The New Jersey Devils’ recent struggles show how vital Jack Hughes is on the ice.
Without Hughes, the Devils entered a challenging four-game stretch. In that span, they managed just one win—a shootout victory over the Washington Capitals—while dropping the other three games.
The first loss was against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The second loss was a tightly contested 1-0 game against the defending Stanley Cup Champions. The following matchup, by contrast, was far less competitive. The final defeat came at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers, who trailed the Devils in the standings before their 6-3 win Saturday night.
Not only did the Flyers score a franchise record three goals in just 24 seconds, but the Devils' offense also missed vital opportunities to respond.
The link between Hughes and the team’s progress is clear: since they drafted him first overall in 2019, improvement has been steady, although his absence now looms large.
Hughes’ tenure has been marked by broken records and memorable moments, but he has yet to play a full season. Injuries have sidelined him every year—even if not for the entire season—making his health a persistent concern.
This season has followed a similar script. Less than 20 games in, a ‘freak accident’ at a team dinner put him out; he’ll be re-evaluated in six weeks.
Yet even from the sidelines these past three games, Hughes still leads the team in goals (10) and stands second in points (20).
Clearly, a healthy Jack Hughes changes the team’s outlook. The bigger question now: How can the Devils adapt and win while he's out?
Saturday demonstrated this challenge. Offense lagged: one goal per period, an early lead that slipped away once the Flyers tied it in the first period.
As the game progressed, the team struggled to connect on passes and execute plays, and overall appeared disjointed.
After the loss, Nico Hischier provided insight into the uphill battle the Devils faced after falling behind.
"That hurt us," Hischier said to NJD.tv. "That shouldn't happen. That was the game. ... We were sleeping for a couple of shifts, and they made us pay. It's hard chasing a 4-1 deficit. So that's not it."
The Devils’ attempts to rally as the game went on ultimately fell short; they couldn’t sustain momentum for a full 60 minutes against Philadelphia.
The Devils need to adjust and win without Hughes. As of Monday, they sit in ninth place in the league.
The Devils now have at least five more weeks without Hughes to keep pace with their opponents, stay sharp, and create offensive chances.
Ultimately, adapting and finding consistent success without Jack Hughes will define whether the Devils can maintain their status among the league’s top teams.
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