Devils’ Jack Hughes out for rest of season with shoulder injury

The New Jersey Devils have announced that forward Jack Hughes will be miss the rest of the season due to shoulder surgery.

The Devils have just five games remaining in the 2023-24 regular season.

Hughes last played on April 7, a 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators where he scored one goal and logged 22:22 minutes of ice time. The 22-year-old had recently missed 11 games back in January following an upper-body injury he sustained in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. During his absence, the Devils went 4-6-1.

When Hughes hasn’t been hurt, he has been one of the best players this season, with 27 goals and 47 assists for 74 points in 62 games. He ranks first on the Devils in goals and second in points.

Hughes was oringally selected No. 1 overall by New Jersey at the 2019 NHL Draft. After a slow start to his career, he’s developed into one of the best players in the league over the course of his five seasons with the Devils.

The Orlando, Florida product is currently in the second year of an eight-year contract, a $64 million contract extension with an average annual value of $8 million, a deal he signed as an extension during the 2021-22 season after notching 56 points in 49 games.

New Jersey currently ranks seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 37-36-5 record and 79 points through 78 games. In the Eastern Conference wild card race, the Devils sit sixth tied with the Buffalo Sabres and just four points back of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils will face off against the Maple Leafs tonight in New Jersey and then again on Thursday in Toronto.