The injuries have spread the New Jersey Devils thin. Anthony Mantha and Johnathan Kovacevic are out, and the Devils are without a depth forward and a depth defenseman, both of whom have stepped up.  

However, the call-ups have stepped up. In the 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals, three Devils who were called up from the American Hockey League found the back of the net. “It’s a Utica hat trick,” head coach Sheldon Keefe noted after the game. 

While Stefan Noesen is a veteran who is back on the NHL roster, Lenni Hämeenaho and Vladislav Kolyachonok are younger skaters who have impressed. Likewise, Amadeus Lombardi, who was out of the lineup on Thursday but has played otherwise, has been a pivotal young player for the Devils all season. It might be a sign for the Devils to let the kids play. 

Not that the Devils need a new look, considering how they’ve played, but the youth movement adds a change of pace. When Hämeenaho, Kolyachonok, and Lombardi are on the ice, the Devils look faster and play with more energy. 

That’s not always ideal. On the third and fourth lines, the Devils need physicality and structure. They had it when Mantha was in the lineup, specifically, the hockey sense that the veteran added. 

That said, when the Devils need that speed in their lineup, they have the players who can add it. It’s why Keefe swapped Declan Chisholm for Brenden Dillon (and vice versa) on the third pair, depending on the opponent. Chisholm matches up well against faster teams, while Dillon combats physicality. 

Hämeenaho and Lombardi bring that change of pace to the forward unit. Likewise, Kolyachonok adds a burst of speed to the defense. It’s something the Devils can bookmark for future matchups. 

The Devils have gotten production from their young skaters. The call-ups gave them a spark on Thursday, but it’s not just them. The 25-and-under contingent is different from previous seasons, and it’s made the Devils a tough team to stop. 

Luke Evangelista was acquired before the season started and is a valued part of the top six. The Nico Hischier line needed a burst of speed and someone who played above his weight, and Evangelista is that. Likewise, Arseny Gritsyuk has taken the Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt line to another level, with his skill on the wing rounding out the line. 

Moreover, Luke Hughes is hitting his stride as a 23-year-old defenseman. He’s the star two-way defenseman the Devils can build around and lean on in all situations. Hughes is not only a young rising star but has also become a part of the Devils' core, joining Bratt, Hischier, Hughes, and Connor Hellebuyck. 

Usually, it’s the rebuilding teams that are asking for or hoping for a youth movement, or the teams that are struggling. That’s not what the Devils are. At 14-6, they have the second-best record in the Metropolitan Division and don’t need a youth movement. 

On the contrary, the Devils need veterans who can get them over the hump. That’s why the offseason moves that brought in Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues, and Jesper Boqvist have made a difference, especially in the team’s culture.

The veterans turned the Devils into a tight-knit group, which Keefe has noted is different from the teams he’s coached before. “I can’t say enough good things about what’s been happening with our game as of late,” he stated after the 5-1 Oct. 27 win over the Dallas Stars. “Probably equally as important is what’s happening off the ice with the group and how they’re talking to one another, and you can feel the momentum building as a team,” Keefe added. 

That momentum has translated into a Cup-caliber team. It's not just the production throughout the lineup but the leadership in the room, and it’s coming from the veterans, not the young skaters who have joined the team lately. 

Mantha is recovering from his injury, and it will take time. That’s why he was placed on the long-term injury list after taking a stick to the throat in the Nov. 7 game against the New York Islanders. 

As Mantha makes his way back, the Devils have Hämeenaho and Lombardi around to take on bigger roles. The two forwards won’t replace Mantha, but they can fill the void in the meantime, preventing the Devils from dropping in the standings.  

The bottom line is that it shows the organizational depth that the Devils have, a contrast to previous seasons. “Because we've added such additional depth throughout our lineup, never mind the guys who are in Utica that came here today,” Keefe stated after the latest win, adding “We're going to need you're going to need that over the course of an NHL season. So it's a tremendous asset for us.”