After viral picture, New Jersey Devils reveal Luke Hughes injury status

The New Jersey Devils announced today that Luke Hughes suffered a shoulder injury during off-season training earlier this month and will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks. It's not ideal to have the injuries piling up to the young players before training camp even begins, but the news could be worse.

There was quite the chatter surrounding Luke Hughes after he appeared on the sidelines of a Michigan football game with a sling. It wasn't confirmed if that was indeed Luke Hughes until the Devils confirmed his injury status on Thursday.

There is good news as it appears that surgery will not be required for the young defenseman who just celebrated his 21st birthday days ago. As undesirable as this news is, it is important to remember the offseason decisions made by GM Tom Fitzgerald. In response to last year’s injuries, a considerable amount of depth in this season’s roster now exists compared to last season. 

According to the Devils website, he's back in New Jersey and undergoing treatment.

"Hughes’ recovery time is approximately six to eight weeks. He is in New Jersey for treatment and physical therapy under the guidance of the Devils’ athlete care staff."

With Nemec and Luke Hughes dealing with injuries right out of the gate, an opportunity now presents itself for players like Santeri Hattakka, Jonathan Kovacevic, Nick DeSimone, Colton White and Kurtis MacDermid (if all else fails) to step up. It’s a long season where adversity has already presented itself. It’s up to the Devils now to respond.