Devils Get Disappointing Injury Update on Zack MacEwen

New Jersey Devils center Zack MacEwen’s season has officially come to an end, as the team announced he underwent surgery to repair his ACL.

MacEwen suffered the injury on Nov. 12 in a matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks and was placed on long-term injured reserve. He hasn’t seen game action since. In total, the journeyman center played just three games with the Devils. He managed six hits and four shots on goal during those appearances.

According to Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe, MacEwen should be available once training camp begins later this year, though he’ll be a free agent following the season, and it’s uncertain whether he’ll return to New Jersey.

A True Journeyman

Nov 2, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Zack MacEwen (17) skates in the first period against the Seattle Kraken at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images | Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

MacEwen has truly put up some miles over his time in the NHL.

Over the course of his eight-year career in the league, the 29-year-old from Prince Edward Island has played for five NHL franchises. He began his career with a three-year stint with the Vancouver Canucks, appearing in 55 games and scoring nine points (six goals and three assists). He then moved on to the Philadelphia Flyers for a season and a half before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and left wing Brendan Lemieux.

The following summer, he was scooped up by the Ottawa Senators in free agency. He appeared in 51 games in his two seasons in Ottawa, scoring just four goals and notching two assists. It was this past October that the Devils decided his services were needed in Newark, sending forward Kurtis MacDermid up north in exchange for MacEwen.

In 240 career NHL games, MacEwen has logged 19 goals and 18 assists, which is good enough for 37 points. While those figures aren’t the most eye-popping in the entire world, there was still a sense that MacEwen was a player who consistently put up productive minutes while on the ice.

What’s Next for the Devils?

The Devils, who sit in a tie for sixth place alongside the New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division, are in the midst of a brutal three-game losing streak that includes a 9-0 rout at the hands of the New York Islanders. Keefe’s squad looks to bounce back versus the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 11 and the Minnesota Wild on Jan. 12. They’ll then host the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 14 before playing the Carolina Hurricanes later in the week.

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