Jack Hughes hasn’t played since mid-November, when he injured his finger. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
The New Jersey Devils are getting a much-needed group of reinforcements Sunday, the team announced, headlined by star forward Jack Hughes, who missed the previous 18 games with a finger injury. Timo Meier and Arseny Gritsyuk are also slated to return Sunday against Buffalo.
Hughes got off to an excellent start to the season with 10 goals and 20 points in his first 17 games. Then he suffered a finger injury in a “freak accident” at a team dinner in November, according to a team source.
The Devils missed him while he was out, going 8-10-0. He’ll immediately offer an offensive boost to the Devils, even if he’s shaking off some rust.
“I’m going to play tonight and just ease my way into it,” Hughes told reporters after the morning skate.
Let’s go baby! pic.twitter.com/Ozay3smGyW
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 21, 2025
Meier missed the past five games while tending to a family health matter. He’s another top-six player for New Jersey. Gritsyuk, who has missed four games with an upper-body injury, has been a nice addition as a rookie for the Devils.
With Brett Pesce coming back earlier this week, the Devils are as healthy as they have been in months. They are 20-14-1, fifth in the Metropolitan Division, and are now in position to potentially return to their high early-season level of play.