The New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres prepare to face off in the NHL Global Series in Prague on Friday, October 4. Both teams had an underwhelming season. The Devils finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division, while the Sabres finished sixth in the Atlantic Division. <\/p>
While both teams would be looking to kickstart their campaign with a win, they are also grappling with a few injury concerns ahead of the NHL season opener.<\/p>
The Devils are dealing with multiple injuries on their blue line. Key defensemen Brett Pesce<\/a>, Luke Hughes, and Santeri Hatakka are all sidelined due to injuries. Pesce is recovering from an off-season injury and has been left out for the two fixtures in Prague.<\/p> Sophomore defenseman Luke Hughes is also expected to be out for at least 7 weeks as he recovers from his offseason shoulder injury. Santeri Hatakka also will miss the fixture after he suffered an injury during a pre-season game against Montreal.<\/p> This has opened up an opportunity for young defenseman Seamus Casey to potentially make his NHL debut against the Sabres. Casey, who played for the University of Michigan last season, has shown great potential and could be a crucial addition to the Devils’ lineup in Prague.<\/p>