New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce will travel with the team to Detroit.
NEWARK, N.J. -- A couple of days ago, New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters that Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce's return to action is imminent.
Today, he shared that the two defensemen will travel with the team to Detroit. The Devils will play the Red Wings on Oct. 24 at Little Caesars Arena.
"They will travel with us today," Keefe said. "We haven't made a determination. I think it would be fair to say that we will see them this weekend in one of these games, be it in Detroit or against the (New York) Islanders. We will see how they respond to practice today, how they get through it tomorrow, and make a decision on what is best for them. We have a busy schedule upcoming, so we have to make sure we manage them appropriately and monitor where they're at."
On Sept. 12, the Devils announced that Hughes would miss the start of the season with a shoulder injury. His initial timeframe was six to eight weeks.
The 21-year-old earned 47 points (nine goals, 38 assists) in 82 games last season and was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy, which is given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League."
Pesce sustained a fractured fibula last season with the Carolina Hurricanes and has been rehabbing his injury.
"With Brett, we all knew prior to signing him that he had season-ending surgery with Carolina," general manager Tom Fitzgerald said in September. "He's made great progress since he's been in town. Our medical staff has done an incredible job with him. Everything looks great. It's just a comfort with the skate, getting your agility and working on those muscles."
At practice, head coach Sheldon Keefe and his staff used the following defensive pairs: Brenden Dillon - Dougie Hamilton
Jonas Siegenthaler - Johnathan Kovacevic
Daniil Misyul - Simon Nemec
Brett Pesce - Luke Hughes
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