The New Jersey Devils dubbed star forward Jack Hughes week-to-week due to an upper-body injury.
Hughes was hurt Friday night during the first period of the Devils’ game at the St. Louis Blues.
He was driving toward the net at full speed when he appeared to slip and then went awkwardly into the end boards. He came back for his next shift but left after 59 seconds.
“Actually, I think we’re fortunate,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said Sunday. “He came back, he tried a shift, we got him on his way home to be taken care of by people back in Jersey.”
Hughes is tied with Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson for the most points in the NHL with 20. Through 10 games, Hughes has five goals and a league-best 15 assists.
The 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick is New Jersey’s top-line center. He received Hart Trophy votes last season after a breakout campaign that saw him set career highs in games played (78), goals (43), assists (56) and points (99).
Hughes, 22, has 227 points (92 goals, 135 assists) in 254 career games.
The Devils (7-3-1, 15 points) were already without captain and usual second-line center Nico Hischier, who is not on the team’s current road trip after suffering an upper-body injury Oct. 27.
–Field Level Media