The Wolverines earned a spot in the Frozen Four by winning their regional bracket with a dominating win over Colgate and an overtime squeaker against Penn State. Hughes was selected as the player of the tournament with a goal and four assists, all coming in Michigan's 11-1 win over Colgate.
Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato was asked to assess Hughes both now but also taking the wider view from when he first came on campus about 20 months ago.
"From his freshman year until now," explained Naurato in his Frozen Four press conference, "Luke's always been unbelievable just with his physical skills of being reactionary in regards to breaking other individual players down (but) I think he has more of a plan with what he's doing now and reading cues instead of seeing what happens and making a decision.
"…he's always been a good defender (but now) I think he's become an elite defender using his physical attributes like his skating just to close time and space (to) kill plays as quick as possible."
Hughes scored 10 goals and added 37 assists in 38 games for the Wolverines. Over two seasons, he's played 79 games, scoring 27 goals and 59 assists. Though he earned his team's nomination for the Hobey Baker Trophy - and was one of the 10 finalists - during his freshman year, that honor went to his teammate, Adam Fantilli, who is expected to go somewhere between second and fourth overall in the NHL Draft in June.
Hughes was picked fourth overall by the Devils in 2021 NHL Draft.
Edwards and Casey often play together on the Wolverines second pair. Casey was named to the Big 10 all-freshman team and earned a spot on the U.S. team (with Hughes) at the World Junior Championship, where the Americans earned a bronze medal. Casey, 19, had seven goals and 21 assists in 36 games for the Wolverines this season but sat out the holiday World Junior tournament as a healthy scratch; he has one more season of eligibility at the World Junior.
Edwards, a sophomore selected in the fourth round (120th overall) in 2020, had four goals and 10 assists in 36 games this season. His progression has followed a slow and steady arc upwards since he arrived (with Hughes) in Ann Arbor in the fall of 2021.
No matter what transpires in Tampa, Casey and Edwards are expected to return to Michigan next season and Naurato will be behind the Wolverines bench as it was announced last week that his interim tag had been removed.
Senior defenseman Case McCarthy of BU, a Devils draft pick in 2019, is out injured. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Providence a few weeks ago.
As college hockey fans know well, the one-and-done nature of NCAA post-season tournament play is both one of its main attractions but also a key difference to other elite amateur hockey and the professional game.
To wit, Devils prospects, forward Chase Stillman (Peterborough Petes) and goaltender Tyler Brennan (Prince George Cougars), are currently playing in seven-game series with their junior clubs in the opening round of the Canadian Hockey League post-season. Finnish defenseman Topias Vilen is with his La Liiga club, Lahti Pelicans, in his home country in that loop's semifinals.
It's far different in the NCAA, where a team's season can turn on a single play in an elimination game.
Naurato spoke about that stark fact in his press conference.
"I think it's just playing your best hockey at the right time," said Naurato, of maximizing success at this time of the season and in the winner-take-all format, "…one thing I told the guys at the beginning of the year, and I think it (still) rings true, is that it's not (always) the most talented team that wins. It's the teams that play together and it's the teams that are the closest.
"… (it's about) enjoy(ing) the ride, the process and let's make the most of the opportunity."
