The New Jersey Devils have announced on Thursday that defenseman Luke Hughes will miss the next six to eight weeks with a shoulder injury.
#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.
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) September 12, 2024
Hughes’ recovery time is… pic.twitter.com/i5OJlnxG2Q
Speculation of Hughes’ injury began on Wednesday when footage of him wearing a sling on his arm at a University of Michigan football game emerged. The Devils confirmed the injury on Thursday, and while the specific cause of the injury has yet to be reported, the Devils announced that it occurred during offseason training. The Devils also announced that the injury will not require surgery, avoiding a longer recovery period.
Hughes’ current timeline for return has him missing the entirety of training camp, and will have him returning sometime in late October or early November. The Devils begin their season on October 4th against the Buffalo Sabres, and will play 15 games before the end of Hughes’ timeline for recovery in eight weeks.
Hughes is coming off of an excellent rookie campaign in 2023-24, where he had 9 goals and 38 assists for 47 points in 82 games. That tied him for second in rookie scoring with Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber, and also resulted in Hughes being a finalist for the Calder Trophy, ultimately finishing in third in voting.
Hughes was the fourth-overall pick of the Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft out of the U.S. National Development Program. After two seasons at the University of Michigan, he made his NHL debut with New Jersey at the end of the 2022-23 season, playing two regular season games and three playoff games, before playing his first full season last year.
Hughes is currently in the final year of his three-year entry-level contract with a $925,000 cap hit, although it also includes just as much money in performance bonuses to double the average annual value. He will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season with no arbitration rights.
Hughes’ injury will put a bit of a spoiler on the Devils’ bid to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after failing to make it in 2024. They made several big moves to improve the team for next season, including acquiring goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames and signing Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon in free agency.