Devils' Jack Hughes will be out longer than expected after bizarre injury

New Jersey is no stranger to playing games without Hughes, as he has missed significant time in nearly every year of his career. Before this season, he had missed at least 20 games in three of his first six seasons in the league, and he may approach that number again in 2025. 

Two of the three years he didn’t miss at least 20 games were shortened seasons caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: 2019-20 and 2020-21.

The Devils' problem is how much they struggle without Hughes. While they still have some quality depth on the roster, he is a game-changer, and the team looks and plays drastically different when he's not on the ice. 

Luckily for New Jersey, they have a large cushion in the standings. Their 12-4-1 start through 17 games puts them atop the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference. As long as Hughes faces no setbacks and avoids another injury this season, the Devils should be able to get through this stretch and remain in playoff contention until he returns.