New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes Is An Elite Puck Carrier

The New Jersey Devils saw Jack Hughes have an up and down season in 2019-20 but some numbers show that he was better than people think he was.

Jack Hughes was underwhelming in terms of his offensive production in 2019-20. He only had seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in the 61 games played. He also took a lot of time to get acclimated to the NHL game in his own end. That skill will get there one day. The important thing for Hughes is creating offense. That is his strength as a hockey player and that is what the New Jersey Devils need him to do in his NHL career.

There are a lot of factors that suggest that the points are going to come and come fast and furious when they do. It is no guarantee that as a 19-year-old they will pop off or even a 20-year-old but it will hit you like a truck. There is a lot of optimism surrounding this kid’s ability to become one of the league’s best players.

First off, look at his 2019-20 and try to blame his lack of production on him. His numbers were pretty good when he was lining up with Taylor Hall, but once he was traded he was on a line with teammates who couldn’t take advantage of his play. Miles Wood or Wayne Simmonds are nice players at times, but in no world should they be on a line with Hughes.

Hughes’ numbers showed that he was one of the best puck carriers in the National Hockey League. There is actually a lot of data that supports Hughes being one of the best and most creative playmakers in the league. It also suggests that he is one of the best skaters with the puck in the entire NHL.

According to this rank (created through analytics by Bryce Chevallier), Jack Hughes was the third most effective puck carrier in the NHL only behind Nikolaj Ehlers and Mathew Barzal. He is in the same company as players like Artemi Panarin, Taylor Hall, and Patrick Kane. This isn’t the end all be all but the fact that he has that part of his game down means he just needs to work on his decision making in the offensive zone and his finishing ability. It would also help if he was given a pure sniper at even strength on a full-time basis.

Having Jack Hughes in the New Jersey organization is going to be something special for years to come. He has all of this natural ability that you just can’t teach. Once more man muscle and proper decision making are developed, he will thrive. Oh, it would probably help to not have his best linemate traded, coach and GM fired, and a global pandemic canceling his season’s regularly either. Hughes is going to be an elite player, just you wait.