The New Jersey Devils will be without their main man Jack Hughes for quite some time as coach Lindy Ruff announced that Hughes is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
“Jack is going to be week-to-week with an upper-body injury,” Ruff said. “He’s a young guy, that will help him. I think it’s going to be on the shorter end of it.”
Hughes has been dominating for New Jersey so far this season. He was named to his second All-Star Game and was looking like a Hart Trophy candidate with 35 goals and 32 assists in 50 games played.
The former No. 1 overall pick was living up to the selection and leading the Devils to an impressive 2022-23 season. New Jersey is 33-13-4 and towards the top of the Eastern Conference. The Devils are only behind the Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.
Hughes will be replaced in the lineup by Alexander Holtz. The 21-year-old was also a first-round selection (2020) but has only been able to tally three goals and an assist in 18 games. Holtz has also hasn’t played in the NHL since January 7th.
Jesper Bratt will also need to step up in Hughes’ absence. The 24-year-old is the next leading scorer after Hughes, with 20 goals and 31 assists.
The injury comes at a difficult time for the Devils, with the second half of the season getting underway. The push for the playoffs begins, and while New Jersey has built up a decent margin, every point is crucial toward the end of the regular season. If the Devils struggle without Hughes, their postseason journey could become a lot more difficult.
So fans in New Jersey will be hoping that Hughes won’t be out for too long. If they want to be a contender in the Eastern Conference, they need their young star.
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