Devils' Brendan Smith Suffers Sprained Knee
Smith sustained his injury on Jan. 15 versus the Boston Bruins.
Dec 29, 2023; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith (2) celebrates scoring a goal in the third period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports - Devils' Brendan Smith Suffers Sprained KneeThe New Jersey Devils faced the Boston Bruins in a Monday matinee on Jan. 15. Early in the first period, Devils' defenseman Brendan Smith collided with opposing defenseman Charlie McAvoy near New Jersey's blue line.
Smith played a mere 2:43 before heading down the tunnel to the locker room. The 34-year-old missed the remainder of the game.
That night, during his postgame press conference, head coach Lindy Ruff said Brendan Smith would be evaluated for a leg injury.
On Wednesday, ahead of the team's game versus the Montreal Canadiens, Ruff revealed that Smith has a sprained knee and will miss a little bit of time.
"One piece went out, one piece comes back. I don't like the swap, but at least we get a piece back," Ruff said.
The piece New Jersey gets back is forward Timo Meier, who will return to the lineup versus the Canadiens.
The Devils' injury list is still extensive and includes Dougie Hamilton (out indefinitely), Tomas Nosek (out indefinitely), Jonas Siegenthaler (broken foot), Ondrej Palat (lower body), and Jack Hughes (upper body).
Injuries will always lead to opportunities, and on Wednesday, Cal Foote will make his Devils debut after signing a one-year, two-way contract on Aug. 9, 2023.
His last NHL game was in April 2023 when he was a member of the Nashville Predators.
The Devils will use the following defensive pairs versus Montreal:
John Marino - Simon Nemec
Luke Hughes - Colin Miller
Kevin Bahl - Cal Foote