On Luke Hughes reaching new heights and 3rd line struggles

Luke Hughes has taken several steps toward stardom this season. Plus, notes on the Devils' 3rd line problem.

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A few New Jersey Devils notes on this off-day:

Hughes is reaching new heights

I can’t say enough about Luke Hughes and his game this season. It’s ridiculous how quickly he has turned into an absolute star.

Last season he was dynamic offensively but, at times, the defensive flaws and extremely risky plays he made with the puck took away from that.

Don’t get me wrong, he was a good player – but there were plenty of holes that could be poked in his game.

This year? That’s not the case at all. Hughes has flipped the switch and turned into a defensive stalwart while maintaining his fantastic offensive game, if not improving upon it.

Hughes is one of the best puck transporters in the league from the backend. He’s also a big-time threat in the offensive zone, going downhill with the puck whenever he wants and forcing defenses out of their structure.

Without the puck? He’s been just as good. His gap control is incredible, his stick work makes him almost impossible to get by, and he has the speed to recover on the rare time he is beaten.

Hughes owns a 58.44 CF% and 62.88 xGF%, both of which lead the Devils. He’s also +3 at 5v5 despite the Devils having scored 10 – yes, TEN – fewer goals than expected based on what they’ve generated during his minutes.

Perhaps even more remarkable, Hughes is producing at a 41-point pace. That doesn’t sound all that impressive but it is when considering a) the Devils aren’t scoring nearly as often as they deserve to when Hughes is on the ice, which makes it harder to collect points and; b) he’s not quarterbacking the top power play.

Not many defensemen put up 40+ points while playing PP2 and dealing with a lack of puck luck. That’s what Hughes is on pace to do.

He looks like an absolute superstar in the making and there’s absolutely nothing in the numbers to suggest otherwise.

Hughes reaching such heights is one of the key reasons the Devils may be ready to contend as early as this season. He’s speeding up the timeline.

The 3rd line is a problem