The New Jersey Devils went big for free agents and trade assets this offseason. It might seem a little early to start getting expensive assets when the team still hasn’t sniffed the playoffs since the 2018 postseason, but Jack Hughes‘ contract situation makes it a little easier to get some money out the door. He is in the final year of his entry-level contract, and he is due for a massive raise at the end of this season. The Devils might as well get some meaningful games in while Hughes is making under $1 million.
His performance on Sunday is making Devils fans feel like a million bucks. Hughes didn’t do much in the first and second periods, but in the third period he took over. This was the first “game” action Hughes was playing with new Devils forward Tomas Tatar. He had his usual linemate Yegor Sharangovich to his left.
After going down 4-0, there were a lot of worried people watching from home. Hughes’ team was looking a lot like the team from a year ago. Then, the 20 year old took over. He took a shot literally from the corner that beat Akira Schmid. That put Team C on the board.
He then took a shot a few minutes later that looked like it came out of a sniper rifle. That made it 4-2 for his team. The Devils kept the game going with an overtime period and a shootout. In the shootout, Hughes took the goaltender’s lunch with a deke move.
Jack Hughes or Patty Kane? @Buccigross #86 #88 pic.twitter.com/rpqgv4bM9m
— Mark (@MarkoB_8998) September 26, 2021
The patience it takes to wait on that shot shows a veteran presence from Hughes, who will be entering his third year in the league. He got so much better from his rookie year to his sophomore year. The expectation is he is going to take an even bigger step forward this season. The team is just better, and the Devils saw a glimpse of what Hughes could be before last season’s COVID outbreak. He was a game-breaker. He took over and made the other team look silly. That was the version of Jack Hughes that came out on Sunday.
Hughes is the player the Devils need to break out this season. Every other player could have good seasons, but if Hughes goes in the tank it might not matter. That’s why Devils fans were so excited about the events of Sunday’s scrimmage. Hughes might get more focus from other teams, but if he’s able to play like this, it might not matter.