The New Jersey Devils used their first-round picks in 2021 and 2022 to select Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, both in the top five. That was a clear sign of the Devils' intent to create a defensive force, something they had in the 90s and early 2000s.
Hughes and Nemec are playing their third season together with the Devils, and the duo is showing a lot of promise. Following a solid 2023-24 campaign (their first together), Nemec played the entire last season through a shoulder injury, but he came back stronger, and it is showing.
Nemec is the team's top-scoring defenseman with five goals so far, while he and Hughes lead all defensemen in points with 14 points each. Despite spending just 107.3 minutes on ice as a defensive pair, Hughes and Nemec contributed six goals and allowed only three in return. That's 1.68 goals against per 60 minutes.
With six takeaways apiece, they are tied with Jonas Siegenthaler for the team lead among defensemen in this category. Nemec is third on the team with 37 blocks, seven behind Sigenthaler and five fewer than Brenden Dillon.
Now, imagine they get the same minutes as Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler, who lead the Devils with 241.1. Hamilton and Siegenthaler also created six goals, and while they are still excellent defensively (allowing 2.49 goals per 60 minutes), it's evident they're struggling to produce on offense.
With a point-making machine, Jack Hughes, on the sidelines due to a peculiar injury, it is expected that other players step up offensively. That also includes defensemen. Jack's brother, Luke, scored only one goal so far but registered 13 assists. That's the team's second-best after Jesper Bratt, who has 17 dimes. Luke Hughes posted 40+ points in each of the last two seasons and will undoubtedly reach that mark again, barring any injuries.
Nemec could be set for a breakout season
Simon Nemec was the New Jersey Devils' hero on a couple of occasions in the past two weeks. Following his first career hat-trick against the Chicago Blackhawks, becoming only the third defenseman in Devils history to record a hat-trick, Nemec came to the rescue again. He scored a winner in overtime against the St. Louis Blues.
Nemec already bagged five goals this year, which is the total of his first two seasons in the NHL combined. Currently sitting on a +9 in plus/minus rating, he is on course to have 15+ goals to his name this time around. If that happens, Nemec will join an elite company of nine other defensemen who recorded that feat for the Devils. The last time a defenseman scored 15+ goals for New Jersey was in 2023-23, when Dougie Hamilton enjoyed his career-best season.
Both Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec have what it takes to become the next New Jersey Devils legends, but it remains to be seen whether they'll come close to Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens' careers and legacy. Undoubtedly, they will get more opportunities together on ice in the future, and already have solid chemistry. Time is on their side, and it appears the talent is there as well.