Likelihood Luke Hughes Will Be Gone When New Jersey Devils Pick In NHL Draft

Anaheim Ducks

What are the Ducks going to do in the draft? It’s easier to figure out what came first, the duck or the egg. The Ducks could go with the remaining of the great defensemen. They could go for Beniers if he’s still available. They could go slightly off the board with Dylan Guenther or Mason McTavish. There are so many options.

And of course, one of them could absolutely be Luke Hughes. The Ducks aren’t trying to be good next season. They are trying to figure out their future. If they think Hughes will grow into the best defenseman in this class, then he should be their pick. The Ducks are likely going to lose Ryan Getzlaf in free agency, so it really is going to be an end of an era. They could also lose Adam Henrique in the expansion draft, so that’s another veteran off the board. This team is about players like Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, and Jacob Perreault. Add on the third-overall pick to the reason for optimism outside Disney Land.

The Ducks are probably the Devils’ biggest threat to the Luke Hughes sweepstakes. He may be a conselation prize, but there’s still a chance he’s the best player in this draft. There are too many different players who could be the best. This is what makes this draft one of the scariest for GMs. There could be eight busts in the top ten. Or, they could all end up as stars. Not only is this a mediocre draft talent wise, but the entirety of the scouting process came during a global pandemic. So, the Ducks could take Luke Hughes. The Sabres could take Hughes. The Kraken could take Hughes. However, it still seems more likely than not that the Devils will have a chance to take Jack’s brother.