It’s time to face it. Jack Hughes should not be sent out in the shootout for the New Jersey Devils anymore. Despite him being a serious offensive weapon for the Devils and a top player in the league, shootouts are not his strength.
The Devils lost in a shootout on Tuesday night, with two of three Florida Panthers scoring on their shootout attempts and only Paul Cotter scoring for the Devils. Hughes and Jesper Bratt did not score. With this shootout attempt, Hughes fell to 3 for 17 in the shootout in his career. His shooting percentage in the shootout is 17.6% across six seasons in the NHL.
This was the Devils’ first shootout of the 2024-25 season and thus was Hughes’ first shootout attempt with Sheldon Keefe as his coach. Keefe gave his star the opportunity despite a poor record in the past. That’s understandable, but it didn’t work out. It’s natural to think that someone who has scored 43 goals in a single season would be a solid choice for taking a shot. But it hasn’t worked out that way.
New Jersey Devils can't keep putting Jack Hughes out there in shootout opportunities.
So what’s the problem here? When approaching the goalie in a shootout, there’s quite a bit of time to think and decide how to act. Shootouts, much like penalty shots, are a high pressure situation for the the goaltender and the skater. Hughes is 0 for 3 in penalty shots in the regular season, with one penalty shot scored in the playoffs. It seems like a mental block. Hughes is overthinking it. He’s at his best when he doesn’t have time or space to think.
Ultimately, NHL games don’t end in a shootout very often, and it’s not a factor in the playoffs at all. But when the situation does arise in the regular season, Keefe needs to turn to the guys who will give him the best chance to grab that second point. In this situation, it’s not the superstar, and that’s okay. He contributes in plenty of other situations.
Hughes isn't the only Devil having a tough time in shootouts. It's a team issue. With the Devils’ struggles in the shootout over the past several years, it’s time to think outside the box and switch to a new approach. The next time the Devils go to a shootout, Jack Hughes should not take a shot.