Jack Hughes has been driving the conversation for months. 2026 has really been the year of Jack Hughes. Between his return from injury, dating a singing superstar, scoring the Golden Goal, then going nuts to end the season, putting up the second-most points in the NHL after the Olympics, Hughes has been on a scorcher when it comes to dominating the headlines.
That continued throughout the offseason. He didn’t really say much, but he spent the entire summer with his brothers. That has caused so many headlines itself. Quinn Hughes has yet to sign a contract, and the rumor mill has been all over why that might be the case.
Jack Hughes was even making headlines on the 32 Thoughts podcast on Monday, talking about his relationship (or lack thereof) with Sunny Mehta. Then, those dreaded rankings came out, and it got us talking again.
Jack Hughes was ranked by the NHL Network as the 26th best player in the NHL. Obviously, the criteria for these rankings are always vague, and it’s really just meant to get us talking.
Well, good job NHL. You got us.
Jack Hughes (@NJDevils) moves up five spots on NHL Network's Top 50 Players Right Now list!
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) September 13, 2026
📺: #NHLTopPlayers Sundays on NHL Network pic.twitter.com/MNBsYMCmPe
As we can see, Hughes is rising up the rankings, as he was 31st in the league going into last season. In 2025-26, when Hughes was healthy, he was one of the best players in the league. Only Connor McDavid had more points from the time the Olympic break ended to the time the season ended. Unfortunately, it was not enough to get the Devils in the playoff race, but it showed what we knew all along: with a healthy Jack Hughes, this was a great team.
Jack Hughes spends his last season ranking outside the top 20
This will be the last time we see Jack Hughes outside the top 20. The injuries have been just so random over the past few years. Last year, he got hurt at a restaurant, and the year before, Jack Eichel knocked him out when he tripped him from behind.
He showed at the end of last season that these injuries don’t have a long-term effect. If he plays even 70 games, he should be one of the better players in the world.
When looking at the time when Hughes wasn't injured or didn't have a cast on his hand, he had 61 points in 41 games. That would be a 122-point pace. The entire Devils team was dominant with Hughes on the ice. Goalies be damned. Defense be damned. Coaching be damned. Hughes on the ice turned the Devils into a great team and a hard out.
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