New Jersey Devils: 5 Ways To Salvage This Season

Jack Hughes Develops Into A Scorer

One of the bigger disappointments of this season is Jack Hughes. Not in the fact that we’re worried about his future, more in the fact that it seems like the Devils were never able to find the right fit for him. A lot of it has to do with the Devils coaching staff being distracted by a team with no chemistry. That’s how Hughes ends up with Miles Wood and Wayne Simmonds on his wing most nights.

Now, we need to see what Hughes can do in the NHL. He’s smaller, so he’s been manhandled more often than we like to see. It’s mostly because he’s trying to do too much in the offensive zone. When Wood and Simmonds are you’re linemates, there is pressure to make the perfect play. 18 year olds don’t make perfect plays.

What we need to see from Hughes is exactly what he can do right now. He can make people miss, he can take a wicked shot and he can use his speed to make plays. He’s not in the place where he can make the players on his line better. Hughes needs to focus on himself.

Right now, Hughes has 17 points on the season. He’s missed some time, and he only has two goals since November 17th. The drought is annoying, but we aren’t worried about what this means. However, he can prove a lot by bouncing back. If he shows that he is working when it’s not sunshine and fairytales, then we have a lot of hope for the future.