Don't Look Now, Jack Hughes is Finding His Groove

Coming off of season-ending surgery on April 10, there were questions about the superstar centerman Jack Hughes. The first was if he was always going to be injury-prone. His shoulder ailment was just the next in a line of injuries that Hughes has had in his short career. The other question was whether or not he could play at a high level again like he has in the past.

It took a while, but Jack Hughes is starting to play at the high level that many people expected him to be at. Through just 16 games so far, the young center has already produced five goals and 15 points. This is after coming off a three-point night on Thursday vs. the Montreal Canadiens, where he showcased his talent. After weaving through defenders, he made a perfect pass to Jesper Bratt for the tap-in goal, which gave the Devils the early lead.

However, number 86 was not done there. Later on, in the third period, with the Devils holding onto a one-goal advantage, Bratt makes a great saucer feed to Hughes, who went top shelf. That proved to be the game-winning goal in a 5-3 victory for New Jersey. It was, yet again, another showcase of what the former #1 overall pick can do on a nightly basis when he's at full strength.

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis even spoke about how dangerous Hughes is whenever he has the puck. "When 86 has the puck on his stick, it’s not easy.” When he is out there on the ice, he becomes the number one focus of every player on the opponent's side. This is for good reason.

He hounds the puck on the forecheck, finds ways to give other guys opportunities to score, and when he gets an opening, Hughes doesn't hesitate to call his own number and end up with one in the back of the net. His confidence is not just affecting him; it's uplifting everyone around him. The best example is his linemates' production.

In the last five contests, there isn't another line in hockey that has had more production than the Ondrej Palat, Hughes, and Bratt trio. Palat, who had his own slow start now has two goals and three points with a +/- of +1. Bratt, has three goals and seven points with a +/- of +2 in that same span. Finally, Hughes has three goals and six points of late with a +/- of +3

A large part of that production has been the play of Hughes. He started off slow, with just five points in the team's first eight games. A large part of why he was sluggish at first was due in large part to him getting back from his aforementioned shoulder surgery and getting acclimated to playing consistently again. Over the past eight games, there's been no doubt that he is back to being the top player Devils fans have come to know and love watching.

Hughes has an impressive 10 points in the last eight contests and quickly has made it to the top three on the team in points. He's also tied for the fifth most goals on the Devils with Bratt, but that will soon change with the way Jack has been performing. All in all, this is an exciting time for the team. They've won four of their last five and still are towards the upper echelon of teams in the league. The next few games will give the Devils and Hughes to keep up the good play and continue to build that swagger. Something that Hughes thrives on.