Following Surgery, Devils' Big Stars Have Varied Timetables For Return To Action

NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — The New Jersey Devils say forwards Taylor Hall and Patrick Maroon and goaltender Cory Schneider have had surgeries since the playoffs ended for them last month.

The team said earlier this week that Hall and Maroon are expected to be ready for the start of training camp, while Schneider may need five months to recover from surgery to repair a torn cartilage in his left hip.

Hall, who had a career season in leading the Devils to their first playoff berth since 2012, had surgery on April 30 to repair torn ligaments in his left hand. He suffered the injury in late December but played the rest of the season. It was not the injury that kept him out of the All-Star Game in January.

Hall is one of the three finalists for the Hart Trophy, which is presented to the NHL's MVP, and the Ted Lindsay Award, which recognizes the league's most outstanding player. He had 39 goals, 54 assists and 93 points for New Jersey, which was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Schneider had his surgery last week. Dr. Bryan Kelly at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York estimated Schneider might be ready to play just before the season starts.

Schneider posted a 17-16-6 record with a 2.93 goals-against average in a season that saw him sidelined for an extended time between late January and March. He lost his starting job to Keith Kinkaid in that span but started the final three games of the postseason and played well.

Maroon underwent surgery last week to repair a herniated disk in his back. Dr. Andrew Sama at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York believes Maroon will be able to resume offseason training and preparation programs before the start of training camp.

Maroon had three goals and 10 assists after being acquired from Edmonton before the trade deadline. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

NOTES: The Devils later announced that defenseman Brian Strait signed a two-year, two-way contract with an average annual salary of $675,000 at the NHL level. The 30-year-old spent last season in Binghamton (AHL), collecting three goals and five assists.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)