Luke Hughes
While we’re all still waiting for contract extension news on Luke Hughes, let’s talk about his potential. He’s certainly someone to consider in this conversation.
When he emerged on the scene, Hughes was known as an offensive defenseman. Last year, he refined his game and really grew defensively. Hughes now plays a more well-rounded game as a two-way defenseman. He should continue to grow in his age 22 season.
Hughes put up more than 40 points in both of his first two NHL seasons, mostly on assists. As he continues to contribute with assists, we could see him start to put up a couple more goals, too. Both years, he made solid contributions on the power play, with 25 power play assists in 2023-24 and 16 in 2024-25. As he continues to flourish in his PP role, we could see those numbers rise.
Like his brother Jack, Luke Hughes is also coming into the season after rehabbing from a shoulder surgery. He’s expected to be ready to go. With an exciting season ahead, Hughes is someone who can reach new career-highs this year.
Dawson Mercer
There are a lot of people counting Dawson Mercer out after two mediocre seasons in a row. Did he peak in 2022-23 in his age 21 season with 56 points? After four seasons in the league, it’s very possible that the Mercer we’ve seen is the Mercer we’ll keep seeing. But don't count him out just yet.
The Devils have left trades on the table because they weren’t willing to part with Mercer. Clearly, the organization still believes in him and think he is an asset to the team despite how his trajectory has fallen.
His sophomore season is the outlier, but he’s still only 23, turning 24 in October. There are other players who don’t fully unlock their potential until year five in the league. Fellow Devil, Jesper Bratt, for example. Mercer could still find the success from his sophomore year again and add to it. He scored 27 goals that year. Could he join the 30-goal club for the first time?
It feels like Mercer is at a crossroads this year. He could either prove he’s a valuable part of this current core's future or show that it’s time to cut ties.