The New Jersey Devils will take on the Boston Bruins tonight and they will have to do so without 10 injured players. The latest skaters to be out for the Devils are forward Kyle Palmieri and defenceman Will Butcher. Palmieri suffered an injury from a hard hit in a game against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night and didn’t return. He is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Butcher won´t play tonight because of an illness and is day-to-day as well.
OFFICIAL: Kyle Palmieri and Will Butcher out tonight for #NJDevils versus Boston.
Palmieri skated on his own this morning.
Butcher is sick.
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) 21. marca 2019
Kyle Palmieri and Will Butcher Out Tonight For New Jersey
Palmieri has been one of the best players for the Devils during the current season as he has gathered 27 goals and 23 assists for 50 points in 70 games. The 28-year-old winger is signed through the 2020-2021 season with a salary cap hit of $4,650,000 per season.
Butcher is playing just in his second NHL season with the Devils. In his 153 games in the NHL, the 24-year-old defenceman has collected nine goals and 63 assists for 72 points. The Sun Prairie, Wisc. native has been a great addition to the team last season when he helped the Devils to make the playoffs. He has been struggling defensively during his sophomore year. Butcher will become a restricted free agent in the summer.
What Does This Mean For The Future
The Devils are already without injured players like Taylor Hall, John Quenneville, Miles Wood, Mirco Mueller, Nico Hischier, Nathan Bastian, Jesper Bratt, and Sami Vatanen. However, one of the injured players, Pavel Zacha, will make his return to the lineup and will take Palmieri´s spot on the first power-play unit.
Butcher will be replaced by defenceman Josh Jacobs, who will make his NHL debut versus the Bruins. “I was speechless. I still am. I’m speechless,” said overwhelmed Jacobs ahead of his first game in the NHL. He will become the ninth player for team to make his NHL debut for them this current season. Cory Schneider will start in the net against the Bruins, he will face Tuukka Rask on the other side.
SAN JOSE, CA – MARCH 20: Barclay Goodrow #23 of the San Jose Sharks skates against Kyle Palmieri #21 of the New Jersey Devils at SAP Center on March 20, 2018 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Barclay Goodrow; Kyle Palmieri
