Devils Season Hangs in the Balance

The New Jersey Devils' season hangs in the balance as they await news on a potentially devastating injury.

Mar 2, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) makes his way off the ice after sustaining an apparent injury during a play against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

New Jersey Devils Head Coach Sheldon Keefe was ejected from the game following the play that forced superstar center Jack Hughes out of the contest. As Hughes drove to the net, he was tied up by Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel. Hughes lost his balance near the end boards and crashed hard. He skated off the ice under his own power, but it was clear that he was in pain as he exited.

Earlier in the game, the Devils were assessed a penalty for a similar play where no one was injured. Keefe's fiery response to the non-call resulted in his ejection and the Devils ultimately fell 2-0 to the Golden Knights.

The loss feels secondary to the injury news of their top forward. Now, their season hangs in the balance as they await a concrete diagnosis and return timeline. Following the game, Keefe was coy regarding any updates but discussed how impactful his potential absence will be.

"Real hard to see him go down," he said. "There’s no update. He’s going to have to be evaluated. Obviously it didn’t look good. We’re gonna have to take our time to know the full extent of it.”

Keefe on Jack: “Real hard to see him go down. There’s no update. He’s going to have to be evaluated. Obviously it didn’t look good. We’re gonna have to take our time to know the full extent of it.”#NJDevils

— Sam Kasan (@samikasan) March 3, 2025

Without Hughes in the lineup, the Devils' season is finished. They've impressively managed to stay within a playoff position in the Eastern Conference despite previous injuries. Starting goalie Jacob Markstrom missed over a month with a lower-body injury. It wasn't easy, but the Devils are still in third place in the Metropolitan Division. If the playoffs started tomorrow, they'd be in the postseason.

That shifts entirely if their best player misses an extended period of time. Hughes is a superstar in the NHL and leader of the offensive system in New Jersey. Through 62 games this season, he has 27 goals and 43 assists for 70 points, tying him with Mikko Rantanen of the Carolina Hurricanes for ninth in the league's scoring race.

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