The New Jersey Devils announced on Thursday that forward Jack Hughes has been placed on Injured Reserve (IR) retroactive to Jan. 5.
The team also announced that defenseman Dougie Hamilton has been moved to Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR).
The Hughes news is no surprise, considering head coach Lindy Ruff said on Jan. 9 Hughes was expected to be out for a few weeks. Hughes was injured in the Devils’ Jan. 5 matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Before the injury, Hughes was on a five-game point streak, scoring a goal and six assists over that span. In 32 games, he has scored 15 goals and 30 assists, just a hair under his pace that led to a 99-point season in 2022-23.
As for Hamilton, the announcement confirms what many anticipated after the team said on Dec. 1 that Hamilton tore a pectoral muscle, then a report came out in late December that the team expected Hamilton to be out of the lineup until the post-season.
Placing Hamilton on LTIR would give the Devils an extra $9 million in cap space and the ability to add another player via trade.
Hamilton is in his third season with the Devils. Before the injury, Hamilton had five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 20 games. Last season, Hamilton had 74 points (22 goals and 52 assists) in 82 games. He’s in the third year of a seven-year, $63 million contract ahead of the 2021-22 season.
The Devils are 24-18-3 with 51 points, fourth in the Metropolitan Division and two points out from one of the Eastern Conference’s Wild Card spots. Their next game is Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
More must-reads: