On eve of shoulder surgery, Devils shut down Jack Hughes - ESPN

New Jersey Devils star center Jack Hughes will undergo shoulder surgery Wednesday and miss the final four games of the regular season, the team announced Tuesday.

Hughes, his family, his representatives and along with the Devils medical staff determined it would be in the best interest of the 22-year-old for him to proceed with shoulder surgery, team said in a statement. Hughes' surgery will be performed by Dr. Peter Millett in Vail, Colorado, with the expectation he will make a full recovery prior to the Devils opening training camp next fall.

Earlier in the day, Devils interim coach Travis Green said Hughes was going to miss Tuesday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an upper-body injury.

Losing Hughes for the final four games of the regular season comes as the Devils are trying to reach the playoffs for a consecutive season. Last season saw the Devils reach the second round having missed the postseason for four straight seasons.

Hughes, who leads the team with 27 goals while his 74 points rank second on the Devils, had already missed 11 games in January with an upper-body injury. The Devils struggled to find consistency during that time as they went 4-6-1 in those games.

Coming into Tuesday, the Devils were five points behind the Detroit Red Wings in what has become a competitive race for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. It's also the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference that's available with the Tampa Bay Lightning already clinching a place while having a nine-point gap ahead of the Red Wings.

The Devils are one five teams that are within five points of the Red Wings. The Pittsburgh Penguins are tied on points with the Red Wings but have played one fewer game. The Philadelphia Flyers and