.Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterSep 12, 2024, 02:13 PM ETCloseRyan S. Clark is an NHL press reporter for ESPN.New Jacket Devils defenseman Luke Hughes will definitely need to have in between 6 to eight weeks to bounce back from a shoulder accident he went through previously this month, the crew claimed Thursday.Hughes suffered a nigh side shoulder trauma in the course of offseason instruction. After being reviewed by the Devils' medical staff, it was actually identified he would certainly certainly not require surgical procedure and also it can take greater than 6 weeks for him to recover.That timeline means Hughes will miss the Devils' 7 preseason video games and their season-opening video games on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 versus the Buffalo Grass Sabres in Prague, Czechia. The earliest he might return would certainly be actually the week of Oct. twenty, which suggests the Devils would certainly possess actually played eight regular-season games.Losing Hughes for also a brief time frame follows he used his rookie project to reinforce why he is actually taken into consideration one of the video game's brightest youthful stars. Hughes finished final period with 6 targets as well as 47 aspects while additionally being one of 5 Devils to play in all 82 games.What Hughes completed as a novice caused him finishing third in Calder Prize voting responsible for the resulting victor, Chicago Blackhawks facility Connor Bedard, as well as Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber.Hughes and Faber were the only rookie defensemen who played all 82 video games final time. They were actually also matched for 2nd among novices in aspects along with Bedard leading the organization's first-year gamers with 61 points.Once Hughes is gotten rid of to come back, he is actually expected to be an essential portion of the Devils' plans to come back to the playoffs. Hughes, who was the 4th choice of the 2021 NHL Draught, invested 2 years building at the University of Michigan, which also created his bro Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver Canucks captain who is likewise the reigning Norris Prize winner for the NHL's greatest defenseman.Hughes left Michigan after two times as well as signed his entry-level agreement with the Devils. It allowed him to join his bro and also Evil ones alternating captain, Port, for the team's playoff operate during the course of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.The Devils won 52 activities throughout the 2022-23 period and also progressed to the playoffs for the very first time in four periods. They opened with a first-round success over the competing New York Rangers in seven games before dropping in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes.Last time saw the Devils problem to locate congruity and skip the playoffs. It resulted in them parting means along with head coach Lindy Ruff as well as employing interim instructor Travis Veggie before they after that worked with past Toronto Maple Leafs instructor Sheldon Keefe in old May.