Jack Hughes Exits Early with Injury as Devils Face More Uncertainty
The New Jersey Devils took a hit early in Thursday night’s matchup against the Nashville Predators when star forward Jack Hughes left the game midway through the first period with an apparent injury. It was a short night for Hughes, who logged just 2:27 of ice time across three shifts before heading to the locker room. He briefly returned for one more shift but didn’t come back out after the first intermission.
There’s been no official word yet on the nature or severity of the injury, but it’s another tough moment in what’s been a frustrating pattern for the 24-year-old center. Hughes has battled through a string of injuries over the past few seasons, and this latest setback adds to a growing list. Already this year, he’s missed time, appearing in just 35 of the Devils’ first 53 games.
When he’s on the ice, though, Hughes continues to be one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league. Heading into Thursday’s game, he had notched 12 goals and 36 points - solid production despite the limited availability.
The Devils have built around him as their franchise centerpiece, locking him up through 2030 with an $8 million annual cap hit. But the challenge now is keeping him healthy enough to lead.
The timing couldn’t be worse for New Jersey. The Devils came into Thursday night sitting 15th in the Eastern Conference with a 27-24-2 record and 56 points. They’re in the thick of a playoff race that’s only going to get tighter, and losing Hughes - even temporarily - could be a serious blow to their postseason hopes.
As for the game itself, it was knotted at 1-1 after two periods at the Prudential Center. Dougie Hamilton scored for New Jersey, while Michael McCarron answered for Nashville. But the bigger story was the absence of Hughes - and what it might mean moving forward.
Hughes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, has already put together an impressive NHL résumé.
In 404 career games, he’s tallied 153 goals and 387 points, along with six goals and 11 points in 12 playoff games. He’s the engine that drives the Devils’ offense, and when he’s out, the ripple effect is felt across all four lines.
New Jersey doesn’t have much time to regroup. The team has three more games on the schedule before the league pauses for the 2026 Winter Olympics. They’ll head to Ottawa to face the Senators on Jan. 31, then return home for matchups against the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders on Feb. 3 and 5, respectively.
For the Devils, the hope now is that Hughes’ injury isn’t serious. But given his history, there’s plenty of reason for concern. If New Jersey wants to keep its playoff push alive, they’ll need their star back - and at full strength.