The Jack Hughes game-winning goal in Monday night’s preseason game was a reminder of how valuable he is to the New Jersey Devils, even in a game without implications for the standings. The team goes as he does. 

When Hughes plays at a high level, the Devils are one of the best teams in the Metropolitan Division, even in the NHL. When he’s injured or struggling, the Devils fall apart, as they have in the past three seasons. 

A few teams revolve around their best player. The Winnipeg Jets are the same way with Connor Hellebuyck, while the Columbus Blue Jackets go the same way with Zach Werenski. However, the Devils are one of the extremes and have been since the Hughes era began. 

The Devils built a team this offseason that doesn’t revolve around him, or at least that’s the hope. In the big picture, Hughes isn’t the star they’ll rely on, and for this season, they want to be a good team regardless of whether he’s in the lineup. 

Something the hockey world is still trying to figure out is how good Hughes is. Can he win a Hart Trophy in his career? Is he a top-10 player in the game? What about top 20? More importantly, is Hughes good enough to win in the playoffs? He’s a star who has plenty of skill, but he’s limited. 

And that leads to the big-picture issue surrounding Hughes. The best players in the game can pivot and win in different ways, especially in the playoffs. Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby did so to win the Stanley Cup, and McDavid adapted to bring the Edmonton Oilers to the Final in back-to-back seasons. 

The Devils' best player won’t be their best player in the playoffs, or at least he can’t be the only star they depend on. Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and the other core players must step up and deliver in the playoffs, especially when the game slows down and becomes physical. 

First-year general manager Sunny Mehta came over from the Florida Panthers, where the team had multiple stars and didn’t depend on one. If Sam Bennett was having a rough game, Sam Reinhart could step up and win the game. If Aleksander Barkov’s line couldn’t take over the game, Matthew Tkachuk’s could. Mehta hopes to build that roster with the Devils, albeit with different skills. For now, he’s focused on the immediate task at hand. It’s not about winning with Hughes; it’s about winning without him. 

When Hughes was injured, the Devils fell apart. It was the story of the past three seasons, and there are a few reasons for that. One, the Devils didn’t have depth, putting more pressure on the top six to carry them without their best player. Two, the top line was built around Hughes, notably with speedy winger Jesper Bratt playing alongside him. 

Mehta was busy this summer addressing this issue. The Devils needed depth, especially in their forward unit, and he added plenty of it. They needed a new look in the top six and players who didn’t rely on Hughes's skills to be great, which is what the Anthony Mantha and Luke Evangelista additions hope to accomplish.

Mantha is a scorer who is expected to play well regardless of which line he’s on. Evangelista has the skills that work well with Hughes or Hischier, but he’s a playmaker first and not dependent on his center, especially as he develops.  

It leaves the Devils more prepared to handle a Hughes injury than they have in the past. If he’s out, they still have the players in place to carry the weight and be a playoff team. It’s why they have an edge heading into the season. 

The Devils have a higher upside than they’ve had in the past. If they make the playoffs, they’ll be a tough team to play against and will match up well with their Eastern Conference opponents. 

While Hughes won’t be the driving force of their playoff success, he can be a vital part of it. While the playoffs limit what he can do, he’ll still make an impact offensively. The Olympics showed what he can do on a big stage, and he can do the same in the playoffs.

Better yet, the Devils have a few players who can be key pieces in a playoff run. Maybe Evangelista, Mantha, or Evan Rodrigues are the new faces who come up big in the playoffs. Likewise, Meier is the power forward built for the playoffs. 

The key for the Devils is to get through the season first and prove they are a playoff team. It starts with the first question, which is whether they can win without Hughes. It’s something the Devils hope they won’t have to address, but in case that test comes up, they are prepared.