3 Reasons Why Jack Hughes Will Score 100+ Points Next Season
Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils is quickly becoming one of the National Hockey League’s brightest young stars. Hughes, 22, has progressed delightfully in his four-year NHL career. Hughes point totals rose from 21 in his first season to 99 this past season.
Is it inevitable that Hughes will score 100+ points this season for the first time in his career? His steady progression indicates that the century mark is entirely in play for him when the puck drops on the 2023-2024 NHL season. Here are three reasons why Hughes can and will become the first 100-point scorer in Devils franchise history.
1. Timo Meier
When the Devils acquired Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks last spring, they exponentially improved their hockey team. Meier is a star, and although he struggled to get acclimated to New Jersey in his short 32-game sample, it’s safe to say that the Devils will be getting the absolute best version of Meier in his first full season in the red and black. He just signed his eight-year contract extension, giving him stability with his new home.
With a full training camp with this star-studded Devils team, Meier will have time to learn more about his teammates, especially Jack Hughes. The pair scuffled a bit when paired together this past season, but that can be chalked up to two uber-talented hockey players being unfamiliar with one another.
Hughes and Meier seemed to get too fancy and run into each other at times. Because of this, we expect them to get some time together this year in training camp. If the duo hits it off this fall in camp and enters the new season on a line together, look out. A Jack Hughes and Timo Meier connection might take the Metropolitan Division and the National Hockey League by storm.
2. Health
It is extremely hard to assume health in professional sports, especially a sport with the physical nature of hockey. With four years of experience under his belt, Hughes knows how to play his game in the National Hockey League and has shown the ability to evade body checks.
So, let’s say that Hughes avoids missing time due to injury this season. Hughes played in 78 contests last season (that felt like the longest four games ever), tallying 43 goals and 56 assists, good for a total of 99 points. If Hughes had played those four missed games, it is safe to say that he would have tallied at least one point to get to 100.
Even upon his return from injury, Hughes still looked as if he was in considerable pain, which also affected his final point total. If Hughes can play 75+ games entirely healthy, then 100 points is a layup. Stay away from him, Brady Tkachuk.
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3. Progression
As previously mentioned, Jack Hughes has progressed in each season of his young four-year NHL career. It is a fair assessment to expect increased progression in his fifth season at the *checks notes* ripe age of 22.
Hughes is a generational talent. Now that he has dipped his feet into the playoff waters of the NHL and has a taste of that, expect him to kick it into another gear. Hughes may still be a couple of years away from winning the Hart Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s Most Valuable Player, thanks to the insanity that is Connor McDavid, but 100+ points can be expected in the 2023-2024 season.