.Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterSep 12, 2024, 02:13 PM ETCloseRyan S. Clark is actually an NHL reporter for ESPN.New Shirt Devils defenseman Luke Hughes will need to have in between six to eight full weeks to bounce back from a shoulder trauma he went through previously this month, the crew said Thursday.Hughes suffered a left side shoulder accident during offseason instruction. After being actually analyzed due to the Devils' medical workers, it was actually determined he would certainly not call for surgery and that it can take more than six full weeks for him to recover.That timetable suggests Hughes would certainly miss out on the Devils' 7 preseason activities as well as their season-opening video games on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 versus the Buffalo Sabres in Prague, Czechia. The earliest he can return will be actually the week of Oct. 20, which implies the Devils will have already participated in 8 regular-season games.Losing Hughes for even a quick duration comes after he used his rookie initiative to reinforce why he's considered one of the game's brightest youthful superstars. Hughes completed final period with 6 targets and also 47 factors while also being one of five Devils to play with all 82 games.What Hughes completed as a newbie triggered him finishing third in Calder Prize ballot responsible for the eventual victor, Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, and also Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber.Hughes and Faber were actually the only rookie defensemen that played all 82 activities last season. They were likewise tied for second amongst rookies in aspects with Bedard leading the organization's first-year gamers along with 61 points.Once Hughes is actually removed to return, he's assumed to be a critical component of the Devils' plans to go back to the playoffs. Hughes, that was actually the 4th pick of the 2021 NHL Draught, spent 2 years creating at the Educational institution of Michigan, which likewise made his bro Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver Canucks leader who is actually likewise the reigning Norris Trophy winner for the NHL's greatest defenseman.Hughes left Michigan after pair of periods and also signed his entry-level contract along with the Devils. It enabled him to join his brother and Devils alternate captain, Jack, for the crew's playoff run throughout the 2023 Stanley Mug playoffs.The Devils gained 52 activities during the course of the 2022-23 period as well as accelerated to the playoffs for the very first time in 4 seasons. They opened up along with a first-round victory over the rival New york city Rangers in 7 games just before dropping in the second sphere versus the Carolina Hurricanes.Last period saw the Devils battle to find consistency and miss out on the playoffs. It caused them parting techniques with crown instructor Lindy Ruff as well as hiring acting trainer Travis Green prior to they after that employed previous Toronto Walnut Leafs instructor Sheldon Keefe in old Might.