New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes has missed his second consecutive game due to a lower-body injury sustained against the Nashville Predators. The injury raises questions about his availability for Team USA at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Milan. Coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that Hughes aims to return for Thursday's game against the New York Islanders.
Jack Hughes, the New Jersey Devils' star forward and a key member of Team USA's roster for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina, suffered a lower-body injury in the first period of a 3-2 overtime win against the Nashville Predators on January 29. He briefly returned for one shift before exiting the game and has since missed the Devils' contests against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Hughes, who has recorded 36 points (12 goals and 24 assists) in 36 games this season, skated independently on Tuesday and after Monday's practice, but did not participate in an optional morning skate. Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe provided an update, stating, "It's just a level of strength and obviously pain subsiding but it's more so the strength and to be able to have the necessary reinforcement that you need to play in an NHL game." Keefe added that Hughes' goal is to play Thursday against the New York Islanders, but it depends on the medical team's assessment: "They're not confident with where he's at but we'll just see what [Wednesday] brings."
At the Devils' Sweep the Deck Gala on Monday, Hughes expressed optimism about his Olympic participation: "Obviously, that’s the goal [to play in Milan]. I’d like to be [back]. It’s day by day. It’s seeing how I feel each day." TSN insider Pierre LeBrun reported that no one involved appears worried about Hughes' availability for the Olympics, describing the injury as day-to-day, though noteworthy given the timing—a week before Team USA faces Latvia in Milan.
The Devils, struggling with an 8.9% playoff probability per Moneypuck and 58 points in the standings, could ill afford to lose Hughes for long amid a tight Eastern Conference race where playoff teams are pacing for 98-plus points.
