Luke Hughes redefines his game and can become New Jersey Devils' top defenseman

Luke Hughes has been noticeable of late. No, it's not for a highlight reel goal or stacking up the score sheet. He's being noticed for a part of his game that is starting to come together. His defensive play. When Hughes was drafted fourth-overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, he was projected as a high-end scoring defenseman with superstar capabilities.

However, the knock on him was that his defensive game needed work. That was evident in his first full season in the NHL last year. He finished 2023-24 with +/- -25 and turned over the puck in his zone quite often. There were many voices out there debating as to whether or not he should start this season down in Utica with the Comets. Fast forward to today and those feelings have changed for the good and Hughes looks much better on both ends of the ice. In particular on the defensive end.

Head Coach Sheldon Keefe's defensive system is based around his guys being responsible without pinching too often. While Hughes will still tend to carry the puck and play more like a forward, he has taken Keefe's demands and implemented them into his defensive game. So far this year, it's obvious that he is more responsible with the puck, slowing things down and waiting for things to open up rather than just trying to do things on his own.

His stick is also a lot more active and he's able to create more takeaways while being able to help push the rush into the offensive zone. While his defensive play has certainly picked up, that doesn't mean his offensive game has dived. While he got off to a slow start and came off an injury, over the past stretch, he's finding that lethal play again. In the past six contests, the 21-year-old from Manchester, New Hampshire has tallied six points with a +/- +4. His plays, such as setting up his brother Jack Hughes for a goal vs. the Rangers on Monday, show you the maturity of Luke's play.

These types of performances are what general manager Tom Fitzgerald and his team have wanted to see from the young defenseman since the day they drafted him. While he won't be joining his brothers on Team USA for the Four Nations Faceoff, it should be noted that Luke Hughes is starting to generate more attention with is impressive play of late.

It won't be long before he finds himself being mentioned among the other top defensemen in the game today. The best part about it is that it won't just be for his offensive skills, but for what he can do on his end. He's redefined his game and it's paying off immensely.