The New Jersey Devils are signing top prospect Luke Hughes to an entry level contract the team announced Saturday.
Hughes, who is the brother of current Devils’ star Jack Hughes, was originally drafted 4th overall by the club in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The move was widely expected to take place following the conclusion of the 19 year olds NCAA season. Michigan was eliminated by Quinnipiac in the Frozen Four semi-finals on Thursday.
Hughes was over a point per game producer at the collegiate level, recording 39pts (17G, 22A) as a freshman, and 48pts (10G, 38A) as a sophomore. While the club indicated that the younger Hughes brother will join the team shortly, it has yet to be determined when he will make his NHL debut.
With only 3 games remaining in their regular season, it’s quite likely the club will attempt to fit in the gifted blue liner at some point over the next week. However with a date against the Presidents Trophy winning Bruins on Saturday, his debut may have to wait a bit longer.
Following their clash with Boston, the club will then be home vs. Buffalo and on the road against the Capitals. Tuesday night’s showdown with the Sabres seems like a logical date to target in the friendly confines of the Prudential Center.
That being said, although New Jersey is prepared to make their return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18, they still have seeding to play for down the stretch. Entering Saturday, the Devils sit 1 point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for top spot in the Metropolitan Division.
Speaking to members of the press, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald remarked “There really was no better time to do it…We thought we’d wait a couple days. Let him get settled back in Michigan and then get him on a plane and get him into New Jersey early in the week, but he was so eager to do it. We were trying to get flights at like 1:30 in the morning on Friday morning. But we’re just glad it’s here. Now we have our hands on and now we can mould him and develop him into the player we know he can be.”
“He knows the situation we’re in right now. Great situation that we’re trying to get home ice in the playoffs, first round anyways. … I’d like to think that in the next couple games, there’s a chance we see Luke Hughes and give some guys a rest.”
New Jersey has mostly utilized a core of Ryan Graves, Dougie Hamilton, John Marino, Damon Severson, Jona Siegenthaler, and Brendan Smith for most of the year. Kevin Bahl has operated as a 7th defenseman, but could be pushed for ice time with the addition of Hughes for the playoffs.
The former Wolverines’ assistant captain will reportedly wear number 43 when he makes his NHL debut.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Doug Kerr. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.