The New Jersey Devils have struggled mightily since the start of the new year, going 9-10-3 after ending 2024 as one of the best teams in the NHL. Their struggles have been particularly frustrating because their goaltending has been stellar, they've just been unable to score.
Well, as if it wasn't hard enough for them to score with Jack Hughes, their best player, it's going to be a lot harder for them to score now that Hughes is injured. The 23-year-old left New Jersey's Sunday tilt against the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period due to what appeared to be a shoulder injury. Hughes is not playing in Tuesday's game against the Dallas Stars, and given the nature of the injury, could be out a lot longer than that.
The timing of this injury could not have been much worse with the Devils only four points ahead of the surging Columbus Blue Jackets for third place in the Metropolitan Division and with the NHL trade deadline less than 72 hours away as of this writing.
What's even worse about this injury is that the Devils have no idea how severe it actually is, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic ($). That lack of information puts New Jersey in an awfully tough decision ahead of Friday's trade deadline.
"As of now, New Jersey is not operating as if it can put Hughes on long-term injured reserve and spend over the salary cap. The team will presumably get more clarity on that before Friday’s deadline," Baugh wrote.
Devils are stuck with uncertainty at worst possible time after Jack Hughes injury
This update really stings because the Devils have no idea what his timeline to return is. If he cannot return until the playoffs, the Devils would suddenly have an extra $8 million to spend thanks to the NHL's Long Term Injury Reserve rules. If he can return before the playoffs, that'd be ideal, but it would impact who the Devils can acquire financially.
Given the uncertainty, the Devils will probably stay away from making moves until they know exactly how long they'll be without him. That can put the Devils behind the eight ball when it comes to adding talent, as the rest of the league knows there are fewer than 72 hours to make deals.
Baugh notes that regardless of Hughes' injury update, the Devils plan on buying. While it's good to have a sense of clarity, Hughes' injury will certainly impact what the Devils do. Chances are, if he's out for the remainder of the season, the Devils won't be nearly as aggressive as they would be if they know he'll be back by playoff time or during the regular season.
If Hughes will return sometime soon, the Devils can stick to their initial plan of adding more depth scoring to their bottom six. If he won't be back until the playoffs, they will likely have to aim higher. If he can't return at all, who knows what they'll end up doing? Again, it's an impossible position to be in.
The Devils want to be buyers, but they're falling in the standings quickly, don't know the status of their best player, and don't know how much money they can spend. They're in as tough of a position as any team in the NHL is, with the trade deadline rapidly approaching.