The New Jersey Devils announced that defenceman Will Butcher underwent successful surgery to repair a ruptured ligament in his right thumb. He will be out for the rest of the season and is expected to make a full recovery in 3-4 months.
❗️Update on #NJDevils Will Butcher:
Butcher had surgery to repair ruptured right thumb ligaments from an injury he sustained at St. Louis on February 18.
He is expected to make a full recovery in 3-4 months and will continue to be under the observation of our medical staff.
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) March 5, 2020
Will Butcher Injured
Butcher was injured during the Devils 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues. He blocked a shot early into the first period playing only 2:05 of the first and did not return. As a result of getting injured, this would be the final shift of the season for Butcher. This was the second injury of the season for him involving a blocked shot. In October, Butcher missed several games after blocking a shot against the New York Rangers. Through 56 games this season, Butcher has 21 points (four goals and 17 assists).
While he is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of training camp next season, he will remain under doctor’s supervision.
For The Rest Of The Season
When Butcher was originally injured, the Devils called up Dakota Mermis from the AHL. Since being called up on back on February 20th, Mermis has been a mainstay in the Devils lineup. When Mermis saw his first NHL action against the San Jose Sharks, he was paired with Damon Severson. That defensive pair has remained intact since then. Additionally, when Sami Vatanen was still on the team before he got traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Devils also called up Colton White. Since then, White went back to the AHL and Josh Jacobs has been called up. In addition, Freddie Cleassen is with the Devils after coming over from Carolina as part of the Vatanen deal.
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