.Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterSep 12, 2024, 02:13 PM ETCloseRyan S. Clark is actually an NHL reporter for ESPN.New Jacket Devils defenseman Luke Hughes will certainly need between six to 8 weeks to bounce back from a shoulder injury he went through previously this month, the staff stated Thursday.Hughes experienced a left side shoulder injury during the course of offseason training. After being actually assessed by the Devils' medical personnel, it was calculated he will certainly not call for surgery and also it could possibly take much more than 6 full weeks for him to recover.That timetable implies Hughes will miss out on the Devils' 7 preseason activities as well as their season-opening activities on Oct. 4 as well as Oct. 5 against the Buffalo Grass Sabres in Prague, Czechia. The earliest he could come back would certainly be the week of Oct. twenty, which indicates the Devils will possess presently participated in eight regular-season games.Losing Hughes for even a short time period follows he utilized his rookie campaign to improve why he is actually taken into consideration among the game's brightest young stars. Hughes finished last period with six objectives and also 47 factors while likewise being just one of 5 Evil ones to play in every 82 games.What Hughes completed as a newbie brought about him ending up third in Calder Prize ballot responsible for the resulting champion, Chicago Blackhawks facility Connor Bedard, as well as Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber.Hughes and also Faber were the only novice defensemen that played all 82 games last time. They were actually likewise tied for 2nd among novices in points with Bedard leading the game's first-year gamers along with 61 points.Once Hughes is actually gotten rid of to come back, he's anticipated to become an important aspect of the Devils' plans to return to the playoffs. Hughes, that was the 4th choice of the 2021 NHL Draught, spent two years developing at the University of Michigan, which additionally produced his sibling Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver Canucks leader that is likewise the reigning Norris Trophy champion for the NHL's finest defenseman.Hughes left Michigan after pair of times and authorized his entry-level contract with the Devils. It permitted him to join his bro and also Adversaries alternating leader, Jack, for the staff's playoff operate throughout the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.The Devils won 52 video games in the course of the 2022-23 time and progressed to the playoffs for the first time in 4 times. They opened up along with a first-round success over the rivalrous The big apple Rangers in 7 video games just before dropping in the 2nd around against the Carolina Hurricanes.Last season viewed the Devils struggle to find consistency and miss out on the playoffs. It resulted in all of them parting ways along with crown coach Lindy Ruff and also tapping the services of acting train Travis Eco-friendly before they after that chose past Toronto Maple Leafs instructor Sheldon Keefe in old Might.