Jack Hughes is done for the year.
The Devils star underwent shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will miss the rest of the 2024-25 campaign, the team announced.
Hughes left Sunday night’s game after he fell into the boards and appeared to be holding his shoulder as he left the ice.
After that game, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said it was “Real hard to see [Hughes] go down,” adding that the injury “didn’t look good.”
He is expected to make a full recovery and return for Devils’ training camp ahead of next season.
In 62 games this season, the two-time All-Star had a Devils-high 27 goals with 43 assists, helping keep New Jersey in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
The Devils are sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division at 33-24 heading into Wednesday’s play.
Hughes, 23, has played all six of his NHL seasons with the Devils after being drafted No. 1 overall by the team in the 2019 entry draft.
It’s the second straight year a shoulder injury has cut Hughes’ season short.
Hughes underwent shoulder surgery last April, missing the Devils’ last three games of the 2023-24 season.
In 2021-22, Hughes also missed 17 games after dislocating his shoulder.