New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes is one of the NHL's brightest young stars, and he has now been recognized for it.
NHL.com recently released an article where a handful of their writers voted on the 25 best NHL players who are under 23 years old. Without much surprise, Hughes made the cut, as he finished ninth with 160 voting points.
Seeing Hughes ranked so highly on this list is understandable. The 6-foot-2 defenseman is already a very good player for the Devils, and at 21 years old, he still has plenty more time to improve further and hit his true ceiling.
In 71 games this past season with the Devils, Hughes recorded seven goals, 37 assists, and 44 points. This was after he had nine goals and 47 points in 82 contests during the 2023-24 campaign with the Devils. With this, the youngster has been able to provide solid offense from the point early on his career.
Overall, Hughes has all the tools to emerge as a superstar offensive defenseman, and it will be fascinating to see what kind of campaign he has in 2025-26 because of it. However, the Devils still have the giant task of re-signing him this off-season.
Devils Superstar Jack Hughes Gets Big Praise
<a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/top-10-forwards-under-25-entering-this-season">New Jersey Devils </a>superstar Jack Hughes had another excellent season in 2024-25. In 62 games with the Metropolitan Division club on the year, he posted 27 goals, 43 assists, and 70 points. It was the fourth season in a row where he averaged over a point per game.
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