With next to nothing happening in the hockey world, I've decided to take the plunge and write daily profiles for members of the New Jersey Devils.
I'll be commenting on the year each player just had as well as their projected role and expectations for 2019-20. I've written 18 thus far, with P.K. Subban being the most recent player profiled.
Today we're taking a closer look at Jack Hughes.
Counting stats (all comps): 92 games(!), 187 points (55 goals, 132 assists)
2018-19 review: Jack Hughes put up a million points while seemingly setting new records – be it team (USNTDP), league (USHL), or tournament (U18s) related – every few weeks. He could do no wrong.
The 'low point' of his season, supposedly, was at the World Hockey Championships. Hughes didn't score and put up three points in seven games, which led to wonderful narratives that he struggled mightily vs men and might not be deserving of the top draft slot. In reality, that was far from the case.
Hughes posted a 59.11 Corsi For% (excellent), contributed to 47.87% of his on-ice shot attempts (excellent), and had 36 successful carry-ins/pass-ins compared to just four dump-ins (excellent). If that's bad hockey I'm not sure what could be considered good.
Thankfully the Devils ignored all the noise and took the player who a) has the higher ceiling (in my opinion) and; b) plays a premium position.
Fun fact: Across 13 tracked games, Hughes actually attempted more shots (49) than he created for teammates (46) at 5v5. He is regarded as more of a playmaker – rightfully so – but he is a willing shooter if the opportunity presents itself.
2019-20 outlook: Hughes possesses all-world talent with strengths built perfectly to excel in today's game. Scoring is on the rise, too. Those factors alone should allow Hughes to enjoy success from the get go.
When you also consider Hughes is joining a very promising situation where there are an abundance of talented wingers (Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Nikita Gusev, Jesper Bratt, Wayne Simmonds, Jesper Boqvist, etc.) and quality puck-movers (P.K. Subban, Will Butcher, Damon Severson, etc.) to provide optimal playing circumstances, there is every reason to believe Hughes can make a strong impact on a nightly basis as early as October.
Nico Hischier put up 52 points as a rookie despite getting special attention every game – there wasn't much for teams to worry about beyond the top line – so it's fair to expect that kind of production (if not more) from Hughes this year.
Get excited.
numbers via naturalstattrick.com and hockey-reference.com Recent Posts best 1-2 punch in the Metro?