Although the house isn’t burning down for the New Jersey Devils just yet, the team can’t seem to catch a break. With a 9-10-3 record in 2025, the Devils, despite their best efforts, have lost ground on their shot at definitively making the postseason. Now with Jack Hughes’ injury looming over their heads, the team is arguably in the worst position they’ve been. Or are they?
Well, RDS Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun has a different theory. Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said the team is waiting to know the “full extent” of the injury before operating on Hughes. Meanwhile, seeing how the Devils were already perusing the trade market, LeBrun believes they may have found a way to capitalize on the trade window before Friday’s deadline.
“Devils aren’t yet operating as if they’ll have Hughes’ $8M cap hit to use at the deadline,” explained the senior NHL Columnist. If Jack Hughes’ shoulder injury does put him out of action for the rest of the season, NJD might be able to put his salary cap in the long-term injured reserve (LTIR). Doing so will give the Devils a cap boost, which they might use to bag some last minute deals.
Devils aren’t yet operating as if they’ll have Hughes’ $8M cap hit to use at the deadline, they want to wait until they get more clarity over next few days on his situation to know for sure. But they were already in the C trade market even before the injury. They’ll be looking… https://t.co/52eKrtlnqc
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 4, 2025
This story is developing…
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