The New Jersey Devils are in a bad way on the blue line. Their top defenseman Dougie Hamilton was ruled out for the season, and he will now likely miss all of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well. Jonas Siegenthaler was also lost for the season, taking out the Devils' best defensive defenseman. The losses put a lot of pressure on young defenseman Luke Hughes, who has been getting better and better every week this season.
Then, at the worst possible time, Hughes went down, too. He got on the ice for warmups against the Winnipeg Jets, but he didn't suit up after speaking with the staff. The Devils got destroyed in that game, which had us worried since it was clear the Devils weren't going far without him. With so many injuries on defense, not to mention the injury to Luke's brother Jack Hughes, all hope was about lost.
Then, the hope came back on Monday. Quite literally, actually. Luke Hughes didn't practice in the morning, but that isn't out of the ordinary. He's dealing with a lower-body injury, so he's only being used when he absolutely is needed. Well, turns out, he's needed on Monday night.
Luke Hughes expected to play, per Sheldon Keefe.
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) March 31, 2025
Same situation as earlier this week, took the morning off from skating. #NJDevils https://t.co/bNbC5grDti
With how secretive the Devils can be about injuries sometimes, there was no way to know a timetable for Luke Hughes. We had to find out about his preseason shoulder injury based on a shot of him on the sidelines at the University of Michigan football game. That makes Monday's announcement amazing.
The New Jersey Devils need Luke Hughes. Some might argue he's the most important player on the Devils down the stretch and in the playoffs. If the Devils are going to do anything, they need Luke Hughes to dominate games from the blue line.
Luke Hughes returning to the lineup give New Jersey Devils hope down the stretch
The vibes around the Devils are much different after a big win against the Minnesota Wild over the weekend. The hope is back. Hughes returning only helps with that hope. Adding a superstar player looking to build on what has been a budding career with an opportunity to prove himself as a leader might do great things for this team.
The Devils have seven games left in the season before a likely matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes. They can't afford any more injuries, let alone to its most important players. Hughes returning now, where there's time for him to get better, is essential.