Could Jack Hughes Injury Derail the Devils’ Season?
It was announced Wednesday morning that New Jersey Devils superstar Jack Hughes will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. He already underwent successful surgery on his shoulder and is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of training camp in the summer. Hughes suffered the season-ending injury on Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights after getting tied up with his former Team USA teammate, Jack Eichel, and crashing into the boards awkwardly. This is devastating news for a Devils team that currently sits as the third best team in the Metropolitan Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference overall. As we start to hit the home stretch of the season, will the Devils be able to remain in a playoff spot without their star?
The 23-year-old is currently tied for the team lead in points with 70, and he leads the team in goals with 27. It is obviously incredibly difficult to replace a player like this who is responsible for so much of the team’s offensive production, but the Devils do not have a choice if they want to be playing meaningful hockey in the spring months. Forwards Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier are going to have to play even larger roles in Hughes’ absence down the stretch as the primary goal scorers. Also look for Jack’s brother, Luke Hughes, to step up on the defensive end. It is also going to take contributions from guys on the third and fourth lines to pick up the slack. It is a total team effort when a star paler goes down like Hughes.
Luckily for New Jersey, they find themselves in a favorable spot with just 19 games left in the regular season. They have a four point lead over the Blue Jackets who hold the top Wild card spot, and they have a six point advantage over the Red Wings who currently sit as the first team out of the playoffs. However, the Devils are 0-2 since Hughes got injured on Sunday, and they have lost six of their last 10 games overall. To make matters worse, the upcoming schedule does not get any easier as their next four games are all against teams that are .500 or better. If these next two weeks do not go well for the Devils as they adjust to life without Jack Hughes, they could find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoffs come April.
