The 3 New Jersey Devils under the most pressure in 2026-27
Breaking down which players have the most riding on the upcoming season.
Follow along on Twitter @ToddCordell | @InfernalAccess
There is always pressure to perform in professional sports, but some players are carrying more than others.
Be it pressure to live up to reputation, a big contract, or get their careers off the ground, these three New Jersey Devils stand out as players with a lot riding on this coming season.
Jack Hughes
Jack has established himself as one of the better players in the league.
Scoring the golden goal at the Olympics gave him a much-needed signature moment that fuelled his stardom further.
Now he needs to live up to it in the NHL.
There’s no denying the elite, elite talent, but his resume is lacking.
In large part due to injuries – Hughes has missed 20+ games in three consecutive seasons – he has only reached 80 points once, let alone the 100-point mark no New Jersey Devils player has ever touched.
He’s also participated in just one playoff run. The Devils made it more than once during his career, of course, but he was unavailable due to injury.
It’s time for No. 86 to take that next step.
He needs to produce a ton of points, he needs to stay healthy, and he needs to be playing meaningful games for the Devils.
If he underperforms, or runs into injury problems that take him out of the lineup when it matters most, we’ll be talking about a top-tier player who has played in the playoffs once eight years into his career.
This is a big season for Jack.
