Who Are NHL's top-five centers, and does New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes make the list?

Obviously, Pucks and Pitchforks did not place Hughes in the top five list. But Hughes has potential.

Since joining the NHL, he scored his first NHL hat trick in a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals in November of 2022. At the time he was under 22, becoming the eighth-youngest player in Devils/Colorado Rockies/Kansas City Scouts history to earn a hat trick.

Hughes is currently 23 years old. He has played 306 career games and has 114 goals and 167 assists. He helped the Devils advance to the playoffs in 2023 for the first time since 2018. Of course, last season was painful, both emotionally for us Devils fans but also physically for Hughes. He seemed like a lock for a top-five center going into last season, but injuries threw off the timeline.

With his age being brought up, it is time to point out the obvious — Hughes is young. Give Hughes half a season of more experience on NHL ice under his belt, and he’ll easily make the top five. He also has to stay healthy. That's a big part of it. 2024-25 is a huge season for his development, and he could be on this list next season.