Hughes (shoulder) hasn't resumed skating and is still 5-7 weeks away from playing, according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com.
Hughes sustained a shoulder injury Sept. 12 and was originally given a timetable of 6-8 weeks, so it seems he's now on track to miss more time than was originally projected. The 21-year-old had nine goals and 47 points in 82 appearances with New Jersey in 2023-24, including 25 points with the man advantage. Dougie Hamilton, who didn't play past Nov. 28 last year due to a pectoral injury, is set to open the campaign on New Jersey's top power-play unit, while Seamus Casey might get a chance with the second group due to Hughes' absence.
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Devils' Luke Hughes: Suffers shoulder injury
Rotowire
Hughes is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after suffering a left shoulder injury but will not require surgery, the club announced Thursday.
Even on the short end of his injury timeline, Hughes figures to miss the opening 10 games of the season at a minimum, making him a strong candidate to start the campaign on long-term injured reserve. The 21-year-old blueliner avoided injury as a rookie last year, featuring in all 82 regular-season contests in which he tallied nine goals and 38 helpers, including 25 power-play points. With Hughes out of action for the start of the season, Dougie Hamilton will almost certainly move up to the No. 1 power-play unit while Jakub Zboril, who comes into camp on a PTO, could earn his way into a full-time deal.
Devils' Luke Hughes: Strong stretch run in rookie year
Rotowire
Hughes finished his rookie season with nine goals and 47 points while dressing for all 82 games in 2023-24.
Hughes showed off his puck-moving skills on the power play, notching 25 points on the man advantage. Similar to his brothers Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes (shoulder), Luke is highly skilled but undersized. The 184-pound blueliner was bullied in the defensive zone to the tune of a minus-25 rating, but fantasy managers will be willing to overlook those shortcomings from the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, especially if Hughes proves capable of sustaining his point-per-game pace from the last 14 games of 2023-24 over a longer stretch.
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Devils' Luke Hughes: Contributes assist Sunday
Rotowire
Hughes notched an assist and added a shot on net in Sunday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Predators.
Hughes provided the primary assist on the opening goal of the game. He also added one shot on net, two blocked shots, two PIM and a plus-1 rating in 24:43 of ice time. The 22-year-old defenseman extended his point streak to seven games, but he hasn't registered a multi-point game since March 21. With 45 points on the season, Hughes now has the second-most by a rookie defenseman in team history.
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Devils' Luke Hughes: Posts helper in loss
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Hughes notched an assist, four shots on goal and a minus-2 rating in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Sabres.
Hughes has a goal and seven helpers over his last six contests, one of his best runs of the season. The rookie defenseman is up to 41 points, 123 shots on net, 46 blocked shots and a minus-20 rating through 74 contests overall. Hughes continues to offer fantasy upside with a significant power-play role -- his helper Friday was his first at even strength since March 14.
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Devils' Luke Hughes: Five assists in last two games
Rotowire
Hughes delivered three power-play assists Thursday in a 4-1 victory over the Jets.
He played 20:30 on the night and fired six shots. Hughes has five assists, including four with the man advantage, in his last two games. The points move him into a tie with Brock Faber of Minnesota for second in rookie scoring (38) behind Connor Bedard (54). Hughes had seemingly hit a wall earlier on, tallying 10 points, including nine assists, in 30 games prior to this mini-run. That shouldn't be surprising -- the 20-year-old defender is one season removed from an NCAA season where he played 39 games. Hughes has now played 70 this campaign. His talent is undeniable, but his fatigue is real. But if the Devils keep putting him on the power play, Hughes could give you an end-of-season burst.
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Devils' Luke Hughes: Two-point effort in win
Rotowire
Hughes notched two assists, one on the power play, in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Penguins.
The 20-year-old blueliner had a hand in a Timo Meier tally in the second period and Alexander Holtz's game-winner in the third. Hughes' goal drought stands at 27 games, a stretch in which he's managed 11 assists with a minus-14 rating as he's shown signs of fatigue toward the end of his first full NHL season.
Devils' Luke Hughes: Contributes two power-play assists
Rotowire
Hughes logged a pair of power-play assists and three shots on goal in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Ducks.
Hughes earned his first multi-point effort since Dec. 29. The 20-year-old defenseman has been a fine fantasy option so far with 31 points (16 on the power play), 91 shots on net, 35 blocked shots and a minus-19 rating through 60 appearances on the year. Hughes continues to see top-four minutes and ample power-play time, so he should be at least somewhat consistent on offense.
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Devils' Luke Hughes: Pockets helper in win
Rotowire
Hughes notched an assist and four shots on goal in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Predators.
Hughes dropped the puck off to his older brother Jack Hughes, who went end to end for the Devils' first goal. The younger Hughes entered Tuesday on a five-game slump before earning the helper. The 20-year-old defenseman has eight goals, 19 helpers, 76 shots on net, 32 blocked shots and a minus-10 rating through 52 outings overall in his rookie year.
Hughes provided a power-play assist in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Capitals.
Hughes stretched his point streak to four games with a man-advantage helper that led to the second goal of the night for captain Nico Hischier. The Devils boast the league's best power-play percentage, converting 30.3 percent of their opportunities, and Hughes is a big reason why they've been so successful. Hughes has seven goals and 15 assists, including 11 points on the power play, through 36 games this season.
Devils' Luke Hughes: Making mark in team record book
Rotowire
Hughes scored a goal in a 5-2 loss to the Bruins on Saturday.
Hughes is the second rookie defenseman in Devils history to score in three straight games, joining Barry Beck in 1977-78. He has five points (three goals, two assists) in those three games. Hughes leads all rookie defenders with 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists), and he sits fourth overall in scoring among first-year players behind Connor Bedard (32 points), Adam Fantilli (23) and Marco Rossi (22). Perhaps more impressively, Hughes is averaging almost 19:59 of ice time through 35 games. He's making a big impact at just 20 years of age.
