Coach Mike Sullivan has a common theme among a chunk of his Team USA stars. A lot of them have been suffering from injuries in the past months which could affect the stars and stripes’ chances at winning the gold medal at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Jack Hughes is one of them but it looks like the center from the New Jersey Devils will be ready when time comes.
Hughes looks and feels healthy
During their Sunday practice before the Winter Olympics, the Team USA squad had Hughes as a full participant. This means that Coach Sullivan will likely play him on the ice but whether or not there will be reservations to his playing time will be up for evaluation. The Devils center managed to be on the ice for 30 minutes and was looking well.
However, the Devils’ seven-year veteran did not skate with the top six of the Team USA rotation. Instead, Matt Boldy played center with Auston Matthews on the right wing and Jake Guentzel on the left wing. So, this could signal a change from Coach Sullivan’s lineup which previously had Hughes in the top-six during the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Hughes outlined how he was feeling before the Olympics and what it would be like to play with his brother, Quinn Hughes, via Bill Price of NHL.com.
“Feel good. Feel good. Body feels in a good spot. I’m looking forward to that a lot, and just rooming with him, and, you know, spending time with him. It should be a lot of fun,” the 24-year-old from Team USA declared.
Notably, Hughes went down with a lower-body injury. This has kept him out of the Devils rotation for three-straight games heading into the Winter Olympics break. Furthermore, he has already missed 21 games during the NHL season which could be a large consideration for Coach Sullivan when deciding shifts and rotations.
Will he still be able to make a big impact in the Olympics despite these new updates?
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