For years, Hughes outscored his peers — elite and average groups — by a 2:1 or 3:1 margin in league and international play.
That’s one way you assess a ceiling. Fast forward to 5-6 years when he’s in his prime, playing against those same peers and many others younger in the NHL. The average age of an NHL player is 27-29. When he’s 24, he’ll be competing against the same majority peer group with 20+ min TOI.
Right now, the average age of an IIHF WC team is 26-27. Hughes is 18. That means he’s 8-9 years YOUNGER than the average player. And he’s playing 4th-line minutes. It’s a nonstandard condition.
The idea that Hughes — the world’s most elite teenage hockey talent the last 3-4 years — won’t adjust, improve, strengthen, and fine-tune what he already does at an elite level — is one of the dumbest —THE DUMBEST — things I have ever heard.
Remember six months ago when his shot was criticized? Did you see the U18’s? Did you hear his interviews? Clearly he saw it as an area he needed to work on, and he did.