New Jersey Devils: Predicting Tom Fitzgerald’s Goals For This Season

Tom Fitzgerald’s Goal: Make Jack Hughes A Superstar

This one probably works better before his shoulder injury, but it’s clear who stirs the drink in Newark. Jack Hughes is the best player on the Devils, and it’s becoming not close. Nico Hischier is a former number-one overall pick and the captain of the team, but the skill and ability of Hughes are untouchable. He is going to take the Devils to the ceiling if they are going to make it there.

Right not, Hughes is only considered “getting better” but there is no timetable for him to return to the ice. He avoided surgery, which is good, but he still separated his shoulder. It takes time to recover from that.

The injury really puts a damper on this season, at least the start. Hughes is facing his most important season as a hockey player. He’s in his contract year where he might learn how much money he is going to make for the next eight years of his life. He’s also in his third year in the NHL and he could establish himself as a superstar in the year where the NHL has the most eyes because it’s the first year of the league’s deal with ESPN and TNT. People are watching, and people who never watched hockey before are giving it a shot. They are choosing new favorite players, and Hughes has a chance to turn people into Devils fans.

Once Hughes comes back, the Devils and Fitzgerald need to put him in the best possible situation to succeed. Yegor Sharangovich has struggled without Hughes, and Janne Kuokkanen doesn’t look like a top-line forward without him. We know that Hughes can elevate players, but the Devils shouldn’t ask him to. They need to set the stage for him to become a superstar with the best possible linemates around him.