.Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterSep 12, 2024, 02:13 PM ETCloseRyan S. Clark is an NHL media reporter for ESPN.New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes will certainly need in between six to 8 full weeks to recuperate coming from a shoulder personal injury he endured earlier this month, the staff mentioned Thursday.Hughes endured a left side shoulder accident during the course of offseason training. After being reviewed due to the Devils' health care team, it was actually calculated he would certainly not require surgical operation and also it could take more than 6 weeks for him to recover.That timetable means Hughes would certainly miss the Devils' seven preseason video games as well as their season-opening games on Oct. 4 and also Oct. 5 against the Buffalo Grass Sabres in Prague, Czechia. The earliest he could possibly return would be actually the week of Oct. 20, which implies the Devils will possess already played eight regular-season games.Losing Hughes for even a brief duration happens after he used his newbie initiative to strengthen why he is actually thought about one of the video game's brightest young superstars. Hughes completed final period along with 6 objectives and 47 aspects while additionally being just one of five Devils to play in each 82 games.What Hughes achieved as a novice led to him ending up 3rd in Calder Trophy ballot responsible for the possible victor, Chicago Blackhawks facility Connor Bedard, and Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber.Hughes and Faber were actually the only newbie defensemen who played all 82 video games last season. They were also tied for 2nd one of rookies in factors along with Bedard leading the league's first-year players with 61 points.Once Hughes is removed to come back, he's anticipated to become an important part of the Devils' strategies to return to the playoffs. Hughes, that was actually the 4th selection of the 2021 NHL Draft, spent 2 years building at the University of Michigan, which also made his sibling Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver Canucks captain who is actually also the ruling Norris Prize champion for the NHL's finest defenseman.Hughes left behind Michigan after two seasons and also authorized his entry-level deal along with the Devils. It enabled him to join his brother as well as Adversaries alternate leader, Port, for the crew's playoff run in the course of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.The Devils gained 52 video games in the course of the 2022-23 period and also accelerated to the playoffs for the first time in 4 seasons. They opened up along with a first-round victory over the competing Nyc Rangers in seven video games just before shedding in the second sphere versus the Carolina Hurricanes.Last period saw the Devils problem to discover uniformity as well as miss the playoffs. It caused them parting techniques along with head instructor Lindy Ruff and also working with interim coach Travis Green prior to they then tapped the services of former Toronto Walnut Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe in old Might.