Extremely touted Devils sophomore defenseman Luke Hughes is recovering slower than anticipated from his offseason shoulder harm and has been given a brand new five-to-seven-week timeline for his return, basic supervisor Tom Fitzgerald instructed NHL.com’s Mike Morreale.
The Devils initially announced on Sep. 12 that Hughes was anticipated to overlook six to eight weeks with the harm, which did not require surgical procedure, however he’ll now not be making his season debut in that window.
Nonetheless simply 21 years outdated, Hughes made his NHL debut on the tail finish of 2022-23 and instantly seemed like he belonged, notching a objective and an help in a pair of contests. He stored up the momentum in his rookie season final 12 months, posting 38 assists and 47 factors in 82 video games to tie the Wild’s Brock Faber for the scoring lead amongst first-year defensemen. He’s thought of among the finest U-23 defensemen within the recreation, and whereas his -25 ranking reveals he has room for enchancment away from the puck, his possession metrics have been removed from marking him as a real defensive legal responsibility.
Hughes was initially anticipated to return to motion for the Devils in late October or early November, lacking the primary 10 to 13 video games of New Jersey’s common season. His new timeline places his return between Nov. 6 and Nov. 20, that means he might miss as much as 1 / 4 of the Devils’ regular-season schedule.
His absence offers a serious alternative for former College of Michigan teammate Seamus Casey, who’s on observe to make the opening night time roster and his NHL debut when the Devils open their season in opposition to the Sabres. The 20-year-old has been skating in a third-pairing function alongside Simon Nemec after main Wolverines defenders in scoring final 12 months with 45 factors in 40 NCAA video games. The Devils can even be with out Brett Pesce to start the season as he recovers from surgical procedure to restore a fractured fibula, leaving them with out two seemingly top-four items for the start stretch.
