The Devils have high hopes for the weekend and they’re focused around recovering centerman Travis Zajac.
Zajac has played in just eight games this season after tearing his Achilles tendon over the summer, but Devils coach Peter DeBoer is eyeing tomorrow night’s game against Pittsburgh for his re-return to action this year. Tom Gulitti of Fire & Ice shares the good word out of New Jersey.
“Right now the plan is that he will play, but we’ll see how he feels in the morning,” DeBoer said.
Zajac said he is “very anxious” to play.
“It’s been a long year sitting and watching,” he said. “That part has been hard. I’ve worked hard to try and get myself back in shape mentally and physically.”
If Zajac plays against the Penguins we’ll have seen Sidney Crosby come back twice as well as the return of Alexander Radulov all involving the Penguins in some way or another. There’s your useless bit of trivia for the afternoon.
Zajac returning and doing so without any soreness in his Achilles would give the Devils a deep trio up the middle. With Adam Henrique and Patrik Elias playing strong at center this season, adding a healthy Zajac to that would give the Devils a formidable trio up the middle for opponents to deal with. That’s just how they’d like it to be with the playoffs on the horizon.