The Devils struggled in the face-off circle against the Hurricanes and may have a new void to fill.
On Jan. 24, at 12:03 P.M., the New Jersey Devils released a statement that forward Michael McLeod has requested and been granted an indefinite leave of absence from the team.
The organization provided no further reason and concluded its statement by saying it would have no further comment at this time.
The hockey world learned earlier that day, per The Globe and Mail report, that five members of the 2018 World Junior hockey team were told to surrender to London, Ontario, police.
At this time, nothing has been linked together in an official capacity. The hockey world should know more when the London Police Service holds a press conference on Feb. 5 to provide an update on the 2018 World Juniors sexual assault allegations.
What is known is that McLeod will be out of the lineup, which means someone else will need to step up in his absence.
Entering the team's Thursday night tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes, McLeod ranked first in the NHL for overall face-off win percentage (65.0.%), second in overall face-off win percentage on the road (65.7%), and first overall in face-off win percentage at home (64.3%).
Additionally, he ranked third in the league with 73 shorthanded face-off wins.
Thursday night was the first look at the team without the depth center.
New Jersey struggled more than usual in the face-off circle. Chris Tierney and Justin Dowling were both 0-for-3, while Dawson Mercer, who moved to center, was 2-for-8 (25%).
As expected, Nico Hischier and Erik Haula were relied upon most.
The young captain was 12-for-20 (60%), while the versatile veteran was 7-for-13 (53.9%).
In fact, it was the team's lowest face-off win percentage in a game since their season opener on Oct. 12, 2023, against the Detroit Red Wings.
New Jersey has played without key players all season long and is all too familiar with the next man up mentality.
For the players left on the ice, the current void at center can lead to an opportunity for a depth player like Dowling while Jack Hughes and Tomas Nosek remain on injured reserve.
New Jersey recently placed defenseman Dougie Hamilton on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), giving the team more cap flexibility as the March 8 trade deadline nears. Some fans are already manifesting a reunion with former Devil Adam Henrique, who is expected to be traded from the Anaheim Ducks this season
General manager Tom Fitzgerald will need to choose which path to take and if it is worth acquiring another center when there are more significant areas of concern on his roster or waiting for healthy reinforcements to return.
The club has one more game before the All-Star break, and it will be all hands on deck when the Devils skate onto the ice at Amalie Arena on Saturday night to face the Tampa Bay Lightning.