Devils place Hischier on IR, recall Nemec
The New Jersey Devils placed captain Nico Hischier on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, the team announced Thursday.
The move is retroactive to Jan. 25. New Jersey also recalled defenseman Simon Nemec from the AHL.
Hischier sustained the injury on a cross-check from Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki on Jan. 25. He's missed the past four games as of Thursday and is considered week-to-week.
Meanwhile, Nemec was elevated to take the spot of Jonas Siegenthaler, who was hurt Tuesday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said Siegenthaler will "miss some time."
New Jersey has only two games remaining before a break from Feb. 9-22 for the 4 Nations Face-Off: Thursday's tilt versus the Vegas Golden Knights and Saturday's matchup against the Montreal Canadiens.
Hischier has started skating again and it would be "a surprise if he wasn't available when we return from the break," Keefe said, according to team reporter Amanda Stein.
Goaltender Jacob Markstrom is also on the shelf with an MCL injury. He was ruled out for four-to-six weeks on Jan. 24.
Hischier leads the Devils with 24 goals and is third on the team with 43 points, trailing Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt.
Nemec, 20, has five goals and 22 points and is a plus-9 in 32 games with the Utica Comets this campaign. He's played in nine games with the Devils in 2024-25 and appeared in 60 NHL contests last season.
The Devils sit third in the Metropolitan Division with a 30-19-6 record.