On Wednesday, Barstool Sports broke news that New Jersey Devils’ defenseman Luke Hughes might be injured when they shared a photo of him with his arm in a sling at a Michigan game. The photo went viral and fans wanted to know if there was something wrong with him that no one knew about. The Devils provided an update and released a statement on Thursday.
The Devils have announced that Hughes sustained a left shoulder injury earlier this month during off-season training. Following an evaluation by the team’s medical staff, it has been determined that Hughes will not need surgery.
His expected recovery time is between six to eight weeks. That means he’ll miss camp and the preseason, likely out the first couple of weeks of the start of the regular season.
Hughes is currently receiving treatment and physical therapy in New Jersey under the supervision of the Devils’ athlete care team.
While the news is good that it’s not overly serious, it’s a setback for both the Devils and the 21-year-old defenseman. He is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of this season. Eligible for an extension, he could command a high price after leading New Jersey’s defensemen with 47 points (9 G, 38 A) last season and finishing third in Calder Trophy voting.
Veteran Brenden Dillon is expected to fill Hughes’ spot on the second defensive pairing. Alternatively, Johnathan Kovacevic could step in, though this would result in the Devils having four right-shooting defensemen.
Putting Hughes on standard IR compared to LTIR could result in New Jersey not carrying an extra defenseman until he returns to health.
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