Things seem to be trending in the right direction for New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler.
And it couldn't come at a better time.
After suffering a lower-body injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 4, 2025, the 27-year-old was placed on long-term injured reserve as he was expected to miss the remainder of the regular season.
It was not until Apr. 10 that Siegenthaler was seen on the ice after his team's practice in a tracksuit with the then-injured Dougie Hamilton.
"Today was just seeing how things are responding," head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Siegenthaler. "It is very preliminary at this point, but positive. He seems to be improving, but he is a long way out."
The defenseman continued to skate independently, and on Apr. 16, The Hockey News asked Keefe how Siegenthaler was responding to his rehab.
"I think it has gone pretty well the last couple of days," he said. "He has finally got some equipment on now and is starting to move a little bit more. So, that is all very positive."
In the Devils' final practice before traveling to North Carolina, Siegenthaler worked on the main rink, continuing his rehab. He was briefly joined by select teammates who did power play work before joining the rest of the team at the practice rink.
That day, Keefe shared that it would be surprising to see Siegenthaler in the first round against the Hurricanes.
"It would be a surprise to me and our team (if he plays)," Keefe said. "They haven't told me he definitely won't play. But I haven't even asked because everything I was told was it would be well into May before he would be a possibility."
Well, things can change quickly, as Siegenthaler joined his team for a full 30-minute practice on Thursday afternoon in Newark.
"It was great to see him," Keefe shared. "It has been a long time since he has been with the group. He has skated by himself, but practice time is very limited this time of year. Last game without a couple of guys you realize depth becomes a factor. Getting a little more aggressive to get him out there with more guys and get him as many reps as we can."
The defenseman's status and availability for Game 3 on Friday remains unknown.
"We will see where he is at and continue to talk to him," Keefe continued. "Time is not exactly our friend right now. I think he has changed his mindset, as have we in terms of his preparation. We thought he was going to be a May-type of timeline. We are getting more aggressive with that now to push it given the circumstances."
The Hockey News recently asked Keefe if there was a different recovery process for players returning from injury in November/December compared to the playoffs. His full response can be viewed below:
The Devils are scheduled for a morning skate on Friday at Prudential Center before hosting the Carolina Hurricanes at 8:00 p.m. ET (MSGSN, TBS, Max, SN360, TVAS2).
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