Jack Hughes injury update: Devils star leaves game vs. Golden Knights after collision

The Devils are in the midst of a playoff race, but they may be moving forward without their best player.

On Sunday night, the Devils suffered a 2-0 loss to the Golden Knights, but they also lost Jack Hughes to injury late in the game. New Jersey was already down two goals and trying to pull off an unlikely comeback when Hughes went down hard into the boards.

The Devils are currently third in the Metropolitan division with 72 points, just four points ahead of the Blue Jackets for that spot. Hughes’ injury may have an impact on the battle for playoff positioning down the stretch.

Here’s the latest on Hughes’ injury from Sunday night.

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Jack Hughes injury update

With less than two minutes left in the game, Hughes collided with Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, as the Devils star tripped and fell head-first into the boards. Hughes appeared to suffer an injury in the area of his right shoulder, as he stayed down for a while before finally getting up and skating off the ice while favoring his right arm.

Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe was furious that Eichel was not called for a penalty on the play, and the referees issued Keefe a game misconduct, meaning he was ejected from the game. After the game, Keefe didn’t have much of an update, but he admitted the injury looked rough.

“He’s going to have to be evaluated. Obviously it didn’t look good,” Keefe said, via Sam Kasan. “We’re gonna have to take our time to know the full extent of it.”

Last year, Hughes suffered a right shoulder injury in a similar fashion, that resulted in him requiring shoulder surgery.

Jack Hughes stats

Hughes established himself as one of the top players in the league two years ago when scored 99 points and led the Devils to the playoffs. Last year, Hughes dealt with injuries as New Jersey missed the playoffs, and his numbers are similar so far this season.