The New Jersey Devils' season went down the drain when Jack Hughes got injured. They had one of the best records in the Eastern Conference when Hughes hurt his hand during a team dinner. They tried to tread water, but the lost points didn’t give them a cushion when Hughes wasn’t the same offensive player with a cast on his hand.
Now, as he gets closer to a fully healthy hand, Hughes is hurt again. He missed Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators after he left the game against the Nashville Predators in the first period. We don’t know the extent of the injury, but head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the Predators’ game that it wasn’t expected to be serious.
Hughes skated after practice was over on Monday, and he was around for the Devils Youth Foundation auction on Monday night. This shows that the situation isn’t serious, like Keefe said.
Hughes himself said he’s “feeling good” and “taking it day by day” during the gala. He said he would like to be back before the Olympics, but it’s still a day-by-day situation.
New Jersey Devils fans should be very happy with Jack hughes update
Honestly, while it doesn’t sound like great news, it’s pretty close to a best-case scenario. Hughes is necessary to the lineup. With Cody Glass playing well and Nico Hischier scoring goals again, adding the real Jack Hughes might actually mean this team can go on a run after the Olympic break.
If the Devils could even get him for one of the games before he goes to Milan, it means a lot. The Devils playoff hopes are on life support, and they need to win these two games before the break to have a shot. If Hughes returns and helps them win, it gives him momentum into the Olympics and the Devils' momentum going into the break.