Hughes Will Be Ready For Start of Season | BLOG

Devils center Jack Hughes will be ready to play for the Devils when the team opens the 2020-21 regular season next Friday, Oct. 15, against the Chicago Blackhawks.
"I'll be good to go for the start of the season," Hughes said.
Hughes, who has been out of the lineup since suffering an undisclosed injury Saturday in Bridgeport, CT against the New York Islanders, will not play in the team's preseason finale Thursday night as a precaution, though he did join his teammates on the ice for their morning skate.
"It's more (precautionary) than anything," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "If this was a playoff game, he'd be the first guy on the ice. But the reason is we asked ourselves why would we play him in one last game when we have a day off coming up, a good week of practice to make sure he's 100 percent and not re-injured playing one game."

Hughes, 20, wanted to play in the contest, though he understands the reasoning by the club to wait.
"I'm on the fence," he said about playing. "I don't want to do anything to make it worse, but it would be nice to have one more game. At the end of the day, I think is what's best for me to be ready for the 15th."
It was the second straight team practice - and third straight day on the ice - for the 2019 first-overall pick in the NHL Draft since Saturday. He skated on his own Tuesday and joined a team practice session Wednesday.
"It's good. It's nice to be back on the ice with the guys," Hughes said. "We have a week to go to the season so it's good to be practicing with the guys."
Hughes was hurt in the second period after the Islanders Ross Johnston delivered a cross check to his upper body. He left the game and did not return.
"I felt something right away," he said. "Pretty uncomfortable so just called it a game and got checked out."
In the end, Hughes is thankful that the injury wasn't anything more significant.
"You never know," he said. "I feel better now."