perhaps you should have been more specific on whether you were talking about young fresh faced Quinn or todays Quinn. I thought you were chiming in after Edjovanlolsky's post.
LD Luke Hughes (2021, 4th, NJD)
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He wasn’t tasked with muchHow was his debut? Pretty uneventful? Tried to tune in but the few parts I was able to catch he never happened to be on the ice
Had a couple nice d zone shifts, few nice outlet passes and overall you could tell he wasn’t pushing the issue to provide offense.
Overall thought he handled the pace of the game well
PizzaAndPucks
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One thing I have learned over the years in here is that ALOT of you posters have watched hockey for a very long time but are terrible at evaluating players. The fact that some are saying he "awful" when he played a whopping uneventful 11 minutes is just hilarious. It's alot harder to step into the NHL as a defensman and get time to shine and really woo the crowd. He didn't get tossed into the lineup in some throw away game/season. The Devils are trying win their division and I'm sure the last thing the kid wanted to do was to go to some new team and potentially cost them a chance to finish higher in the standings. If it is like this come Thursday where it's a tight game and he only play 10 minutes then it's completely understandable. I just can't wait for next season when he really gets the chance to step in and prove himself. I already know the trolls will be in here watching his every move under a magnifying glass calling him a bust just like they did with Jack. Funny how that worked out...
I'm a guy that likes especially to watch players first games. I'm so old I remember Bobby Orrs first game on Hockey night in Canada. This year I watched two up and comers in Levi and Hughes. They both did great. I'm even more hepped up on Hughes as I saw some defensive responsibilities. He's gonna be a good one.
Lou is God
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EdJovanovski
#FreeRempe
I have always been a big defender of Jack and was one of the only Ranger fans who didn't claim to "want Kakko more anyways" when we won the 2nd pick. I went to that draft live and my Apple Watch showed my heart beating like crazy when the Devils announced their pick as I prayed that they take Kakko lol. I'm one of Kakko's biggest critics and Jack's biggest fans. I love watching first NHL games, I'm just saying Quinn's first game he was utterly dominant and oozed skill. Luke's was very underwhelming.
Just remember, guys, that how he looks in his first game is how he is going to look for the rest of his career. Feel free to pigeonhole him right away….it’s very important that you do so!
NJDevilsFan21
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Based on his game, much like Nico may be the best 3C ever, L Hughes may be the best 7th defenseman ever!
Zubrus Coffee Maker
Blinded by my Zubrus
Luke had some good plays, he had the classic debut. Looked like a deer caught in headlights in the first period, started to try and make plays but stayed conservative in the second, started to join the rush and get offensive in the third. I’ve been saying this for a while, he’s going to take time to get pro ready, but this was a good step for him to learn about the NHL game.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he needs seasoning in the AHL, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if he comes to camp and looks great and makes the team. I think this offseason is huge for him, i’m very interested to see how he looks next year
I wouldn’t be surprised if he needs seasoning in the AHL, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if he comes to camp and looks great and makes the team. I think this offseason is huge for him, i’m very interested to see how he looks next year
PizzaAndPucks
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That's great. I just looked up his game log and he played 15 minutes and had 1 assist. Yet his plus minus was 0 on the game. I wouldn't call that dominant. Although I do remember seeing highlights from the game where he showed off his skating and playmaker ability in the crowd was going nuts. I will agree with you that he bad a better debut but it's 2 different scenarios. Vancouver finished 23rd that year and their fanbase needed some hope because they were declining/rebuilding. The Devils have held down 3rd place in the standings prettty much all season so we weren't really expecting Hughes to jump in and do whatever he wants out to try out there. It's 2 different players in 2 different scenarios. Quinn is a damn good player despite what HFboards posters want to say because he is a little small for a dman by NHL standards from 10 plus years ago. I hope Luke is just as good as he is and it's not guarantee he will be but I'm not judging him off 1 or 2 games this season. I'd say it's going to take about 2 to 3 years to have an idea of how high his ceiling will be. If he was a weak or two younger than he would of been 2022 pick , people forget how young he us for his draft class too.
(Luke is the guy coming off the bench while the goal is being scored)
It deserves the backlash. Pure troll post by a Sabres fan who presumably saw the game and the goal.
Quinton Byfield
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Why is it offensive to say that Luke won’t be as good as Quinn? That’s not saying that Luke won’t be a good player.
Quinn played on a pretty poor Michigan team, whereas Luke played on a powerhouse, which might inflate/deflate one’s point totals.
Stats aside, I think what drives Quinn’s game is his hockey IQ. He thinks and sees the ice at an elite level, which is why he’s an elite defenseman, even at his size.
What drives Luke’s game is his skating and his shot. Luke is a better straight line skater than Quinn, whereas Quinn’s edge work is what makes him such a good skater. Quinn will never have the shot that Luke has.
Defensively, Luke will need to develop substantially to make good on his potential as a 6’2 framed defender with elite skating. But if he is anywhere as competitive as his brothers, he’ll round out his game in the next few years. That’s an advantage a smaller player like Quinn will never have.
There’s no real need to compare the two, because they are different people and players. Both players can be great without stepping on the other.
Aoko
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Luke didn't stand out in his debut. For a defenseman, that's a good thing. You don't really want to stand out. Either you stand out in a positive way, which isn't common unless they take over... or, in a very bad way.
