LD Luke Hughes (2021, 4th, NJD)

[Jason MacIsaac]

I meant impact wise

You mean a negative impact defensively? Sure, there is the chance he never improves on defense however at 6'2, with extremely long arms and elite skating, odds are he will atleast be around average defensively.

 

[Hisch13r]

You mean a negative impact defensively? Sure, there is the chance he never improves on defense however at 6'2, with extremely long arms and elite skating, odds are he will atleast be around average defensively.

I mean Rielly’s 6’1. Just because he’s 6’2 it doesn’t mean he’ll know how to play D

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I mean Rielly’s 6’1. Just because he’s 6’2 it doesn’t mean he’ll know how to play D

It's the combination of his height and length with skating that makes it likely to atleast be average defensively. The amount of plays along the boards where reach allows him to chip it past F1 or the amount of times his skating will evade pressure or simply skate it out. You watch the truly elite skating defensmen with elite edgework and its tough to get on them, I feel Hughes has that potential.

 

[tsujimoto74]

It's the combination of his height and length with skating that makes it likely to atleast be average defensively. The amount of plays along the boards where reach allows him to chip it past F1 or the amount of times his skating will evade pressure or simply skate it out. You watch the truly elite skating defensmen with elite edgework and its tough to get on them, I feel Hughes has that potential.

You've described why he'll likely be good in transition (once his team gets the puck back). The question is his ability to defend (you know, that part when the other team has the puck).

 

[Devils731]

You've described why he'll likely be good in transition (once his team gets the puck back). The question is his ability to defend (you know, that part when the other team has the puck).

It depends on how you think about defense. Not turning it over against the forecheck and maintains possession into the neutral zone rather than chipping it off the boards all positively impact the goals you don’t allow but they’re not thought of as defense traditionally.

The above are skills exhibited in the defensive zone by a defenseman that prevent goals, so I don’t even think we have to go too far abroad into discussions about whether players can play good defense in the offensive zone.

Hockey is a fluid game so the things that prevent goals should against count as defensive ability, even if they also have a function for the offense.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

You've described why he'll likely be good in transition (once his team gets the puck back). The question is his ability to defend (you know, that part when the other team has the puck).

It's funny, because the thing pre-draft everyone was questioning was his offense. Now his defense is the question mark.

Not discounting the point you're making, just a funny observation now at the close of his freshman year. I don't think I've seen anything that says he can't elevate his defense. Filling out his frame will be a big part of it.

 

[Hisch13r]

It depends on how you think about defense. Not turning it over against the forecheck and maintains possession into the neutral zone rather than chipping it off the boards all positively impact the goals you don’t allow but they’re not thought of as defense traditionally.

The above are skills exhibited in the defensive zone by a defenseman that prevent goals, so I don’t even think we have to go too far abroad into discussions about whether players can play good defense in the offensive zone.

Hockey is a fluid game so the things that prevent goals should against count as defensive ability, even if they also have a function for the offense.

I do agree that if that winds up in preventing more chances than it's still good defense. I think it's unreliable defense though. Sometimes it'll work really well and other times it won't. I feel like Jack's a good example. His style of play can lead great defense results (I mean just look at last year) but it can also result in some not as good ones (this year he hasn't been nearly as good). On the other hand I think a guy like Nico going forward will consistently be good defensively because of his ability to move play forward while also being really good in his own end.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

How does his skating stack up to quinn's?

Luke is probably faster at top speed but Quinn is pretty easily the better all around skater IMO.

 

[Blackjack]

Luke is probably faster at top speed but Quinn is pretty easily the better all around skater IMO.

Haven't watched Quinn in a while but Luke's cutback move at the blueline that led to the goal was pretty impressive.

 

[Whalers Fan]

How does his skating stack up to quinn's?

Quinn was the better skater between the two in their time with the NTDP. However, they both were elite with this skill, but with different styles -- Quinn was very dynamic, Luke was more smooth. I thought Quinn was a forward the first time I saw him play for the NTDP U17 team. I was looking for him under the forwards in the game sheet, couldn't find him, and then saw him listed under the defensemmen. I immediately exclaimed to my wife "holy crap, that Hughes kid is a defenseman!".

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Haven't watched Quinn in a while but Luke's cutback move at the blueline that led to the goal was pretty impressive.

Yeah obviously they are both elite skaters, but Quinn to me has an agility and quickness that Luke will never have (probably a lot to do with their size difference).

 

[Random Comment]

Having watched both, I’m a little more excited about Luke. And that’s not a knock on Quinn, but I think his younger brother will have a bigger impact in the show.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

You've described why he'll likely be good in transition (once his team gets the puck back). The question is his ability to defend (you know, that part when the other team has the puck).

