Ray Shero already made a big bang already picking young center Jack Hughes in the 2019 NHL Draft. Just like his tenure as GM in Pittsburgh, Shero can now implement his 1-2 punch at center for many years. The long-term success will be worth the wait for many fans. What Jack Hughes brings is an exciting, elite, playmaking style with speed, agility, smarts, elite stick handling and a true passion for hockey.
Another one of Shero’s beliefs is building down the middle like he had with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for many years. With two elite centers, it helps build each brick around them. It is exactly what Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier are the corner stones of the Shero and Hynes roster for many moons to come.
In the New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Eastern Pennsylvania region of the Mid-Atlantic U.S., the early and long-term success of Jack Hughes spice up the love of the game for new fans of Devils hockey. For people who will be glued into social media tripping upon several Jack Hughes highlights don’t be surprised those people feel “The Hughes Effect.” The surge in the U.S. National Development Program after this draft will only further attract new talent from existing markets like the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and now other new markets like a Florida, where Hughes originates from, and Texas.
Hockey in the USA is not only growing but thriving. In a place like New Jersey, from casual to die-hard fans would buy a Jack Hughes shirt or even a jersey for their family members. Now, with the fact that the New Jersey Devils are holding two long-term centers along with adding a guy like P.K. Subban on defense gains them respect.
Over the years, even when Patrik Elias, Jason Arnott, Petr Sykora, Scott Stevens, and Scott Niedermayer were on the team and several Stanley Cup wins, they still had “no respect!” This era now with Jack Hughes being “Captain America” and Nico Hischier as the “Swiss-Army Knife” this Devils team will gain, and earn “respect” from the media and gain market share of hockey fans.
With an solid international following abroad for the New Jersey Devils this will only gain more fans with a player of Jack’s caliber. He brings an exciting style of hockey that is going to be around for more than a decade if not two. There is a lot to like about his game, and he’s also an excellent off-ice personality. This will be an excellent opportunity for Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils.