The New Jersey Devils have some disappointing news to announce today as they will be without their young, stud defender. Luke Hughes has a shoulder injury and the anticipated timeline for his recovery will be between six and eight weeks. Given the expected amount of time to heal, it seems all but guaranteed he will miss the season opener. At the very least, he will miss the bulk of training camp.
#NEWS: The New Jersey Devils announced today that defenseman Luke Hughes suffered a left shoulder injury earlier this month during off-season training. Upon examination by New Jersey’s medical staff, it was determined that he will not require surgery.
Hughes’ recovery time is… pic.twitter.com/i5OJlnxG2Q
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) September 12, 2024
Luke Hughes Shoulder Injury Will See Him Miss 6-8 Weeks
Hughes sustained the injury in early September while doing off-season training. Fortunately, it has been determined that he will not require surgery. Hence, the given estimated recovery time.
Luke Hughes comes from one of hockey’s newest royal families. Along with his two brothers, Quinn and Jack Hughes, the trio of Hughes brothers are steadily moving up the list of best NHL families of all-time. Quinn, of the Vancouver Canucks, parlayed a 92-point campaign last year into the first Norris Trophy of his career for league’s best defenceman. Jack, who is Luke’s Devil teammate, is already an established superstar centre in the NHL. His career-high 99 points in 78 games in 2022-23 is evidence of that fact. Meanwhile, Luke is looking to carve out a name for himself.
What Does This Mean for Hughes and the Devils
This injury for Luke Hughes is a setback. Last year, he finished third in Calder Trophy voting. He could’ve won on a normal year, that didn’t include great rookies by the names of Connor Bedard and Brock Faber. Luke Hughes had nine goals and 38 assists for 47 points to earn his third place finish. Furthermore, last year, aided by the extra availability due to the Dougie Hamilton absence, he spent a lot of time on the Devils power play. This greatly boosted his development. The Devils were extremely hopeful he would carry that momentum into 2024-25. However, this will be a setback, and make his conditioning heading into the season difficult. This makes the off-season acquisitions of Johnathan Kovacevic and Brett Pesce all the more crucial. So, the Devils do have the depth to step up in Hughes’ absence, however, given his high-end offensive abilities, they can’t wait for him to come back healthy.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
