There was a plan.
Of course, plans often go awry.
In late April, New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe had to ditch his original plans.
"He has changed his mindset, as have we in terms of his preparation'" Keefe said. "He was going to be a May type of timeline (but) we are getting more aggressive with that here now to see how we can push it given the circumstances."
Of course, Keefe was referring to defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, who missed 27 games from February to April with a lower-body injury.
The plan, as mentioned earlier, was to ease Siegenthaler back into the lineup and let him play a reduced role. With injuries to a couple of Devils defensemen in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey looked to the Swiss blueliner to return to the lineup for Game 3. It would be his first time since Feb. 4.
When Johnathan Kovacevic suffered an injury after six minutes of ice time, the plan of giving Siegenthaler a reduced role was no longer an option. The game required extra time, which led to 27 minutes of ice time for Siegenthaler's first game back. It is worth noting that his average ice time for the 2024-25 season was 19 minutes.
In his team's 3-2 double-overtime victory, he led New Jersey with five hits and was credited with three blocked shots.
"Siegenthaler comes in and trying to keep his minutes down, and all of a sudden you are down five D, and then you are asking him to get into double overtime, and he was incredible tonight," Keefe said during his Game 3 post-game press conference. "I was so impressed with him. A, to just jump in the lineup tonight, but then to play the way that he did in this environment and under those circumstances is so impressive."
"I was ready for it mentally," Siegenthaler said, reflecting on Game 3. "I had a couple of days before when they told me that I was probably going to play. I had some time to go through it in my head. As the game goes on, you are just in the moment, and you do whatever it takes to help your team out."
Siegenthaler does not have the flash of Luke Hughes or the shot of Dougie Hamilton. He is a defenseman who could fly under the radar when everyone is healthy on the blue line. Still, his impact and contribution are immediately noticed when he is out of the lineup recovering from an injury.
Over the past two seasons, Siegenthaler has had to overcome a broken foot, a concussion, and an additional lower-body injury. Injuries derailed his 2023-24 campaign, but he was back to form at the start of this past season.
"After (the 2023-24 season), I wasn't very happy, so I tried to bounce back," Siegenthaler said at his end-of-season media availability. "I came into camp this year, and I told myself that I could be better than my previous year. I just focus on doing my job and doing it properly."
Until his injury, Siegenthaler was paired with one of the Devils' newest additions, Johnathan Kovacevic. Together, they became the shutdown pair that the Devils have been searching for and were one of the best in the league to start the 2024-25 campaign.
In July 2022, Siegenthaler signed a team-friendly five-year, $17 million contract with an annual average of $3.4 million. He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2028 at the age of 31.
During his tenure with the Devils, Siegenthaler has let his performance speak for him, continually proving his value when healthy. He adds feistiness to the blue line and can be relied upon to defend the opposing team's top lines.
His commitment to his recovery allowed him to speed up his timeline to play in Game 3, and he was not shy about embracing the physical aspect of the game. Siegenthaler is an asset to the Devils even if he doesn't always get the credit he deserves.
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