What’s next for Rangers rival after crushing season-ending injury to Jack Hughes
The New Jersey Devils have spent most of the season among the top three in the Metropolitan Division, watching from what appeared to be a certain playoff berth while teams like the New York Rangers struggled to find a way to capture a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
But their road to the playoffs hit a major pothole this week when New Jersey’s top goal-scorer, center Jack Hughes, underwent shoulder surgery on Wednesday and was ruled out for the rest of the season. The Devils placed him on long-term injured reserve, meaning that they will have to try to fend off the Rangers, among other challengers, without their best offensive player.
Hughes leads the Devils in goals (27), game-winning goals (seven), shots on goal (229) and is tops among their forwards in average ice time (20:54). His 70 points are tied with Jesper Bratt for the team lead, and he’s second in assists (43) behind Bratt’s 53.
The Devils said the surgery, performed by Dr. Peter Millett at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, was a success and that Hughes will be ready for training camp in September.
New Jersey was without Hughes for its 4-3 road loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday – a game that saw the Devils overcome a late 3-1 deficit before losing on Thomas Harley’s goal with five seconds remaining. The loss dropped them to 33-24-6; they are four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the first wild card, and five in front of the Ottawa Senators and the Rangers. New Jersey has lost three of its past four games and been spiraling for the past two months.
The vulnerable Devils have played one more game than the Rangers and two more than the Blue Jackets and Senators. The Rangers lost 3-2 in overtime to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, a game that ended shortly after the Senators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in OT. The Rangers visit Ottawa on Saturday.
“It’s obviously a big loss for our team, but we had some talks already about it,” Devils captain Nico HIschier said before the loss in Dallas. “I think right now, we just got to dig in. I think we all know that Jack would’ve loved to be here with us playing in Dallas.”
Hughes sustained the shoulder injury in the final minutes of a 2-0 road loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
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Jack Hughes season-ending injury massive blow to Rangers rival
The first player taken in the 2019 NHL Draft was on an odd-man-rush with Hischier before his feet got tangled up with Vegas center Jack Eichel, who played with him on Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off. It caused Hughes to go sliding into the boards at high speed with almost no time to protect himself before the collision.
The 23-year-old was holding his right arm and was in visible pain as he skated off the ice and went right to the locker room. Devils coach Sheldon Keefe was ejected for yelling at officials because no penalty was called on the play — and on Wednesday the NHL fined him $25,000 for what the League called unprofessional conduct directed at the officials.
Hughes had surgery on his shoulder in April 2024 and missed the final four games of the regular season. He was healthy by training camp and had not missed a game this season until Tuesday.
“Jack’s a very important player, so the whole group was feeling for him the other night, myself and the coaching staff included,” Keefe said Tuesday, before the extent of the injury was known. “Injuries are part of the game, but just the nature of it and all of that makes it tougher and also knowing what he’s been through in the past.”
By placing Hughes on LTIR, the Devils have more salary cap space to be buyers before the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday at 3 p.m. ET. The Devils could look to add forward depth for a team that’s won back-to-back games just once in 2025 and is 9-13-1 in the new year.
Hughes has 351 points (141 goals, 210 assists) in 368 regular-season games for the Devils and 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games, all in 2023 when they defeated the Rangers in the opening round before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second.
He has feasted on the Rangers during his career, with 16 goals and 28 points in 23 games — the most goals and points he’s had against any NHL team.
The Devils could also be without first-pair defenseman Dougie Hamilton when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. Hamilton left the game Tuesday with an injury, and the Devils had no update on his condition Wednesday. The Devils acquired veteran defenseman Brian Dumoulin from the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday for a second-round pick in the 2025 draft and Herman Traff, a 19-year-old forward playing in Sweden.
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