NHL Network released its Top-20 defensemen rankings on Wednesday, and Luke Hughes was not on the list. The New Jersey Devils saw Dougie Hamilton enter at 19 on the NHL Network rankings.
Here they are!
What do you think of our Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list? #NHLTopPlayers pic.twitter.com/dh8W4JkLN9
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 28, 2024
Meanwhile, Detroit Red Wings young defenseman Mortiz Sieder was ranked 20th. Luke Hughes should be on this list over Dougie Hamilton.
It has been a week for the New Jersey Devils and the Hughes family. Last week, the Devils saw Jack Hughes ranked the ninth-best center by NHL Network. Captain Nico Hischer was ranked the 20th best center by NHL Network. In addition, the Hughes brothers were put on the cover of EA Sports NHL 25 Game.
With Luke Hughes’s potential and his production in a bigger role with the club, a question has to be raised: Why did Sieder make the list and Hughes did not?
In his first entire season in the NHL, rookie defenseman Luke Hughes recorded a career-high 47 points (nine goals and 38 assists) in 82 games, averaging 21:28 of ice time. In addition, he had 25 power-play points, including four power-play goals and 21 power-play assists.
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Hughes played a more significant role last season as the Devils moved on from defenseman Damon Severson and Ryan Graves. His ice time went up, and he also anchored one of the Devils’ power play units because of Dougie Hamilton’s injury.
Though Luke Hughes looked like a rookie at times, his 47 points tied him for second amongst rookies, scoring with Minnesota Wild’s Brock Faber. They were behind Connor Bedard‘s 61 points. Not to mention, Hughes was a finalist for the Calder Trophy for NHL Rookie of the Year, finishing third with 35.36 percent of the vote, including the most third-place votes with 94. Bedard won the Calder Trophy, and Faber finished second.
The fourth overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft has made an impact right from the start. After finishing up his season with the Michigan Wolverines in the 2022-23 season, Luke Hughes jumped right to the Devils. In his second game with the Devils, he recorded two points, including a highlight reel game-winning goal against the Washington Capitals to close out the 2022-23 season.
Jack Hughes and Nico Hischer Ranked No. 9 and 20 in NHL Networks Top 20 Centers
In his unofficial rookie season, Hughes saw time in the playoffs. Again, he struggled at times but showed he was not afraid of the moment. He recorded two assists in three games in the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Devils were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in five games.
His role will only grow even more with the team. Hughes is entering his second full season with the Devils. With Faber getting a new eight-year, $68 million extension ($8.5 AAV), expect Hughes to get that and maybe more with the Devils. Those at NHL Network believe Faber can also be on the rankings next year, along with Mikhail Sergachev, Jake Sanderson, K’Andre Miller, Mike Matheson, and Erik Karlsson.
With Luke Hughes’s trajectory, he is already better than a few players, including Miller. Matheson and Karlsson are getting older, too. Plus now he has protection too.
The New Jersey Devils insulated their young defensemen, Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, by revamping their defense by adding Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon this past off-season. This will allow Hughes and Nemec’s offensive gifts to shine. However, expect new head coach Sheldon Keefe to make them play defensive hockey, too. Having a balance on defense allows a guy like Luke Hughes to shine.
So if there was a Devils defenseman to be in the Top 20, it was Luke Hughes.
Expect him to be on the list next season. Don’t be surprised if the Devils have two defensemen on the top-20 list down the road.
