Devils To Be Without Star Forward

The New Jersey Devils have placed forward Jack Hughes in COVID-19 protocol.

This is noteworthy for multiple reasons. First and foremost, Hughes is New Jersey's top player, so they understandably will be unhappy about this development. With that, he also participated in All-Star weekend. Thus, we will have to wait and see if any more of this year's All-Stars find themselves in protocol, too. 

Back in late November, Hughes signed an eight-year, $64 million contract extension with the Devils. When signed, a lot of questions came up, as the 2019 first-overall pick had yet to show signs of pure dominance at the NHL level. Yet, since returning from his long-term injury, he has improved his stats immensely. In 28 games this season, he has 12 goals and 15 assists. With that, he is just four points away from tying the career-high he hit in 56 games last season. If he can keep playing this well, this contract could become a steal.

The Devils currently have a 15-25-5 record, so they aren't competing for a playoff spot. However, it is never a good feeling to lose one of your top players. The Devils are set to play the Ottawa Senators on Monday night and then Montreal Canadiens the next evening.

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