Luke Hughes Returns as Devils Take on Blues | PREVIEW

NEW JERSEY DEVILS (28-29-2) at ST. LOUIS BLUES (21-28-9)

New Jersey ends its road trip in St. Louis for a late afternoon matchup against the St. Louis Blues at the Enterprise Center. 

Read below for your game preview presented by Flock Free Bird Control and check back for the pre-game story.

SHELDON KEEFE MEDIA AVAILABILITY

ST. LOUIS, MO - The Devils will welcome a key piece back to their lineup Saturday afternoon in St. Louis.

Defenseman Luke Hughes has been activated off injured reserve and will return to action against the Blues, providing an immediate boost to New Jersey’s blue line.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe emphasized the impact Hughes can make, particularly in transition.

“He’s a dynamic offensive guy for us,” Keefe said. “Brings a lot of extra speed and pace from the blue line and from our own zone, which we could really use. He’s a good player for us in all facets of the game, so certainly welcome to have him back.”

Keefe noted that while he has been pleased with the defensive group’s recent efforts, Hughes’ skating and offensive instincts give the Devils another layer.

“I think he’s going to be a leader of that for us with how he skates and his offensive instincts,” Keefe said.

The matchup presents a specific challenge. St. Louis is among the league’s strongest teams at defending the rush and limiting odd-man opportunities, something that will test New Jersey’s ability to generate offense through speed.

“This team we’re playing here in St. Louis is one of the best, if not the best team in the league in defending against the rush and not giving you odd-man situations,” Keefe said. “That’ll be an additional challenge for us to manage, but certainly like our chances a little bit better in that regard with Luke in the mix.”

With Hughes returning, a corresponding lineup decision will need to be made on the back end. Keefe said that call will likely come down to warmups.

“We had a plan, but we’ve got some illness that we’re dealing with here right now, so it’ll be a game-time decision until we sort that out,” Keefe said.

The Devils enter the afternoon looking to steady their game against a Blues team that defends with structure and forces opponents to earn space through extended possession. Hughes’ ability to transport the puck cleanly and create tempo from the back end could be a key factor in breaking through.

More lineup updates, including the starting goaltender, are expected closer to puck drop.

THE SCOOP

New Jersey has resumed its season schedule after the Olympic break, with two straight losses and has scored just two goals over the two games. The same struggles that have plagued them for the most part of the year continue to rear its head out of the break. While New Jersey have been close in their games, the bounces haven't gone their way and there remains a struggle to find consistent scoring among its top players. 

Earlier this week head coach Sheldon Keefe announced that defenseman Luke Hughes, who has been on IR since Jan. 19, with a shoulder injury, is eligible to return against the Blues, and all indications are that he will make his return to the lineup on Saturday. 

The game is also a return to St. Louis for Devils forward Nick Bjugstad, who was traded to New Jersey just prior to the Olympic break. The veteran forward played one game before the break and has suited up in the two following, centering a line with Paul Cotter and Maxim Tsyplakov. Bjugstad played 35 games with the Blues this season, registering six goals and one assist.

The Blues have had a difficult season and sit second to last in the Western Conference with 51 points through 58 games. The Blues posted a victory in their first game back from the break, bringing their record to just 2-7-1 in their last 10, but have a 14-11-6 record at home. 

Pavel Buchnevich leads the blues in points with 35, while both Kordan Kyrou and Jake Neighbours share the team-lead in goals with 14.

WHO’S HOT

Devils: Timo Meier picked up where he left off at the Olympics. He has two goals in his last five NHL games, but over the Olympic break, while competing in Milan, Meier lead the Swiss team with three goals and four assists in 5 games played.

Blues: Jordan Kyrou has nine points in his last five games, including three goals. 

INJURIES

Devils:
MacEwen (upper body)

Blues:

Thomas (leg)
Krug (ankle, LTIR)

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

• Nov. 26 vs Blues, 3-2, OTW
• Feb. 28 at Blues

GAME NOTES

• Luke Hughes is expected to return to the Devils lineup, playing for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury on Jan.19 in Calgary. 
• There is a possibility of Blues goaltender, Jordan Binnington, making his return to the Blues net. He is the goaltender for Canada that Jack Hughes scored on in the gold medal game at the Olympics.