Hischier Skates, Hamilton Has Surgery | INJURY REPORT

Devils captain Nico Hischier (lower-body) skated on his own Wednesday and could return to the lineup Thursday when New Jersey hosts Columbus. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton underwent surgery for a broken jaw and will be out of the lineup indefinitely.
"Nico was back this morning. Skated lightly on his own," head coach Lindy Ruff said following Wednesday's practice. "He's going to participate in tomorrow's morning skate. The likelihood is if things go well, he should play for us."
Hamilton's return will be dependent upon many factors and the team hopes to have an update sometime in the future.
"We have no timeline on (a return)," Ruff said. "A lot of times I've been around guys with the injury that he had. The timeline is different for all players, depends on the severity and type of procedure they have to do."

Goaltender Jonathan Bernier is out for the season following hip surgery. It's an issue that he dealt with since training camp. He tried battling through it and exhausted every option to recovery, but surgery ended up being the final outcome.
"From his struggles early on he felt his hip wasn't quite right, to where he ended up needing to have surgery and the disappointment. I know how he feels," Ruff said. "Every competitive athlete wants to be there, wants to make a difference, wants to help win hockey games. He really felt the injury was holding him back from making a difference in the game."
Ruff respects Bernier's heart, as the netminder played through pain and discomfort early in the season when the Devils really needed him with Mackenzie Blackwood out. Despite his best efforts, the hip prevented Bernier from playing at the level of his true ability.
"That's a pretty important joint for a goaltender," Ruff said. "When you look at some of the struggles he had, you can understand, playing with pain, playing with aggravation, the effect that can have on your game. It's a physical effect, but mentally you have to battle through all of that."