Jack Hughes Starts Fresh Season with a 'Pop' | FEATURE

Jack Hughes said on the first day of training camp that he expected his game to go to another level this upcoming season. Or, more precisely, he said he expects his game to "pop" to another level.
The early returns are very "pop" worthy. That would be Hughes' two-goal performance, which included a ridiculous overtime winner, in the Devils' season
opening 4-3 victory against Chicago
Friday night at
Prudential Center
.

"That was hilarious. It was a pretty cool celly," Hughes said of the celebration. "My buddies were texting me about it. I don't know what happened there.
"It's great to play in front of a full barn again. Seeing all those jerseys, all those Devils fans. It was crazy loud (Friday), too. For us, professional athletes, you want to play in front of a full crowd. It was special to have them back in the building."
Hughes, who also scored an impressive spin-o-rama fadeaway snap-shot goal in the second period, is coming off a 2020-21 season that may not pass the numbers test - 11 goals, 31 points in 56 games - but certainly passed the eye test. Anyone that watched Hughes last season could see a player that can individually drive an offense.
"He gets a lot of respect for what he can do with his lateral movement and how he can create opportunities, create his own space," Ruff said.
The only missing element last year was finish - whether it was hitting posts (an area Hughes led the NHL with eight), linemates unable to convert or an inability to beat a goaltender himself. This season, Hughes wants to turn those near misses into hits.
"I think he wants to build off of where he was at last year," Ruff said. "He wants to get better every day. I think there's still a lot to learn. He's got tremendous talent."
And his talents aren't just in the offensive zone. Hughes is one of the best players in the league in larceny. He recorded six takeaways against the Blackhawks, and his 3.4 takeaways-per-60-minutes last year ranked top-4 in the NHL.
In fact, it was a takeaway that led to Hughes' first goal of the night.

"There has to be a willingness to get underneath people and get around people," Ruff said of great takeaway artists. "Size, physically, isn't going to take pucks away. A willingness to get underneath, and then he's got quick hands."
Hughes is still a very young player with just 118 games of NHL experience. And his play in his own zone is still a work in progress. As Ruff put it: "I said to Jack, you play the offensive game the way you want it, but then you have to play the defensive game the way I want it. It only makes him a better player."
Due to the coronavirus and last season forcing teams to only play within their own division, most teams in the league haven't seen Hughes since his rookie season in 2019-20. And Hughes has come a long way since his premiere campaign.
"The last time (Chicago) saw me I was 18 years old," Hughes said. "So, I was a completely different player then. It's going to be like that for a lot of players around the league."
Hughes will certainly garner more attention from opponents as they realize the dynamic player in which he is blossoming. And when opponent's start keying in on him defensively, he'll have to keep pushing through the extra attention in order to contribute.
"Tweaking his game will be when he gets the respect that the league will give him. That's when he has to makes adjustments," Ruff said. "He wants to hit his next level."