4. Luke Hughes
On pace for 36 goals against (in 73 games)
Last season, Luke Hughes was on the ice for 55 goals against in 82 games. He was allowing 2.41 goals per 60 minutes of ice time. Despite being a finalist for the Calder Trophy, there were times when Luke Hughes very much looked like a rookie. He made mistakes on the ice that directly contributed to goals against. The Devils goaltenders couldn’t stop anything, either. It was a recipe for disaster.
This season, it’s completely different. Luke Hughes has, at times, looked like a dominant defensive force. He’s found ways to utilize his speed to enhance his defensive abilities. He’s been able to understand when to make a move or pinch in the offensive zone without leaving his teammates high and dry.
While the upgrade in net with Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom helps, Hughes deserves praise for upgrading his defensive game. He’s been able to drive play and cause turnovers in the defensive zone. He seems to know so much better what to do in his own end.
Hughes has allowed 9.26 high-danger chances per 60 minutes according to Natural Stat Trick. Only Jonathan Kovacevic and Jonas Siegenthaler have done better. We expected a breakout from Hughes with his offense, but seeing how well he’s played defensively has been a pleasant surprise.
5. New Jersey Devils
On pace for 2,054 hits this season
We went through Hockey Reference stats for every year they kept hitting stats, which goes back to the 2007-08 season, and we’ve never seen a Devils team with more than 2,000 hits in a year. This year’s Devils team is on pace to be the first.
The Devils made a concerted effort to get tougher this offseason. They added Noesen, Paul Cotter, Brenden Dillon, and Jonathan Kovacevic. They’ve all added so much to change the narrative around this team. People don’t think this team is soft anymore. And if they treat them that way, Dillon is ready to drop the gloves at any moment (as is Kurtis MacDermid, who’s an everyday contributor due to injuries).
Cotter leads the Devils in hits with 52. He’s on pace himself for more than 200 hits. Both Noesen and Dillon are at 48 hits. The Devils are doing this without Curtis Lazar, who was averaging three hits per game before he went down with a knee injury.
We’re not sure if Sheldon Keefe instilled a system to prioritize hitting, or if the talent has dictated this change in philosophy, but it’s clearly working. Keefe’s Maple Leafs teams actually did practice this, with last year’s team putting up 2,200+ hits. Teams don’t take liberties on the Devils stars. The team is able to make a team “pay” through a good, clean hit instead of starting a scrum after a play. With 25 hits per game, the Devils are sixth in the league in that stat. It’s such a huge difference from the previous teams that tried to use stick checks and skating talent to make plays happen.