There is no doubt that the Hughes brothers might be the most talented trio of brothers in the history of the NHL. Maurice and Henri Richard and Phil and Tony Esposito are the most famous pairs of brothers in league history, but finding three brothers is much harder. The closest we’ve ever gotten to the Hughes brothers is probably the Statsny brothers, with Peter Statsny being a Hall of Famer and Anton Statsny being a multi-time 30-goal scorer. However, Marian Statsny was clearly lacking behind the family tree.
It appears that won’t be the case, at least, if a recent prediction comes to fruition. Daily Faceoff just put together a list of their projected top 30 players in 2030. Obviously, a million variations of the space-time continuum can change this list, but it was an interesting look into the future.
The top player on the list is still Connor McDavid. He will be 33 in five years, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility he will still be the best in the world. Number two on the list is Cale Makar, which is not surprising at all. He’s already the best defenseman in the league, and he’s just 26 years old. San Jose Sharks phenom Macklin Celebrini rounds out the top 3. He’s the first player who is more of a projection than a continuation.
After that, the Hughes brothers go back to back. Quinn Hughes, who will be 30 at the turn of the decade, finishes fourth on this list. The eldest Hughes brother is also the one who’s most established as a star. He’s a former Norris Trophy winner and will lead the Vancouver Canucks into their next era, be it by his on-ice impact or by his return in a trade.
Daily Faceoff says that his team’s lack of success hurt Quinn Hughes (Makar has a Stanley Cup), and that’s really all that separates him from Makar.
Next on the list is New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes. Many might be surprised by the ranking since Jack Hughes has struggled to stay healthy early in his career. He has been one of the best players in the world when he is on the ice, but he's seen his season end early two years in a row due to shoulder injuries.
"While the injuries have piled up, Hughes has quietly scored at a 98-point pace over a four-year period. That’s been achieved from age 20 through 23 on mostly mediocre Devils’ squads. For perspective, the ages of the league’s six 100-point scorers last year (Kucherov: 31, MacKinnon: 29, Draisaitl: 29, Pastrnak: 28, Marner: 27, McDavid: 28) averaged 28.7 years old. 2030 should be max offense for Hughes as the current scoring crop ages out of their point-banking years."Daily Faceoff
The write-up hits the nail on the head. Jack Hughes hasn't even entered his prime yet, but he is going to be a 100-point forward in no time, being the first player to ever do it in a Devils uniform.
The Hughes brothers will run the NHL in the next five years
The biggest projection for the Hughes brothers in the article is that of Luke Hughes. While the 21-year-old defenseman hasn’t shown what he can be, and since he isn’t signed to a new contract yet, he is still projected to be one of the best players in the league. Daily Faceoff ranked Luke Hughes 14th on this list.
The interesting debate here was Luke Hughes versus Lane Hutson, which has weirdly been going on for years. Hutson had a really good offensive season, while Luke Hughes had a good impact under a new, more defensive style under Sheldon Keefe. Daily Faceoff acknowledged the debate, but showed that Hughes has more upside than Hutson.
"While Habs‘ faithful might argue that snubbed Calder winner Lane Hutson offers more promise, Hughes’ pedigree and extra size on Hutson offer more probable long-term, sustained impact."Daily Faceoff
That puts all three Hughes brothers in the top 15. Has there ever been a trio of brothers in any sport who were top 15 players at the same time?
This is a special time, and we should appreciate what we’re seeing with the Hughes brothers. If the Devils do somehow get Quinn Hughes on the Devils, it will be one of the greatest eras for any team in hockey. Getting the brothers together will be an honor, and we hope that’s what we’re watching by the year 2030.