New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes, out since Nov.. 12 with a "freak" hand injury, will return to the lineup against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.
Hughes, 24, injured his hand at a team dinner in Chicago on Nov. 13, underwent surgery on his finger and was given a recovery window of eight weeks. He has been skating throughout his rehab and was recently spotting using a stick again on the ice.
He returned to Devils practice on Sunday at an optional skate.
"Yeah, I'm going to play tonight. Might as well ease my way in," Hughes joked after practice.
Both Hughes and the Devils were off to flying starts before his injury. New Jersey was 12-4-1, with the second-best points percentage (.735) in the NHL behind Colorado (.794) and first place in the Metro Division. Hughes had 20 points in his first 17 games, including 10 goals.
The Devils struggled without him, going 8-10-0 (.444), but remained in the playoff race in a competitive Eastern Conference. Their offense fell apart without their top-line center, going from 3.35 goals per game with Hughes to 2.28 goals per game without him, but New Jersey entered Sunday in the final wild card spot in the East.
Hughes is one of three key players returning to the Devils' lineup on Sunday against surging Buffalo, which has won five straight games. Forward Timo Meier last played Dec. 9, having taken leave from the team for a family matter. He has 11 goals and 12 assists in 30 games for 23 points. Forward Arseny Gritsyuk has missed the last four games due to injury. The rookie has 16 points in 31 games this season.
"To come back from the road trip and to have those guys in the building and then on the ice, it gives the [team] a boost," coach Sheldon Keefe said Sunday. "There's an emotional impact."
Keefe said the challenge for his team is not to become suddenly passive because help has arrived.
"We've gotta keep playing the way we've been playing and have those players enhance that," he said. "Sometimes when you bring important people back to your group, there can be a tendency for the rest of the group to take a back seat. And that cannot happen."
Sunday was Hughes's first appearance since the injury and the first time he's faced questions about his brother, star defenseman Quinn Hughes, being traded to the Minnesota Wild last week.
Sources told ESPN that the Vancouver Canucks went to the Devils first in discussing trade destinations for Quinn Hughes, as his brothers Jack and Luke both play in New Jersey. Ultimately, the Canucks opted to trade Hughes to the Wild for center Marco Rossi, forward Liam Ohgren, defenseman Zeev Buium and a 2026 first-round pick.
"It happened fast," said Jack Hughes, adding that there was a "little bit" of disappointment that the three brothers weren't united together. "I think he's happy in Minnesota now. They have a great team there and they're playing well. ... We're happy for him."
