Keefe: 'Without question' playoffs remain goal despite Hughes' injury
New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said making the playoffs is "without question" still his team's goal even after the season-ending injury to superstar center Jack Hughes.
"We're in a playoff position, and we expect to be in one when this is all said and done," the bench boss said Thursday. "We got some work ahead of us here, and the league is as tight as it's ever been. ... We're growing and evolving as a group, but the goal doesn't change."
New Jersey entered Thursday's slate in third place of the Metropolitan Division with a 33-24-6 record, but the Columbus Blue Jackets are just four points back with two games in hand.
The Devils will still be buyers ahead of Friday's trade deadline, The Athletic's Peter Baugh reports. Still, there's no doubt Hughes' absence is massive, as he paces the team with 27 goals and is tied for the lead with 70 points.
New Jersey struggled to score even before he got hurt, ranking 29th in the league in goals per game (2.41) in its first 22 games of 2025.
"We have to recognize that it's going to be harder (without Hughes). ... Jack's such a facilitator and a creator of offense," Keefe said. "We're going to have to go about things a little differently in terms of earning the offense: forecheck pressure, puck pressure, tips, rebounds, those kind of things."
The Devils dropped their first game without Hughes on Tuesday, a 4-3 defeat to the Dallas Stars that Keefe said "inspired" him. New Jersey was down 3-1 heading into the third but tied it up before defenseman Thomas Harley scored the dagger with five seconds left.
Hughes posted a message on his Instagram earlier Thursday, detailing his recovery as "another hill to climb."
His ailment is the latest in what has been an injury-riddled season for the Devils. Defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce were out to start the campaign, star goaltender Jacob Markstrom missed 11 games, captain Nico Hischier was sidelined for six contests, and blue-liner Jonas Siegenthaler has been out since early February.
New Jersey is also awaiting an update on rearguard Dougie Hamilton, who missed the last two periods of Tuesday's loss with an undisclosed injury.
The Devils will take on the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.