The New Jersey Devils have been dealing with injuries all season, and the list just keeps getting longer. Right now, Dougie Hamilton is probably out for the season, Jonas Siegenthaler is nowhere near skating after breaking his foot, Ondrej Palat has been out with a mysterious injury, Tomas Nosek is back skating but still out, and Nolan Foote at this point has to be in witness protection. Of course, the most important of all injuries is Jack Hughes. He was playing at a Hart Trophy level before the season, but he hasn't played in a game since he landed awkwardly earlier this month.
While most updates had been positive, with head coach Lindy Ruff saying the injury would cost Hughes weeks not months, the latest update is a lot more negative.
On Jack Hughes Lindy Ruff says he does not expect Jack to skate before the All-Star Break. #NJDevils
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) January 22, 2024
Now, Ruff did say anything could change, but hearing we're going another few weeks without Jack Hughes (which would be the assumption as he hasn't touched the ice in almost a month) is very bad for the Devils. They are desperate for points, as they sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division. Their playoff hopes are still there, but it's hard to argue they could make a run if Hughes misses any more time.
Hughes did get named an All-Star captain with his brother Quinn Hughes last week, so that's a positive sign. We're sure the NHL would just remove Jack Hughes from the equation if he wasn't close to playing. Do we expect him to play in the All-Star Game? Absolutely not, but the fact that he's going is a positive update.