James Nichols
We’re nearly a week into training camp, and we have yet to see New Jersey Devils forward Stefan Noesen on the ice.
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General manager Tom Fitzgerald explained at his season opening media availability that Noesen got a late start on recovering from a nagging injury.
“That’s something that just was a nagging injury for him last season. He wanted to rehab it,” Fitzgerald explained. “It was his decision to rehab it this off season to get better, and [he] was very reluctant for surgery, but at the end, he realized what he was doing wasn’t good enough, and he needed to go get it repaired. And unfortunately, it was later than we wanted it to be, but it’s his decision, and here we are, and we’ll deal with it.”
On the first day of on-ice activities, the Devils announced, “Noesen has a groin injury, pre-existing from last season. He re-injured it late in the summer, and required a procedure. He’s expected to miss some time.”
Head coach Sheldon Keefe explained about a week later that the scoring forward could miss “weeks” of time in recovery. Noesen is, however, in New Jersey with the team.
Noesen was the Devils’ fourth-leading goalscorer with 22 tucks amid the 2024-25 season, behind only Nico Hischier (35), Jack Hughes (27), and Timo Meier (26).
It’s an unwelcome development, as Fitzgerald explained his primary goal heading into the free agency was to acquire depth scoring. Subtracting one of the Devils’ top scorers, even if only for a short period of time, hurts the depth.
Noesen spent the majority of his playing time alongside Nico Hischier and Timo Meier last season.
Through training camp this fall, that opportunity has been awarded to Dawson Mercer.
Mercer previously scored 27 goals on Hischier’s wing in 2022-23, however, has yet to reach that mark since.
Noesen’s availability for opening night on Oct. 9th while visiting the Carolina Hurricanes has not yet been ruled out.