What percent of the game is spent defending as you describe? In the base defense without the puck. I suspect it's very little in today's game. What defense do you speak of? Boxing players out in front? Ending plays in the corner? Disrupting the play down low? Getting in lanes? Being 6'2 200 pounds by the time he is in the NHL should help with all those things

 

[tsujimoto74]

What percent of the game is spending defending as you describe? In the base defense without the puck. I suspect it's very little in today's game. What defense do you speak of? Boxing players out in front? Ending plays in the corner? Disrupting the play down low? Getting in lanes? Being 6'2 200 pounds by the time he is in the NHL should help with all those things

It could, but there's a lot of ground to cover between where he is now and "NHL average". From what I've seen of him when I've checked in on Power and Portillo this season, Hughes can be a real adventure in his own zone. (Power can at times, too. Portillo does a lot more work for that "stacked" team than most give him credit for.) That's not to say Hughes can't or won't improve, but having the physical tools to be good by itself isn't enough.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

It could, but there's a lot of ground to cover between where he is now and "NHL average". From what I've seen of him when I've checked in on Power and Portillo this season, Hughes can be a real adventure in his own zone. (Power can at times, too. Portillo does a lot more work for that "stacked" team than most give him credit for.) That's not to say Hughes can't or won't improve, but having the physical tools to be good by itself isn't enough.

I'm not going to get into the quality of defensive coaching at Michigan. I'm sure the next Devils coaching staff will spend quality time teaching him the Xs and Os of defending in the NHL. I prefer that start next year in Utica.

 

[Emperoreddy]

It's a bit mental how all three brothers are next level skaters.

 

[DeVols]

 

[Auto Pilot]

Crazy he was nominated over Power lol.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Interesting that the guy who won freshman of the year with Hughes didn't get the Hobey nod, but Luke did.

That makes no sense.

 

[Chainshot]

Interesting that the guy who won freshman of the year with Hughes didn't get the Hobey nod, but Luke did.

That makes no sense.

Why is Hughes a 2nd team all star for B10 and neither Power or Faber are up for the Hobey Baker?

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Big 10 voters with giant egg on their head.

 

[Herby]

I'm not going to get into the quality of defensive coaching at Michigan. I'm sure the next Devils coaching staff will spend quality time teaching him the Xs and Os of defending in the NHL. I prefer that start next year in Utica.

The history of pulling prospects from the NCAA to ride busses as teenagers in the AHL is not a very good one. Everyone always thinks "our system will be different" when they pull kids to soon, that is what the Kings thought with Turcotte and Buffalo thought with Mittlestadt and look what happened.

The Makar, Werenski and McAvoy path is going to work out much better for Hughes. He can join the Devils at the end of next year and step right into the NHL after a dominating sophomore year, just like those three did. It's a proven path to NHL success for high end NCAA players.

 

[Bonin21]

Why is Hughes a 2nd team all star for B10 and neither Power or Faber are up for the Hobey Baker?

They make it hard for freshman to land on the first team since there is also a freshman team. In the end, who cares.

 

[Chainshot]

The history of pulling prospects from the NCAA to ride busses as teenagers in the AHL is not a very good one. Everyone always thinks "our system will be different" when they pull kids to soon, that is what the Kings thought with Turcotte and Buffalo thought with Mittlestadt and look what happened.

The Makar, Werenski and McAvoy path is going to work out much better for Hughes. He can join the Devils at the end of next year and step right into the NHL after a dominating sophomore year, just like those three did. It's a proven path to NHL success for high end NCAA players.

The difference though is that Mittelstadt had a pretty pedestrian year at UM, sandwiched around over-performing at his only U20's in front of the GM who thought so highly of him. He came nowhere near what Hughes did all season in Michigan. If he'd been crushing it and you drew that parallel, sure, but he didn't and then they kept him in Buffalo, not getting reps or game experience that he desperately needed, for nearly 18 months before finally figuring that they had wasted enough time and sent him down. The AHL actually helped him, his time in the NHL initially was a mess.

 

[Bonin21]

The difference though is that Mittelstadt had a pretty pedestrian year at UM, sandwiched around over-performing at his only U20's in front of the GM who thought so highly of him. He came nowhere near what Hughes did all season in Michigan. If he'd been crushing it and you drew that parallel, sure, but he didn't and then they kept him in Buffalo, not getting reps or game experience that he desperately needed, for nearly 18 months before finally figuring that they had wasted enough time and sent him down. The AHL actually helped him, his time in the NHL initially was a mess.

Yes. Mittelstadt did not dominate college hockey until the last two weekends on the season. We all knew he should not have left the moment he signed.