Luke Hughes was not named to the NHL Network Top 20 defenseman at the beginning of the season. Here at the theDevilsNation.com, we made a case he should have been on the list over Dougie Hamilton, who was ranked 19th. And the way he is playing without Hamilton in the lineup, he is surely playing like one.
Despite missing time at the beginning of the season with a shoulder injury and now playing through a slight injury during this final stretch, as he continues to miss practices and morning skates, Luke Hughes has transformed into the Devils number one defenseman.
The Case for Luke Hughes in NHL Network’s Top 20 Defensemen
You can see it with the way he has stepped up without Hamilton and Jones Siegenthaler in the lineup. Not to mention, with his brother Jack Hughes out of the lineup, Luke has led the way offensively. Over the past 13 games, he has 13 points (two goals and 11 assists). Over the past 17 games, he has 20 points (three goals and 17 assists), averaging 23:30 minutes of ice time. There are some nights it is more. Like against Minnesota when he averaged close to 30 minutes of ice time.
Similar to what we are seeing around the league with young defenseman propelling their teams to victory, Luke Hughes is leading the charge from the backend.
“He was excellent,” Devils’ head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Hughes’ performance after the Devils victory on Monday night. “It seemed like any sort of offense that we generated tonight, he was involved in. It is great to see, and we need that.”
As previously mentioned, Hughes has taken on a larger role with the team with Hamilton and Siegenthaler out of the lineup. However, he can handle it after developing and playing two years of college hockey before turning pro at the end of the 2023 season. He saw game action in the 2023 season, including a couple of playoff games, but he really took off last season.
Sheldon Keefe Continues To Keep Devils Players Accountable
Even after starting the season later because of the injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe noticed he had been outstanding all season.
“He’s played well, he’s taken on a lot for us and I think he’s definitely stepped up,” Keefe said. “I thought he was tremendous at the start of the season once he came back from his injury. That stretch just up before Christmas, he was playing outstanding hockey. He and Pesh (Pesce) were great together. And really kind of when we had six healthy defense and really solidified our group and played our best hockey. So to talk about his growth and such. Now, I think it’s sort of discounting that, because he was playing it and has shown and had shown the ability to play a really high level.”
Thus, the coaching staff believed in giving him more minutes and requiring him to take on more responsibilities with the injuries. Luke Hughes was quarterbacking the second power play when Hamilton was healthy. The Devils knew they had a special player who could eventually be a number one guy, but his growth with the responsibilities he has taken on and shown was a reason they took him fourth overall in 2021.
“He’s taken on a lot more here as his minutes are higher. He’s taking on first unit power play, and he’s done a nice job of that,” Keefe continued. “And his points and stuff go up as a result. I think there’s some connection there to five-on-five offense, too, because you just have the puck more, and you’re just feeling a little bit better when you’re on the first unit. That helps offensive guys.”
That said, Luke Hughes knows, like his coach, he wants to get better. This is not to say he is poor defensively, but there are some bad habits he needs to break. Overall, he has defended well. Some of his decision-making has led to turnovers that found their way into the back of the net. But you can throw veteran defensemen like Brenden Dillon, Johnathan Kovacevic, and Brett Pesce, who do the same.
Everyone Needs To Pump The Brakes on Quinn Hughes to the Devils Talk
Mistakes come as Luke Hughes gets more ice time, but he is playing better defensively. A large part of this has to do with his defensive partner, Brett Pesce. His coach has noticed that. The two feed off each other well, and Pesce has noticed what he is bringing, night in and night out.
“He stepped up huge, playing big minutes, shutting down teams’ best lines, a lot of D zone draws, where he’s taking care of business there, first and foremost, and then obviously running first power play with Dougie out,” Pesce said. “I think he’s come in and done an exceptional job. So not surprised by any means.”
Having that stay-at-home guy in Pesce has allowed Luke Hughes to shine offensively. But the big thing is that he has learned to take care of his own zone first, which is what he needs to do. In time, he will be the total package on defense with the offensive gifts that can change a game.
The New Jersey Devils are seeing Luke Hughes transform into a number-one defenseman right before their eyes. Again, there was a reason he needed to be on NHL Network’s Top 20 defensemen list for the season. People will surely see it now. Luke Hughes will only get better as time goes on.
