The New Jersey Devils are coming into the 2024-25 season as one of the top favorites to compete for the Stanley Cup. Over the last five or six years, they have been building from the ground up to get to this point.
Along the way, they have hit on a few different lotteries. One of them allowed them to select Jack Hughes with the first overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. The lucky transaction changed the franchise forever.
Right now, Hughes is the most important person in the entire franchise. That goes for players, coaches, or management. He is a special player who is considered to be among the elites in the NHL.
With Nico Hischier there to be that two-way center, Jack Hughes is free to use his high-end offensive abilities as he wishes. It is his role to be the catalyst of the team in that department.
The New Jersey Devils are looking for big things from Jack Hughes
Last season, Hughes dealt with a nagging shoulder injury. Once the Devils were not going to the playoffs, they shut him down to make sure he was good to go for this year. Still, he was well over a point per game as he had 27 goals and 47 assists for 74 points in 62 games.
He trailed the team lead in goals by just one (Timo Meier had 28, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier also had 27) despite missing 20 games last season. That speaks volumes about his production.
The New Jersey Devils are going to go where Jack Hughes takes them. If he builds on the elite production he's put up over the last two seasons (173 points in 144 games played), the Devils will be one of the best teams in the league. Health is a huge factor for Hughes and a lot of his teammates.
Who is going to play with Jack Hughes? There are plenty of options. With Sheldon Keefe as the new head coach, you'd like to think that Hughes will be put in the best position to succeed.
We've seen Keefe get the most out of stars like Hughes during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs and he is looking to do the same again in New Jersey. If Jack Hughes plays to the best of his ability in this new system, and it seems like he will, it is going to be a fun season for the Devils.