The Devils received some much-needed good news on Jack Hughes’ latest injury.
Coach Sheldon Keefe said Saturday that the forward is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He will not play in Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators, but he likely won’t miss many more games after that.
“Evaluation yesterday confirmed good news which is that it’s not anything serious,” Keefe said. ”I think we’ll see him on the ice soon.”
Keefe also noted that captain Nico Hischier — who did not participate in the team’s morning skate — will be a game-time decision due to an illness.
Hughes, 24, played three shifts and just 2:27 minutes before exiting Thursday’s game vs. the Nashville Predators. His last shift was 56 seconds long at 7:31 of the first period. He exited for the locker room with a trainer shortly after. He was favoring his left side when he skated toward the bench.
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Hughes already underwent surgery this season after he suffered an injury to his finger at a team dinner in Chicago in November. He missed 19 games during a crucial stretch of the season.
That injury marked the second straight year Hughes has been sidelined after a freak injury. He missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury after slamming into the board in a game against the Golden Knights.
Devils moneyline is sitting at +126 on FanDuel for Saturday night’s game versus the Senators. Our FanDuel Sportsbook review provides a complete guide on how to sign up and navigate their site.
Hughes has 36 points (12 goals and 24 assists) in 36 games. He is on the Team USA Winter Olympic roster. Competition begins Feb. 11.
The Devils are in a bit of a funk — and Hughes missing any additional time won’t help that. They’re 28-24-2 and sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
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