New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes suffered a right shoulder injury when he exited Friday’s game vs. the St. Louis Blues, according to NJ.com reporter Ryan Novozinsky.
Novozinsky says their source requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the situation.
The incident occurred midway through the first period of Friday’s game. Hughes had a breakaway opportunity that was stopped by Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, then fell and crashed into the boards.
Although Blues defensemen Justin Faulk and Torey Krug both attempted to disrupt the rush with their sticks, it appeared Hughes stumbled on his own accord.
Hughes attempted to play one more shift in the first period before heading to the locker room and not returning.
There was concern that Hughes had re-aggravated the upper-body injury he sustained during last year’s postseason run, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. The Devils were eliminated in five games by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round last May. In 12 playoff games, Hughes scored six goals and five assists for 11 points.
The 2019 No. 1 overall pick is coming off the best season of his career, scoring 43 goals and 56 assists for 99 points in 2022-23. Through five NHL seasons, Hughes has scored 92 goals, 135 assists and 227 points in 254 games.
The 2023-24 Devils have gotten off to a good start. After starting the season 1-1-1, New Jersey has won six of its last eight and holds a 7-3-1 record, including 4-1-0 on the road.
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