New Jersey Devils fans are holding their breath as center Jack Hughes is being evaluated for a lower-body injury sustained during Thursday night's 3-2 overtime victory against the Nashville Predators. Hughes played only three shifts, totaling 2:27 minutes, before leaving the game.
Devils coach Sheldon Keefe addressed the situation after the game, stating that Hughes "tweaked something". While the team initially didn't believe the injury to be serious, further evaluation is underway to determine the extent of the issue. "The only update is that he's still getting evaluated," Keefe said on Friday. "In the next little bit, he's going to get some imaging and get a better idea of what's happening. Until we have those results we won't know his status in terms of travel and the situation going forward". As of Friday, it remains unknown whether Hughes will travel with the team to Ottawa for Saturday night's game.
The injury occurred at the 8:27 mark of the first period. The exact nature of the injury remains undisclosed, leading to speculation that it could be a re-aggravation of a previous hand injury or a new issue altogether. This marks the second time this season that Hughes has been sidelined due to injury. In November, he missed 17 games after suffering a lacerated hand at a team dinner.
Hughes' absence would be a significant blow to the Devils, who are already missing center Cody Glass due to a lower-body injury sustained earlier in the week. Glass was injured after being hit by a shot against Winnipeg on Tuesday. He missed Thursday's game but traveled with the team to Ottawa. "Cody had a better day today when he skated, which is positive," Keefe said. "He's going to travel with us. If he continues to progress then he could be available for tomorrow but we won't know until that time comes".
The timing of Hughes' injury is particularly concerning as the NHL season approaches the Olympic break. With the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics just around the corner, there are questions about Hughes' status for Team USA. Prior to the injury, Hughes had played in 35 games this season, recording 12 goals and 36 points. Since returning from his hand injury, he has tallied two goals and 16 points in 18 games.
The Devils held an optional practice on Friday before heading to Ottawa. Players participating included forwards Lenni Hameenaho, Paul Cotter, Evgenii Dadonov, Arseny Gritsyuk, Luke Glendening, Juho Lammikko, Maxim Tsyplakov, Marc McLaughlin, defenseman Simon Nemec, and goalie Jake Allen.
Another injury to the Devils' star player raises questions about the team's plans for the trade deadline and their ability to compete in the remainder of the season. With Hughes potentially out, the team will need to develop a strategy to maintain their competitiveness.
