Devils Return Home, Reflect on Notable Absences | NOTEBOOK

The Devils practiced Thursday at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House, their first practice at home following an 11-day road trip.

Read our Notebook below for the latest info, updates, interviews, videos and more from the practice session!

Devils Add Brian Dumoulin

The Devils announced during practice that the team acquired defenseman Brian Dumoulin from the Anaheim Ducks. With injuries to Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler, Dumoulin’s experience and defensive reliability come at a crucial time for New Jersey as they continue their playoff push. The 33-year-old blueliner has played all 61 games for the Ducks this season, logging key minutes and contributing on the penalty kill.

• READ PRESS RELEASE: Devils Acquire Brian Dumoulin

A two-time Stanley Cup champion with Pittsburgh, Dumoulin brings a steady presence and a winning pedigree to a young Devils squad looking to solidify its game down the stretch. Known for his shot-blocking steady defense, he’ll be counted on to help fill the void left by the aforementioned blueline injuries. With the trade deadline approaching, this move signals the Devils' intent to stay competitive and reinforce their backend for the final stretch of the season.

Devils Return Home to Practice

After a five-game, 11-day road trip, the New Jersey Devils were back on the ice for practice in preparation for Friday's game at home against the Winnipeg Jets.

The workflow:

Meier - Hischier - Bratt
Palat - Mercer - Tatar
Dowling - Haula - Noesen
Cotter - Lazar - Bastian

Hughes - Pesce
Dillon - Nemec
Casey - Kovacevic
MacDermid

Markstrom
Allen

Power play units were:

PP1 - Mercer, Meier, Hughes, Hischier, Bratt
PP2 - Casey, Tatar, Palat, Noesen, Cotter

Coach Keefe on Dumoulin Acquistiion

Keefe also spoke about newly acquired defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who he expects to make an immediate impact.

• MORE: Devils Acquire Brian Dumoulin

“He’s a veteran defenseman. He has experience with winning. He’s a reliable, consistent defender but skates well and can move the puck well,” Keefe said. “A left-hand shot is important for us.”

As for when Dumoulin will join the lineup, Keefe said the team is working on getting him to New Jersey as quickly as possible.

“They’re working on that now,” he said. “They’re in Vancouver. We’re doing our best to try and get him here to be available tomorrow.”

Mercer: ‘We Still Believe’

Dawson Mercer believes the team has the depth and confidence to keep pushing forward despite the absence of their leading scorer.

“Losing Jack is a big loss. Players need to step up,” Mercer said. “I thought last game, our line created a lot offensively and now we just need to finish our chances.”

Mercer remains focused on keeping the team’s playoff push alive despite the adversity.

“We all know we’re here for a reason. Go out there and do our job, help our team win,” he said. “We want to make sure we pick up as many points as we can. It’s a big loss losing him but with the group we have in here, we still believe and we’re a confident group.”

The team knows scoring without Jack in the lineup will be a challenge but sees a clear path forward.

“Still play our game,” Mercer said. “Big loss on the goal side, but we need to get pucks to the net and put goals in. If we score more goals, the better. As long as we’ve got more than them, it’s a good sign for us.”

Kovacevic Stresses Team Unity After Hamilton’s Injury

While there was no update on the injury status of Dougie Hamilton, aside from that he won't be available tomorrow against Winnipeg. Defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic knows the entire group must step up in his absence.

“We’ve got to stick together,” Kovacevic said. “It sucks seeing Doug go down at a time like this. I think Luke will step in at that offensive power-play spot. We can’t all be Doug, we have to be ourselves and bring more of what we do to the game.”

The Devils have already weathered several key injuries this season, and Kovacevic believes their response will determine their fate down the stretch.

“Having the right intensity. The right level of togetherness. We’ve talked about how we lost a couple guys,” he said. “It’s about coming together, being predictable. At a time like this, you’ve got to rely on each other. If we can get through this adversity, we can get some good results here.”

Kovacevic also reflected on balancing intensity and enjoyment, referencing a quote from Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

“Those things go hand in hand. That competitiveness and joy. I think I’ve seen Steve Kerr say that,” he chuckled.

Luke Hughes Reflects on Injuries to Jack and Hamilton

With several key players missing from the lineup, Luke Hughes emphasized the importance of maintaining focus and effort.

“At the end of the day, you’ve just got to do your job,” Hughes said. “The team needs guys to step up. We have a lot of injuries and we just need guys to step up and do their job.”

Hughes also reflected on Jack's injury and its impact on the team.

“Very disappointing and sad for him,” Hughes said. “He’s going to come back and he’s going to be even better next year. Stuff happens. There’s bigger problems in the world. We’re pretty lucky guys. Everyone here in the organization is proud of him. We’re going to miss him but we need to step up as a team and fill those shoes.”

Keefe Optimistic on Devils Ability to Move Forward

Despite the injuries, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe made it clear the team remains focused and optimistic about its ability.

“Without question,” Keefe said. “We’re in a playoff position and we expect to be in one when it’s all said and done. The League is as tight as it’s ever been. We need to keep growing as a team and growing our game as it’s evolved here.”

Keefe pointed to the team’s recent performances as proof of their resilience, particularly without Jack against a very good Dallas Stars team where the club rallied back from down 3-1 in the third period and just narrowly missed out on a last-second winner from the home team.

“Our game the other night is an indication we can compete with anybody,” Keefe said. “We need to be better and smarter as a team, but we keep charging ahead. We’ve got a group that’s going to fight. We’re going to still compete.”

Keefe took inspiration from his team’s effort despite coming away with no points.

“It’s so dejecting to lose the way we did after fighting back,” Keefe said. “You can see the vibes we would have had if we won or got a point out of it. You leave dejected, but I leave inspired by the effort that our guys put forth in that game and what we showed in Jack’s absence at the end of a long road trip.”

Keefe even addressed the team postgame, something he rarely does after a loss.

“I felt it enough that I went to speak to the team after the game, which I rarely do after a loss,” Keefe said. “I felt like I needed to speak to them because I felt like we were dejected.”

His message to the players was clear: the fight isn’t over.

“It’s inspiring for me and our whole group and hopefully our fan base,” Keefe said. “It shows our guys are in this and they’re going to continue to fight and grow our game.”