How About Hughes | 10 TAKEAWAYS

Do you feel that? The sun beams down as you're walking down the street. Or the wind blowing as you drive with your windows down.
That's the feeling of playoff hockey. We are almost there.
The weather is absolutely gorgeous, reminding us that the best time of year is just around the corner. Just two regular season games left and then on to something special.
Speaking of special, it's been a special week with the addition of Luke Hughes into the mix. He went from a college kid to an NHL professional in a matter of 24 hours after losing out in the semi-final of the Frozen Four and now he's here and he dominates this week's 10 Takeaways, presented by Ticketmaster.

2.

Something I've been thinking about since the weekend when the team signed Luke Hughes… I think it's really important, although he will always be Jack's brother, to really let him flourish as his own identity, own his own merits. I'm both a younger and an older sibling, and when I went to the same school as my older sister I remember for a while being "Jess' sister". It's a weird place to be, and I'm sure a lot of you have felt that way in your lives too, so other than the first time I spoke with Luke, I really am trying to avoid the 'Jack's younger brother' angle (although not always entirely possible).
We all want Luke to flourish as himself, and he's got all the talent in the world to do so.
As Luke said himself, he's his own man.

3.

What better way to celebrate fan appreciation night than with the NHL debut of Luke Hughes? It's been a long time coming and the day is finally here. It was nice of Lindy to share that piece of news this morning, not one to generally give too many details about his lineup, but he did so with a big smile and a chuckle.

4.

If Curtis Lazar plays tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, he'll become the first player in NHL history to play with the first set of three American brothers drafted in the first round in the NHL.
Did that make sense?

Lazar played with eldest brother Quinn in Vancouver and now will suit up with both Jack and Luke.
If he doesn't play tonight, it will come soon enough. He's the only one on the current roster who has played with Quinn in Vancouver.
File that one away for trivia night.

5.

It took just over 22 years for someone to equal Patrik Elias' 96-point mark as the franchise single-season leader.
And by just over I mean it.
It was 22 years and two days between the time that Elias set the initial record (with a 4-point night on April 6, 2001) and Jack Hughes being the first (and only) to equal that mark (April 8, 2023).

Adding to that, the night that Elias set the 96-point total… also against the Bruins.

6.

Could Luke and Jack Hughes both hit milestones on the same night? Perhaps even on the same goal? Will Jack set the new franchise record in points tonight and be able to celebrate it in his brother's NHL debut?
How about that for a story.

7.

Count Jonas Siegenthaler amongst those excited to see Luke Hughes play for the first time. This quote really stuck out to me when I asked him what the transition is like for a young defenseman stepping into the NHL for the first time. Of course, Siegenthaler and Hughes have quite different experiences, one coming from Europe, another from American college hockey, but nonetheless here's what Siegenthaler had to say:
"I don't think it's going to be hard for him because he's a smart defenseman, he skates well and I think he's pretty much made for it."
That quote got me really excited for what's to come.

8.

Dougie Hamilton has been named by the New Jersey chapter of the PHWA the Devils' nominee for the Masterton Trophy this season.
'The award is given to the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey."
Dougie had an extremely difficult first season with the Devils, injury-wise, that prevented him from making the type of impact we're seeing this year. He broke his jaw just after the holiday break last when a deflection caught him in the mouth in Washington, he underwent extensive surgery, lost feeling in his mouth and when he was finally able to return to play, he had to wear a jaw-guard and didn't look like himself.
This season, Dougie has come back with a season for the ages, with 2 games to play he already has 23 more points than his previous high, and he's been a force on the power play with 28 points. The turnaround has been remarkable and has helped this team take their game to new heights.
He's certainly very deserving of the nomination.

9.

It doesn't look like Michael McLeod will play tonight, missing his first game this season. He was among five players who had played in all 80 games up until this point. Now it's just Dougie Hamilton, Tomas Tatar, Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer who have appeared in every game (please don't tell me I'm jinxing anything!).
Tatar is one of the more interesting ones for me, only because I remember vividly at the beginning of this season in training camp when he was talking about how big of a disappointment he felt last season was for him on a personal level. He said that he wanted to come into this season and prove that he was a better player than that, that last season was just an outlier and really be a difference maker with this club. I distinctly remember him showing his cards of how upset he was with his first season and his serious will to want to be better.
And he's backed up those words this season, he's had his best goal out-put since 2019-20 when he had 22 with Montreal (he has 18 this season), and he's connected so well with Nico Hischier. When he suits up today, in game 81, it will be the first time he's played 81 games in a season since 2015-16 with Detroit. And he's just such a well-liked guy with contagious energy.

10.

That's it for 10 Takeaways from the regular season…! But don't worry, the season is still going and so will 10 Takeaways! I'm happy to let you all know that 10 Takeaways will continue through the Devils post-season!
It's one of my favorite things to produce over the course of a hockey season, sprinkling together both stats and some behind-the-scenes to bring you closer to your favorite team. I love doing these articles every week, so thank you so much for reading!
See you guys in the playoffs!