Over the first month-plus of the 2025-26 season, the New Jersey Devils have been ravaged by injuries. I know I’m stating the obvious here, but it really can’t be understated how much injuries have affected the Devils’ season. Jack Hughes will be out for around two months after suffering a “freak” injury at a team dinner in Chicago. He has his limitations of course, but he can be a steady presence in the middle six, and this season he’s shown a pleasantly surprising goal-scoring ability. He obviously won’t be doing that every game, but on a team decimated by injuries, New Jersey needs as many players to step up as possible.