Middle of the spectrum for his first game seems fine. He will get tested in the playoffs. Hopefully we'll see more of what he's made of then.
Middle of the spectrum for his first game seems fine. He will get tested in the playoffs. Hopefully we'll see more of what he's made of then.
If the player is "20" (or older) he gets to burn the first year even if they don't suit up in a game. CBA defines age as of September 15 of the calendar year when they sign, so Hughes counts as 20 even though he doesn't officially turn 20 until early September. Whereas if Logan Cooley were to sign with Arizona today, he wouldn't burn the first year since he's 19 (hence probably why he hasn't rushed to a decision for next season yet).
Teams usually would prefer not to burn the year but that's the price of doing business if you have a decent prospect. Devils signed Joey Anderson a few years back and he burned his first year without playing.
On the bright side, players who burn their first year without playing enough games end up being 10.2(c) RFAs who won't have offer sheet or arbitration rights after their ELCs expire. So teams will still have some amount of leverage on their second contracts although it could possibly lead to some contentious negotiations if the player breaks out.
HugeInTheShire
You may not like me but, I'm Huge in the Shire
Hughes had the definition of a meh debut, Devils dressed 7 D and he played the least of the 7.
He was fine, not overly noticeable in either direction
He was fine, not overly noticeable in either direction
Vancouver finished 23rd in the league and were playing a team that finished 2nd to last in the league in Quinn's debut. Their top defensemen that game were Alexander Edler, Ben Hutton & Alex Beiga. They were 9 points back of Colorado for the final playoff spot with 5/6 games each, so they had nothing to play for. They could toss Quinn out there with zero pressure and give him ice time.
Meanwhile the Devils were looking to clinch home ice in the first round last night and still alive for the division title, playing against a team literally fighting for their playoff lives. NJ has a solid top 6 veteran defense that is all healthy, so Luke was the 7th defenseman.
Quinn's final game with Michigan was on March 9th that year and his debut with Vancouver was March 28th, so guessing he got a few practices in with the team before his debut, whereas Luke was suited up for NJ 5 days after his college career ended.
Completely different situations. It was a fine debut.
There's no reason to compare the 2 because 1 has less than 15min in the NHL! Yet you'll already know his career path... smh
Everybody has their own definition of good. These things are subjective. Once he fills out I expect Luke to do things that Quinn can’t do defensively as he’s limited by size and reach and leverage. Consequently I’d be surprised if Luke is quite as good a passer as Quinn but I do expect Luke will have a better shot. Will that translate to more goals? We will see. Which one is better than the other? That’s in the eye of the beholder.
Jason MacIsaac
Registered User
Everyone is an expert in the new stat watching era. Even the big names on social media are now considered experts in hockey because they have someone feeding them stats however none of them are able to provide the why or so what to to said stats. Now that I got that off my chest onto Luke Hughes.
Jack Han shared a nice little video that explains what I have been preaching for many of the Devils prospects. As long as a prospect doesn't make the most bone head plays with the puck or is an inaccurate passer, physical attributes will directly correlate to defending both in space and in tight quarters. It may not happen immediately but odds are on their side. It's why toolsy guys like Mukhamadullin and Hughes project so well without the puck IMO.
Luke Hughes is 6'3 by my estimate (standing next to Owen Power) with very long arms for his height. His elite level skating in all directions will allow him to put on a good amount of weight without really limiting his mobility. As a result, gap control and active stick against the rush has a chance to be elite and unlike Quinn, should be much better on retrievals and board battles then most dynamic defensmen. Is he there now? No. Will he get beat one on one to speed rushes early in his career, probably. However with good coaching he should make huge leaps each year.
I'm not going to talk about the dynamic skills at the blueline, that simply can't be taught.
Jack Han shared a nice little video that explains what I have been preaching for many of the Devils prospects. As long as a prospect doesn't make the most bone head plays with the puck or is an inaccurate passer, physical attributes will directly correlate to defending both in space and in tight quarters. It may not happen immediately but odds are on their side. It's why toolsy guys like Mukhamadullin and Hughes project so well without the puck IMO.
Luke Hughes is 6'3 by my estimate (standing next to Owen Power) with very long arms for his height. His elite level skating in all directions will allow him to put on a good amount of weight without really limiting his mobility. As a result, gap control and active stick against the rush has a chance to be elite and unlike Quinn, should be much better on retrievals and board battles then most dynamic defensmen. Is he there now? No. Will he get beat one on one to speed rushes early in his career, probably. However with good coaching he should make huge leaps each year.
I'm not going to talk about the dynamic skills at the blueline, that simply can't be taught.
Nah man, it’s just that Quinn is one of the smartest, most gifted players I’ve ever witnessed in 25 years of NHL fandom.
It’s a lot to ask from Luke. With how good Jack is already - if Luke really is the next Quinn, then this is the greatest hockey bloodline in league history.
Jason MacIsaac
Registered User
To be honest, they could be. I don't think there has been a more talented bloodline in NHL history.
They already are without Luke. L is just going to add to their legacy and will be an all star in his own right.
WarriorofTime
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Hull? Sutter? Staal? Seems a bit premature
Depends on your criteria I guess, 6 brothers in the NHL is pretty nutty. 6 cousins from that group were good youth players and Brandon had a pretty lengthy NHL career. And Bobby and Brett are both Top whateverish (very high) Goal Scorers of all time. The 3 Staal brothers (sorry Jared) all had excellent careers.
