The New Jersey Devils and the rest of the NHL are finally on break. However, superstar players like Jack Hughes won't get much rest as they gear up for the first every Four Nations Faceoff set to kick off this Wednesday. This is an opportunity for many players to get their first crack at playing on an international stage. For players like the Devils' star center, it's also a chance to showcase their elite talent while playing alongside other top players in the league.
The 23-year-old forward has played with many different types of wingers in his career. From Taylor Hall to Tyler Toffoli, he's always found ways to amp up their game as well as his own. However, Hughes has never been paired with a true top 5 player in the game today. On top of that, he's never had the opportunity to focus primarily on scoring due to his abilities as a playmaker. In this tournament, he'll get to do just that and more.
Jack Hughes belongs in the conversation with the best players in the world.
— Vinnie Parise (@VinnieParise) February 11, 2025
Playing with Auston Matthews should create a ton of offense for Team USA. Both can pass and shoot with the best of them. https://t.co/VJMjkaEjTG
Through the first two days of practice, Hughes has lined up with Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews and Tampa Bay Lightning's Jake Guentzel. On top of that, Hughes is also on the United States' first power play unit alongside Matthews, Adam Fox, Jack Eichel, and Matthew Tkachuk. Simply put, Hughes is surrounded by other elite talent that will only make him that much better of a player. Not only will they push his game to another level, but he will do the same for the guys he plays with. The potential that they all have for this tournament together is unreal.
Another positive for Hughes also affects the Devils and, more particularly, general manager Tom Fitzgerald. While this will be just a small sample size, this will give Fitzgerald a chance to see what his top player can do when surrounded by more elite talent around him. It may convince him to make a bigger push to find a top scorer to play on Hughes' wing. It would be fair to say that talented players want to play with Jack Hughes. Matthews even expressed his excitement to play with him while talking to Pucks and Pitchforks' own Trey Matthews.
“[Jack’s] a superstar in this league.”
— Trey Matthews (@treymatt4) February 1, 2025
Had the chance to speak w/ Leafs captain Auston Matthews yesterday
Jack was quoted to say that he’d be willing to play wing in order to play on the same line as Matthews@LockedOnDevils @LockedOnLeafs @pitchforkedpuck #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/OFHI1lmMQa
That is just one of many examples of how players around the league feel about number 86. It should also be mentioned that Fitzgerald is one of Team USA's assistant general managers. So, with that being said, he'll have a front-row seat to see how Jack's game will get better with true scorers around him. This will only be helpful for Fitzgerald to make certain decisions about adding to his top six.
It will be an exciting tournament for everyone involved. For Jack Hughes, it's the perfect opportunity in his still young career to show the entire hockey world just how much of a top player he is.