We are going to assume this news from the New Jersey Devils is good news on the injury front. We heard yesterday that their star centre, Jack Hughes, had sustained an injury, and would miss some action. Today we are learning that he had to have surgery to repair damage to his finger. We hope for a full recovery, and perhaps thankful, that as bad as it is, that it wasn’t worse.
The New Jersey Devils have provided the following medical update:
“New Jersey Devils C Jack Hughes underwent successful surgery on his finger.
The procedure was performed by Dr. Robert Hotchkiss at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
The expected return to play… pic.twitter.com/wVkPNZwe0Y— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) November 15, 2025
Jack Hughes Has Surgery On Finger Injury
The timeline for return is being set at about eight weeks. Moreover, that includes a reassessment in about six weeks time. Assuming he comes back in eight weeks, at full health, he will be inline to suit up for Team USA at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games from Milano Cortina, Italy. A loss to someone like Hughes, would be difficult, although not impossible, to deal with for Team USA. Naturally, the more immediate concern, and where he is a bigger impact to his roster, is his club side, New Jersey Devils.
Hughes has ten goals and ten assists for 20 points through 17 games on the season. The 20 points puts him ranked 26th in league scoring. However, he is definitely the Devils leader. Second on the club is Jesper Bratt, with 16 points.
Chatting About Hughes’ Impact on the Devils
With this injury to Jack Hughes, he will be missed as he does do it all for the Devils. He is actually second on the club in average ice time, at 21:09 minutes. Furthermore, he trails only his brother, defenceman Luke Hughes, who plays almost 23 minutes a night. That ice time for Hughes puts him tied for 13th in the league among NHL forwards. Needless to say, his absence will be a huge hole to fill.
It will be interesting to see who New Jersey gets to step up. Nico Hischier already plays a lot of centre, but his role in the offensive game might increase. Dawson Mercer will likely see a bump up in opportunity, in all situations. Finally, the other two consistent centres, don’t actually play very much. Between Cody Glass and Luke Glendening, it will likely be a by-committee approach to see some really step up for the Devils.
Main Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
