On Jack Hughes' monster extension with the New Jersey Devils

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While the New Jersey Devils suffered an ugly loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night, it’s hard to look at the day as anything but a win.

Jack Hughes signed an eight-year, $64 million contract extension that will keep him in red and black through the 2029-30 season.

Pierre LeBrun @PierreVLeBrun

Jack Hughes extension breakdown: 22-23: $9 (includes $2M SB) 23-24: $8.5M 24-25: $8.5M 25-26: $8.5M 26-27: $8M 27-28: $7.5M 28-29: $7M 29-30: $7M (10-team no-trade clause kicks in 26-27, so for last 4 years of deal)

There’s a common line of questioning on Twitter – at least from those on the outside – about what Hughes has accomplished that suggests he deserves $8 million per season.

I completely understand that sentiment it on the surface. His point outputs aren’t exactly jaw dropping and it’s not like the team has been successful.

But this isn’t about what Hughes has done. It’s about what Hughes will do. While Hughes hasn’t popped yet, the Devils have ample reason to believe he will. Everything beneath the surface screams the Devils have a budding star on their hands.

Byron Bader @ByronMBader

For the boys... There has never been a player that has looked like this that hasn't turned into a star and I full expect Jack Hughes to carry on that tradition. https://t.co/5pyE2xgqJx

Play driving

Jack Hughes looks to be the Dougie Hamilton of forwards. Every time he sets foot on the ice, the script flips in his team’s favor. That was the case for Hughes on a nightly basis last season despite playing more minutes, and better competition, than initially expected.

New Jersey’s share of the shot attempts was 6.54% higher with Hughes on the ice than without. It’s not like those were empty calorie shots either. Hughes actually fared even better in terms of expected goals (weighted shots), helping the Devils control a share nearly 7% larger while on the ice. That led to results as well. Hughes posted a positive goal differential on a team that finished -21 at 5v5. His relative goals for percentage +7.78%. Again, there was a huge gap in performance without the sophomore on the ice.

His relative numbers were actually among the best in the NHL. Of 277 forwards to play at least 500 minutes at 5v5, Hughes slotted 15th in rel CF% and 25th in rel xGF%.

Very few players tilted the ice like Hughes. That he did so as a teenager while playing the 1C role out of necessity – alongside, at the time, a couple unknowns in Yegor Sharangovich and Janne Kuokkanen – is encouraging to say the least.