Devils’ Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce won’t play Tuesday, but return to lineup ‘imminent’

Some good news on the injury front for the New Jersey Devils.

On Monday, head coach Sheldon Keefe told the media that defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce will not be in the team’s lineup for their matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night. However, Keefe admitted that both players’ return to the lineup “is imminent.”

Neither player has played a game yet this season. Pesce signed a six-year contract with the Devils in July, carrying an AAV of $5.5 million through the 2029-30 season. However, the former Carolina Hurricane had surgery to repair a fractured fibula this past offseason. The 29-year-old suffered the lower-body injury that forced him to miss time during last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, limiting him to just two games as Carolina advanced to the second round.

Hughes hurt his shoulder during offseason training, which, thankfully for New Jersey, didn’t require surgery. However, it was enough to keep him out of the lineup for the entire preseason.

Also on Monday, the Devils recalled defenseman Daniil Misyul from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets. That came as a response to New Jersey sending rookie D-man Seamus Casey down to Utica.

Pesce came to the Garden State after scoring 13 points in 70 games with the Hurricanes last season, well of his career-high 30 points that he hit during the 2022-23 campaign.

Hughes was an offensive presence for the Devils last season, his first full year in the NHL. The former Michigan Wolverine scored nine goals and 38 assists for 47 points in 82 games, despite having a plus/minus of -25.

Even without the two talented blueliners, the Devils have done well so far. After sweeping the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL Global Series in Czechia earlier this month, New Jersey has won five of its first eight games, with their 5-2-1 record placing them at the top of the Metropolitan Division.

After facing the Lightning on Tuesday, the Devils will head west for a clash with the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.