The New Jersey Devils had a very bad season. However, there were a lot of young players that showed their stuff this season which should make people very excited about their future. One of those players didn’t even play pro hockey this season.
That player is Luke Hughes. He attended the University of Michigan where he was one of the best freshman defensemen in the history of the NCAA. The sky is the limit for this kid as he hopes of being a very good NHL player very soon.
On the final day of the NHL regular season, the Devils took a tough loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Luke’s older brother Jack is already the best player on the team but he finished the season on the shelf because of an injury.
He might have come back had New Jersey been going to the playoffs but that was not happening. He finished the season with the most points per game on the team as he had 56 points in 49 games. Despite missing all of that time this year, he still finished third on the team in scoring.
New Jersey Devils fans are hoping that Luke Hughes can play like his brothers.
Later in the evening, the eldest Hughes brother Quinn and his Vancouver Canucks took a tough shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Like New Jersey, Vancouver will not be participating in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
However, like New Jersey, Vancouver had a Hughes brother that was incredibly successful in 2021-22. In the loss, Quinn Hughes collected his 60th assist of the season. With eight goals on the year, his 68 points in 76 games show that he is an elite defenseman.
People in New Jersey are hoping that Luke Hughes follows his brothers. It is clear that both of the two that are already in the NHL are stars. The Devils took Luke with the 4th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft so you know that they believe good things are coming for him.
Don’t expect Luke to play just like Quinn on the back end. Their games are a little bit different. However, you can expect him to be a productive blueliner just like his eldest brother. With Jack on the same team, the sky is the limit.
The youngest Hughes brother is going to return to Michigan for the 2022-23 season. He has a lot to work on before he reaches the NHL but it is coming. He won’t be a freshman anymore and most of his best teammates have moved on to the NHL so that will be his team for the year.
Whenever Michigan is done, if the Devils still have some season left (or hopefully playoffs), Hughes might sign and play late in the year. That will certainly be an exciting storyline heading into the latter portion of next year. The future of the New Jersey Devils is bright if Hughes number three produces like his two older brothers.