Devils’ Gritsyuk out for remainder of 2025-26 season due to injury

When speaking to the media on Thursday, New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe revealed that forward Arseny Gritsyuk is set to undergo surgery and will be out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

The news contradicts what Keefe told reporters earlier in the week, when he said Gritsyuk was “close” to returning after being upgraded from week-to-week to day-to-day.

It hasn’t been reported what exactly is ailing Gritsyuk, though some reports state that the 25-year-old is suffering from an upper-body injury. He exited a game late on March 24 against the Dallas Stars due to the injury, and has missed the past three games in which New Jersey has lost to both the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers, but came away with a victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.

Gritsyuk has missed a few games already this season, as a lower-body injury in December landed him on injured reserve.

The Krasnoyarsk, Russia native is on a one-year, entry-level deal with the Devils, with the deal carrying a cap hit of $925,000. He signed with the team after spending the last two seasons with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League. He has been a solid addition to a New Jersey team that has needed offense with some crucial injuries this season.

In 66 games, Gritsyuk has potted 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points, good for ninth on the Devils in scoring. He posted a helper in his last appearance against the Stars, giving him two goals and four points in his last five games before getting hurt. He has a plus/minus of -3 while averaging 15:10 of ice time per game.

Gritsyuk was originally taken by the Devils in the fifth round, 129th overall, of the 2019 NHL Draft.

The Devils (38-34-2) are seventh in the Metropolitan Division, 10 points out of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.