With eight games remaining in the 2025-26 regular season, the New Jersey Devils will kick off April by hosting the Washington Capitals at Prudential Center.
After the team’s morning skate on Thursday, they announced that Arseny Gritsyuk, who has been sidelined with an injury, will have surgery and miss the remainder of the regular season.
He joins Zack MacEwen (ACL surgery) and Stefan Noesen (knee), both of whom saw their seasons end early due to injuries.
It was a surprising announcement as the 25-year-old joined his teammates for their morning skate on Tuesday, where head coach Sheldon Keefe provided a positive update on the Russian’s status.
“He seems like he is close,” he said. “They are pretty encouraged. (Gritsuk) himself was encouraged. He got out on the ice a few days ago and wasn’t expecting to do much, but felt good. He came off the ice having done a lot more than they had planned on allowing him to do because of how he felt. That is positive. He is probably closer to a return than we thought earlier. We will take our time with it. We will move him from week to week, to day to day at this point."
On Thursday, Keefe explained the change in Gritsyuk’s status.
“The nature of his injury is one that, if not addressed, is going to linger and potentially impact him,” Keefe told NJD.TV. “He has elected to have surgery just to get it repaired and get an early start to have as good of an offseason as he can, and most importantly, not have this be something that continuously pops up.”
In 66 games, Gritsyuk has 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists), which is 10th among all rookies. He has averaged 15:10 of ice time this season and has found success playing on the team’s third line with Cody Glass and fellow rookie Lenni Hämeenaho.
Recently, Keefe acknowledged that his bottom two lines have suffered in Gritsyuk’s absence.
“Since Gritsyuk has gone down, we have had some tough nights from our bottom six, quite honestly,” he said.
© Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesThe young winger will be a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the season after signing a one-year, entry-level contract in May 2025. General manager Tom Fitzgerald confirmed that talks between himself and Gritsyuk’s agent regarding an extension have already begun.
“He has been a joy to watch; he has added so much to our team,” Fitzgerald said on March 6. “Absolutely, we see him long-term."
Puck drop between the Devils and Capitals will be at 7:38 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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