Pucks and Pitchforks
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5 New Jersey Devils Who Can Win Awards This Season

By Nick Villano

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 21: Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers poses with the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award after the 2017 NHL Awards and Expansion Draft at T-Mobile Arena on June 21, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 21: Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers poses with the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award after the 2017 NHL Awards and Expansion Draft at T-Mobile Arena on June 21, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils
Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Jack Hughes – Hart Memorial Trophy

This is crazy, right? This has to be crazy. Maybe I’ve gone crazy. Everyone must be taking crazy pills.

Actually….

Jack Hughes might be the perfect contender for the Hart Trophy in such a strange season. We saw three seasons ago when Taylor Hall won the award that putting a team on a player’s back could be all a player needs to win MVP.

Hughes could bounce back in the biggest way we’ve seen from a year-two player. Look at the second year of past number-one overall picks. Connor McDavid went from 45 points in an injury-riddled rookie season to 100 points in his next year on the ice. Steven Stamkos went from 46 points to 95 points in year one to year two. Rick Nash went from 39 points to 57 points (including 41 goals). The list goes on of players making major jumps from year one to year two.

McDavid won the Hart Trophy in his second year. Stamkos ended up sixth in voting in his second season. Nash won the Rocket Richard Trophy, and if Columbus was any better than a tire fire, he would have done better in the MVP voting.

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Hughes has a chance to be a points machine if he stays on a line with Nikita Gusev and Kyle Palmieri. Both those wingers are in contract years and looking to cash in. They will be motivated all season, and if the Devils are in contention, the team could look to keep them and pay them in the offseason. That means Hughes just had to make smart decisions and his point total will explode. That could lead to MVP votes thanks to the narrative. Some actually gave up on Hughes already, but with 14 pounds of added muscle, his new NHL body could be just what he needs to dominate.

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