey organization was delighted to welcome Palat to its ranks, who won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning in recent years. Although he will no longer be on the ice, the winger will continue to show leadership.
“He will still be around. He was even here in the last few days and I think his leadership in the locker room, even if he does not play, the guys will be able to rely on it, “said head coach Lindy Ruff on Tuesday.
On a roll
The Devils have also won their four most recent duels, shutting out the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. While Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes have continued to carry the attack on their shoulders, young forwards like Fabian Zetterlund and Dawson Mercer will try to take advantage of this to earn more responsibility.
“We continue to deal with this in the same way as we already did. I think a couple of our young guys have taken his place well,” Ruff admitted.
“It’s really bad news for us, but on the other hand, it gives new players opportunities,” said captain Nico Hischer. We are a team. […] He still watches our games, he sends us text messages. He is still part of the group and we will try to fight for him. We wish him a speedy recovery.”
Last year, Palat had 49 points in 77 regular season games. He did the most damage in the playoffs, being the Lightning’s second-leading scorer with 21 points in 23 games.