New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes has played among the best in the NHL to begin the 2023-24 season. He is the current league leader in assists (15) and points (20) so far. In fact, he's the first player in the league to reach the 20-point mark this season. On Friday, however, Hughes crashed into the boards against the St. Louis Blues. And the early update doesn't look too promising.

Hughes is not returning to the game against St. Louis, team reporter Amanda Stein confirmed. According to Stein, the 22-year-old star suffered an upper-body injury after his collision with the boards.

The incident occurred in the first period of Friday night's contest. Hughes picked up the puck in the offensive zone and weaved between two Blues defenders. He took a shot on goal before falling forward. The Devils star hit the ice before colliding hard into the boards.

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It is certainly an understatement to say that Hughes would represent a major loss for New Jersey if he's out long-term. The 22-year-old is a former first-overall pick who took a bit to get acclimated to the NHL. However, he exploded last season, scoring 43 goals and 99 points for New Jersey.

Hughes seemingly took his game up a notch this year. His play in October earned him the First Star of the Month from the NHL. And he received high praise from the front office and team legends alike. For a team looking to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, this early season explosion was certainly a welcomed sight.

Hopefully, Hughes is able to bounce back from this scary incident. Either way, Devils fans will definitely want to keep an eye on this situation as it still developing as we speak.