Devils Star Defenseman Ruled Out vs. Ducks

The New Jersey Devils' injury list is long, and they are going to be adding to it as another player is set to be hitting the injured list before long. Defenseman Simon Nemec got hurt in practice recently and will not play against the Anaheim Ducks.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe said that Nemec is going to miss time which is super unfortunate. The Devils are already missing superstar forwards Jack Hughes and Timo Meier along with defenseman Brett Pesce among others.

Simon Nemec was injured in practice yesterday.

He’s going to miss time, per Keefe.

Thus, Addison recalled to the #NJDevils
— James Nichols (@JamesNicholsNHL) December 13, 2025

The Devils just cannot catch a break as they have recently slipped down the Eastern Conference Standings a bit and more injuries keep hitting them. At some point, they have got to catch some luck, but now is not that time.

Nemec has appeared in 31 games so far this season and has tallied seven goals and 11 assists. Nemec is used to playing big minutes against top competition and missing him now is going to be quite the loss. Keefe is going to have to figure out how to allocate his minutes and how to find somebody that can cover them.

The Devils are going to be in danger if they do not start getting injured players back soon

Adding Nemec to the big list of injuries for the Devils is a big hill to climb. The Devils missing other players on their roster is a bigger deal than fans let on.

So far in December the Devils have played six games, four against current playoff teams and they lost all four of them. Injuries can only be an excuse for so long, but if their players miss a bunch more time and do not come back, it is going to bite them.

Dec 1, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec (17) skates with the puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Resilient teams find a way to win even when there are a lot of players out. Keefe needs to rally his team and try to find a way to beat the good teams even when he is missing a good chunk of his roster.

Nemec has really broken out this season and has been a really steady player and has been somebody that can be relied upon in big situations. But now with him down, Keefe is going to have to do even more readjusting and that is a tall task.

Keefe was able to navigate injuries last season and win games with some of his roster being out due to injuries. Now he is going to have to do the same here and try to work his magic again.

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