The New Jersey Devils have a lot of high draft stock invested in a lot of their core. Most of them have already been paid lucrative money, too. That includes the 2021 4th overall pick, defenseman Luke Hughes. 

Hughes, of course, is the younger brother of Devils star Jack Hughes, who was the number one overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Their oldest brother Quinn is a superstar defenseman for the Minnesota Wild. The hope in New Jersey is that they are all starring for the team down the road. 

2026-27 is going to be a very telling year for Luke Hughes, who is tied for the highest-paid defenseman on the team (Dougie Hamilton). This year, they will be tied for the highest overall paid player, as Nico Hischier’s $11.7 million per year extension doesn’t kick in until 2027-28. 

The youngest Hughes has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his young career so far. He has 23 goals and 105 assists for 128 points in 223 games played. Those points don’t grow on trees, especially for a defenseman. 

Where Hughes needs to improve if he doesn’t want to be known as just a points merchant is the defensive side of the puck. He doesn’t offer a high-end level of play in his own end, which has kept him from taking meaningful steps as an overall player compared to some of his peers. 

Hughes is still just 22 years old, so he has a lot of time to continue growing. His age-23 season, which is this upcoming season as his birthday is in September, will be fairly revealing when it comes to what kind of player he is going to become. 

With Simon Nemec gone, this is Luke’s team to take over as Dougie Hamilton ages out. If the squad as a whole improves, that will help Luke take steps. If Jack can stay healthy for a full season, that will help everyone, too, but especially Luke. 

If this season goes by and he is someone who collects a lot of points but doesn’t move the needle defensively, that just might be what he is in the NHL. If there is extra emphasis on the two-way game and he’s still picking up points in bunches, then he will live up to his draft stock and contract. 

Speaking of the contract, his negotiations bled into training camp last year. That’s never a good thing for an NHL player. This year, he will enter camp with no worries other than being the best hockey player he can be. Being on a Devils team ready to compete for the playoffs will help. 

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