It was a celebration in Calgary for the New Jersey Devils, as Simon Nemec returned to the lineup just in time to do some of his patented overtime magic. He scored the game-winner off a Jack Hughes feed to beat the Flames 2-1. It was a slog of a game, which most Devils games have been as of late. Yet another game where the Devils only got one goal in regulation, but a wins a win.
Unfortunately, this win came with a big loss. While Nemec represented the Devils’ young defensemen well, their other superstar in name and contract didn’t fare too well.
Ironically, Luke Hughes was very good on the ice on Monday. He was on the ice for four high-danger chances and had none against him. He played only 8:46 at 5v5, second-lowest on the team next to Evgenii Dadonov.
The reason Hughes played so little despite playing so well is because he got injured. And it’s about the worst news Devils fans can hear from an injury to one of the Hughes brothers. The youngest Hughes brother apparently hurt his shoulder.
Sounds like initial diagnosis was #njdevils Luke Hughes dislocated his shoulder tonight in Calgary.
Will await word from Devils postgame and potential timeline as he continues to be evaluated.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 20, 2026
Luke Hughes is already having a rough season. After signing a seven-year, $9 million per season contract, he’s been a mess. His offense hasn’t taken a step forward, and his defensive game has seemingly taken a step back. It’s clear there’s an issue with the system, positioning, and an understanding of where to best make a move.
Luke Hughes’s bad season just got worse with shoulder injury
However, that can be coached out of him. It’s been a fast-and-furious season because of the Olympics schedule. The injuries have mounted, but the team was finally getting back to full health. Stefan Noesen and Zack MacEwen both had to get surgery to repair issues with their knees, but outside of that, the Devils seemed to have better health luck.
Welp, that ended with Hughes’s injury. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said that Luke Hughes would miss some time during the postgame press conference, but he added that they need to run more tests to see what is really happening.
It’s possible we all wake up tomorrow to good news, but it’s more likely the initial prognosis is right and we’re looking at a future with only one Hughes brother. Again.
It’s just inevitable at this point that both Hughes brothers are going to suffer at least one injury every season. Luke Hughes’s shoulder injury are already stacking up. He missed time last season after suffering a shoulder injury in offseason practices, and he had shoulder surgery again this past offseason. Now, we’re looking at another shoulder injury. Eventually, we have to ask if his shoulder can handle the NHL.
That’s not a question for today. For now, we just hope for the best. If Luke Hughes returns after the Olympic break, that would actually be a positive outcome.
