BREAKING: Devils Jack Hughes to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

NEWARK — The New Jersey Devils announced on Tuesday evening that star forward Jack Hughes will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.

On Tuesday morning ahead of the Devils’ tilt with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Hughes was missing from morning skate.

When asked, interim head coach Travis Green explained that Hughes was not going to be available on Tuesday night due to an “upper-body injury.”

Green would not expand further when prompted.

With the Devils’ playoff hopes all but dead, New Jersey is choosing to shut down their No.1 center and franchise forward in order to give him as much recovery time as possible.

According to Devils PR, “In recent conversations with Jack, his family and representatives, the Devils’ athlete care staff, and Devils’ Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow, it was determined that Jack should be held out of game action for the rest of this season and proceed with shoulder surgery.

“He will undergo the surgery on April 10, which will be performed by Dr. Peter Millett in Vail, Colorado.”

Hughes is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of training camp in 2024.

The Devils forward was seemingly never 100% healthy following two injury stints this season that held him out of 20 games this year.

Since returning on April 8th, Hughes played exclusively on the wing, seemingly in order to preserve his shoulder as much as possible.

It’s believed Hughes suffered the shoulder injury in a tilt against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan.5th.

Hughes ends his 2023-24 season skating in 62 games, scoring at a point-per-game pace netting 27 goals and dishing 47 assists for 74 points. Hughes potted nine power-play goals and 31 power-play points this season.

The Devils have four games remaining on the schedule without Jack Hughes. They will play a home-and-home mini-series with the Maple Leafs on Tuesday and Thursday, followed by a trip to Philly to face the Philadelphia Flyers, and then close out the season hosting the New York Islanders.

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