With the absence of Hughes and Hischier, New Jersey's depth players will need to make a consistent impact to keep the team' near the top of the Metropolitan Division.

"Every team has to deal with injuries. Sometimes, you have to deal with key injuries, and we are dealing with a couple of key injuries."

After 11 games, the New Jersey Devils have six injured skaters. The key injuries that head coach Lindy Ruff was referring to were, of course, Jack Hughes (upper body) and Nico Hischier (upper body).

The team played their first full game without their top two centers on Sunday, Nov. 5, which resulted in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. In that victory, New Jersey's depth players rose to the occasion as the club got goals from Dawson Mercer, Max Willman, Curtis Lazar, and Michael McLeod.

While they collected two necessary points at the United Center, it does not appear the club will get a reprieve anytime soon.

Ruff confirmed that Hughes would be out week-to-week, and a report from Ryan Novozinsky of NJ Advanced Meida states that it is a shoulder injury for Hughes, and the expected timeline, while fluid, is three to four weeks. (from 'Devils star Jack Hughes' injury details revealed' NJ.com, 11/06/23).

Hischier is still being evaluated day-by-day with no timetable for his return.

Those two players make an impact in several different ways. First, there is their offensive production, but Hischier is also relied upon for his responsible two-way play, faceoffs, and penalty-killing. Hughes is a critical piece of the power play.

"It's tough to replace what went out, but it is a big opportunity for the guys that are stepping in," said Ruff.

It will take more than one or two players to fill the holes the Devils currently have. Most recently, McLeod took Hischier's spot in the lineup, and Mercer was bumped up to play alongside Tyler Toffoli and Timo Meier in the absence of Hughes. Regarding other areas inside the game, multiple players will need to step up.

Thus far, Mercer and Erik Haula have seen elevated time on the penalty kill, and McLeod has taken a team-leading 149 faceoffs through 11 games. Nathan Bastian joined the team's second power-play unit against Chicago and was successfully able to box out Blackhawk's defenseman Nikita Zaitsev before Mercer's first goal of the season.

Curtis Lazar has goals in consecutive games, marking the first time since his rookie campaign, and has the third-most hits on the team (18). As a veteran, he knows that for his team to stay near the top of the Metropolitan Division, it's next man up.

"It's that next-man-up mentality," Lazar said. "You see guys contributing and doing what they can to make a difference. It's big."

In addition to the players mentioned above, there is also 21-year-old Alexander Holtz, who has three points (two goals, one assist) in his last five games. The young Swede has already surpassed the career-high four points he earned last season.

New Jersey has the depth to remain at the top of the division. The biggest question mark is consistency. The Devils cannot have any passengers with their top two centers out of the lineup. They will need to play a full sixty minutes, which the club has struggled with through the first month of the 2023-24 campaign. With upcoming opponents such as the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets, it will be a challenge, and as the players say, no game is easy to win in the NHL.

In addition to Hughes and Hischier, the Devils are also without depth forwards Tomas Nosek (lower body), Nolan Foote (upper body), and Brian Halonen (lower body).

The Devils' next game is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 7, versus the Avalanche at Ball Arena in Denver.