Jack Hughes is a force on the penalty kill

Hughes has garnered unmatched results at both ends of the ice in undermanned situations.

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When Sheldon Keefe took over as head coach of the New Jersey Devils, he indicated he’d like Jack Hughes to take a step defensively so the coaching staff could rely more on that aspect of the game.

Hughes has always carried a lot on his plate in terms of usage. However, he has rarely been trusted in clear defensive situations; such as on the penalty kill.

That has changed this season. Hughes has logged nearly 40 shorthanded minutes through 54 games.

He’s been a fairly regular contributor in a state where he played just 12 minutes in the final three seasons before Keefe was hired.

Hughes is hardly being spoonfed PK ice but the couple shifts he’s seeing per night is a big leap from the four seconds he averaged from 2021-24.

And he’s absolutely killing it.

The Devils have outscored opponents 2-1 during Hughes’ minutes on the penalty kill. Of the 169 forwards who’ve logged at least 39 minutes in shorthanded situations this season, Hughes is the only player with a positive goal differential.

His underlying metrics indicate that’s no coincidence. Using the same criteria, Hughes ranks 1st in shot share (26.47%), 1st in shot on goal share (41.67%), and 1st in scoring chance share (30.43%).