The New Jersey Devils will be without their leading scorer after Jack Hughes sustained a hand injury in an off-ice incident late Thursday, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The 24-year-old slipped and cut his hand during a team dinner, per Friedman, with several sources describing the occurrence to him as a “fluke accident.”
The team confirmed on Friday that the injury is non-hockey related and that he is undergoing further evaluation. No timetable for his return has been established, but he is not expected to play Saturday against the Washington Capitals.
Hughes’ absence comes at a difficult moment for the New Jersey roster already thinned by injuries. The team recently lost Cody Glass in its previous game against the Chicago Blackhawks and is also without Zack MacEwan, Connor Brown, Evgenii Dadonov, Brett Pesce, Dougie Hamilton, and Johnathan Kovacevic.
As a result, the current center options consist of Nico Hischier, Juho Lammikko, and potentially Dawson Mercer if head coach Sheldon Keefe elects to use him in that role. Lammikko is likely to enter the lineup Saturday, though top-six adjustments remain uncertain, particularly with Brown not yet ready to return.
Before the injury, Hughes had been one of the league’s most productive forwards. In 17 games, he produced 10 goals, 10 assists, and 20 points, leading the Devils in scoring and tying for 15th in the NHL in goals. His season totals also include a +3 rating, 69 shots, a 14.5% shooting percentage, one power-play goal, and four power-play assists, all while recording zero penalty minutes. On Wednesday, Hughes added two assists in New York's 4–3 overtime win against Chicago.
The 12-4-1 Devils enter Saturday’s matchup atop the Metropolitan Division with a three-point lead and 25 points overall. The team is currently in the middle of a five-game road trip, with four contests remaining before returning home on November 24 to face the Detroit Red Wings.
