The New Jersey Devils are in a great spot. They came into the 2022-23 season with mixed expectations. It’s clear they have exceeded even the most optimistic people’s beliefs. Most of the Devils’ star players are still incredibly young and going to be there for a long time. They are ahead of schedule and could take this to great heights over the next few years.
The Devils had this amazing season despite letting one of their most talented players and prospects go back to college. Luke Hughes went back to Michigan for his sophomore season this year. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
He had another outstanding season with the Wolverines, including a second trip to the Frozen Four. Unfortunately, it ended there as Quinnipiac defeated the Wolverines 5-2 on Thursday night. From there, the speculation began as to when the youngest Hughes would be with the Devils for good.
Luke Hughes has officially signed his entry-level deal with the New Jersey Devils.
Well, on Saturday, we got the news we so desperately wanted to hear. Luke Hughes has joined the New Jersey Devils in Boston and signed his entry-level contract.
Luke Hughes will likely get into a game this week, which will surely be exciting for everyone to see. His older brother and Devils leading scorer Jack Hughes has to be thrilled.
We have seen plenty of players come out of college and make an impact right away. We will see if he is given an opportunity to do that and if he takes advantage of what is given to him this season. Beyond this year is where Luke will really come in handy. He is expected to be one of the team’s best defensemen over the next decade or more.
With the core that the Devils have built in recent years, there could be a lot of good times ahead. The Hughes brothers together will be a big part of it, in addition to all of the other great young studs in this organization.
With all of the first-round picks that this team has hit on recently, there is a chance that we are entering a gold-level era in team history. It will be hard to top the core built in the mid-90s but this group is excellent.