New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes got off to a fantastic start to begin the 2023-24 season, scoring five goals and tallying 15 assists in just 10 games before exiting early against the St. Louis Blues with an upper-body injury on November 3rd. However, after missing the last five games, Hughes is expected to be a game-time decision on Saturday versus the New York Rangers, via NHL.com.

Hughes was a full participant in practice on Friday. Devils head coach Lindy Ruff spoke about the Hughes' injury:

“We'll get him a skate tomorrow and see how we handled today,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “I mean, today wasn't very much of a day; just a little bit of the flow. We'll get him into the grind and get through tomorrow and see where he's at, so he'll be a game-time decision.

“It was great to have him back (at practice). He's been working hard even while we were gone (on the road), skating every day so it was good to get him back to practice.”

Despite sitting out for over two weeks, Hughes is still first in the league with 2.00 points per game. 2022-23 was definitely a breakout campaign for the young American, posting 99 points, including 43 goals and 56 assists. In the process, Hughes broke several franchise records and also helped New Jersey make the playoffs.

The Devils are 8-6-1 at the moment and have gone 2-3 without Hughes. If he can suit up on Saturday, it'll be huge because the Rangers are currently one of the best teams in the league.