Devils forward Miles Wood undergoes hip surgery Monday, out indefinitely

The return to the ice for Devils forward Miles Wood will remain long, but Monday morning saw the team finally provide details as to why.

Wood has elected to receive surgery, announced by the team Monday in a statement, after "exhausting all conservative measures and in consultation with team medical providers and external specialists".

According to the Devils, Wood suffered an injury to his right hip on Oct. 4 during a preseason game against the Washington Capitals. He has not made his regular season debut for the Devils, and his situation had often been addressed as a lower body injury.

Wood will have surgery Monday, performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly of the Hospital for Special Surgery, with the forward being listed as out indefinitely. A clearer timeline for return is expected to be announced following the surgery and the beginning of the rehab process.

The surgery ends uncertainty for both Wood and the team as both sides admitted to being frustrated on the healing process. In one of the most recent public mentions of the injury on Oct. 26, Devils coach Lindy Ruff said just that, stating that both he and Wood were frustrated at his progress coming back.

Ruff was then asked follow-up questions about Wood as he was walking away from that pregame press conference, saying, "He's just taking some time" before leaving the meeting room.

Wood had arguably his best NHL season in the COVID-condensed 2020-21 season, tying for the team lead with 17 goals in 55 games. Only Jack Hughes took more shots for the Devils last season than Wood, who adopted more of a leadership role on the young team.

Wood, 26, is slated to become a restricted free agent after this season but is arbitration eligible.

Email: aitken@northjersey.com

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