It’s the end of the season for New Jersey Devils defenseman Will Butcher, who has undergone surgery to repair ruptured right thumb ligaments. Team reporter Amanda Stein tweets that Butcher is expected to make a full recovery, though it will take three to four months.
The 25-year old Butcher has been an impact player for the Devils since signing out of the University of Denver, recording 95 points in 215 games as a primary puck-mover. Though New Jersey’s season hasn’t gone according to plan, there’s still reason to believe that the young defenseman can be a valuable member of the future.
Butcher is on a three-year deal that keeps him under contract through the 2021-22 season, after which he will be an unrestricted free agent once again. Hopefully his recovery goes well enough to avoid missing any part of training camp.