Devils star center Jack Hughes returned to practice on Monday after nearly a month off the ice.
Hughes, who has missed significant time thanks to upper-body injuries from games in November and January, was on the ice with his teammates in a grey non-contact jersey. He was skating on a line with Tomas Nosek and Alexander Holtz.
It's his first time on the ice with his teammates since suffering an injury against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 5.
According to reports from practice, Hughes even took a rush on the fourth line, which is a good sign since those drills are normally very physical.
“I feel like I’m getting really close,” Hughes said at the NHL All-Star Game festivities in Toronto over the weekend. “Hopefully I can come out of the break feeling a bit better and I can get back out on the ice with the boys and help us finish the season on a high note.”
Hughes was voted to his third consecutive All-Star Game and was even named a co-captain alongside his brother Quinn for Team Hughes. However, he was unable to participate.
While his first practice is a great sign for Hughes and the Devils, who finished the unofficial first half of the season going 3-6-1 over the final 10 games, it’s unclear when exactly the 22-year-old will play in an actual game.
So far this season, Hughes has 15 goals and 30 assists for a total of 45 points. The Devils’ next game will be their first out of the All-Star break when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.