Sources: Devils’ Hughes won’t have surgery, opts to rehab injury

New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes will avoid surgery and instead rehab his upper-body injury, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

The decision was made after Hughes had imaging done and consulted with several doctors, the team and his family. The Devils put Hughes on long-term injured reserve Wednesday, meaning he must sit out 10 games and 24 days. Hughes was expected to be sidelined through the Olympic break, and the team will monitor the rehab to determine a timeline for return.

Hughes was injured during a 2-1 overtime win against the Calgary Flames on Monday while battling for a puck with Justin Kirkland. He sat out Tuesday’s win against the Oilers.

Hughes, 22, is a large part of the Devils’ future, especially after signing a seven-year, $63 million contract extension before this season. He leads Devils skaters in ice time this season while scoring 26 points in 49 games.

New Jersey has won four of its last five games as it continues its West Coast trip this week in Vancouver.