.Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterSep 12, 2024, 02:13 PM ETCloseRyan S. Clark is an NHL media reporter for ESPN.New Shirt Devils defenseman Luke Hughes will need to have in between six to 8 weeks to bounce back from a shoulder accident he endured earlier this month, the group claimed Thursday.Hughes endured a left shoulder injury throughout offseason training. After being evaluated by the Devils' health care personnel, it was actually determined he will certainly not call for surgical treatment and that it could take much more than six full weeks for him to recover.That timeline means Hughes would certainly miss the Devils' 7 preseason activities as well as their season-opening games on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 versus the Buffalo Grass Sabres in Prague, Czechia. The earliest he might come back would certainly be the full week of Oct. 20, which means the Devils will possess already played eight regular-season games.Losing Hughes for also a quick time period comes after he utilized his newbie project to reinforce why he's considered one of the video game's brightest youthful stars. Hughes ended up last season with 6 goals and 47 factors while likewise being among 5 Devils to play in all 82 games.What Hughes completed as a newbie triggered him completing 3rd in Calder Prize ballot behind the eventual champion, Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, as well as Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber.Hughes and Faber were actually the only novice defensemen who played all 82 video games final period. They were also matched for second among newbies in aspects with Bedard leading the league's first-year players with 61 points.Once Hughes is cleared to return, he's expected to be an important component of the Devils' programs to go back to the playoffs. Hughes, that was actually the 4th choice of the 2021 NHL Draft, invested 2 years establishing at the University of Michigan, which also made his bro Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver Canucks leader who is also the reigning Norris Trophy champion for the NHL's ideal defenseman.Hughes left Michigan after pair of periods and signed his entry-level arrangement along with the Devils. It permitted him to join his brother as well as Adversaries alternative captain, Jack, for the staff's playoff run in the course of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.The Devils gained 52 games during the 2022-23 period and also evolved to the playoffs for the very first time in four periods. They opened up along with a first-round triumph over the competing New York Rangers in 7 activities before losing in the 2nd round against the Carolina Hurricanes.Last season observed the Devils struggle to locate consistency and overlook the playoffs. It resulted in all of them parting methods along with head coach Lindy Ruff as well as tapping the services of interim trainer Travis Veggie prior to they then chose former Toronto Maple Leafs train Sheldon Keefe in late Might.