The NHL has announced that New Jersey Devils’ forward Jack Hughes will not be available to play in the All-Star game this year due to injury. Devils’ forward Jesper Bratt will replace Hughes on the Metro Division All-Star team. New York Islanders’ forward Matthew Barzal will replace Hughes in the Skills Competition.
Hughes will still attend the All-Star game and will remain as one of the All-Star captains who will be drafting the rest of their teams, along with his brother Quinn Hughes. This season, Jack Hughes has put up remarkable numbers even as he’s been hampered by injuries for much of the year. In 32 games, he has 15 goals and 45 points, which ranks fifth in the NHL in points-per-game.
Last season was a huge milestone year for Hughes as he put up 99 points and led the Devils to the playoffs. There were high expectations for the young centreman coming into this season and he hasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Unfortunately, the rest of his team isn’t quite having the season they’d like to be having. The Devils are six points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and they might even consider selling at the trade deadline.
Bratt is not one of the disappointing players on the Devils this year. He initially didn’t get selected for the All-Star game but deserves every bit of it now that he’s going in Hughes’ absence. In 47 games this year, Bratt leads the Devils in scoring with 19 goals and 50 points. He’s been one of the few bright spots in the Devils’ season, along with Luke Hughes, Alexander Holtz, and Simon Nemec. Most of the veterans have had poor seasons.
Players like Tyler Toffoli, Ondrej Palat, Nathan Bastian, and Erik Haula could be trade bait as we get closer to the trade deadline. The long-term injury sustained by Dougie Hamilton was one of the biggest factors why they’re season is not going as planned.
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