"Guess it runs in the family" "I’ll donate my arm": NHL fans react to devastating Luke Hughes injury update

The New Jersey Devils have announced that star defenseman Luke Hughes suffered a shoulder injury earlier this month. Hughes was training during the offseason and hurt himself in practice. However, it does not look like he's going to need surgery, which cuts down on the recovery time needed.

As for that recovery time, the team expects that their star defenseman will be out of action for six to eight weeks. He will receive treatment and therapy during that time to get him back on the ice.

The Devils tweeted out the information on X, formerly known as Twitter:

"The New Jersey Devils announced today that defenseman Luke Hughes suffered a left shoulder injury earlier this month during off-season training. Upon examination by New Jersey’s medical staff, it was determined that he will not require surgery. Hughes’ recovery time is approximately six-eight weeks."

NHL fans had their say in the matter, with many feeling frustrated that one of the cover athletes for NHL 25 is going to be on the sidelines for the first month of the season or so.

"Not the injuries again, these young boys are built different than the old guard. Glass cannons," another said.

"You said that about Jack, then he ended up getting surgery during the off season," one pointed out.

"EA Sports, it's in the game," another joked.

"So um this season is starting out great," one fan said somberly.

Fans aren't confident in the team's chances without Hughes.

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When will Luke Hughes return from injury?

The timing for Luke Hughes' injury could have been much worse. There are still three weeks before the NHL season begins. The New Jersey Devils have time to let him heal more than they would if he suffered this ailment in preseason.

Luke Hughes will miss a few weeks of the season (Imagn)

However, even if he recovers well and is back and ready at the earliest he is likely to miss 10 games or two weeks of the regular season. Hockey has a long season, so that is just a fraction of the schedule, but it's significant nonetheless.

The Devils kcikstart their new campaign against the Buffalo Sabres at the O2 Arena in Prague on Oct. 4.