Hughes' past teammates have plenty of praise for the 19-year-old. Whether it's the way he carries himself, his skating, or his overall game, he leaves so many in awe and that includes his coaches.
"He's a unicorn,"
Michigan coach Brandon Naurato told Michigan Live
after Hughes' four-goal game in January. "He just put the team on his back. He had four goals, but it wasn't just offensively. It was away from the puck as well and just being a leader on the bench, super positive when we were down, and just building these guys up. So proud of him."
The praise isn't just from his coaches, but his teammates as well, as Michigan defenseman Luca Fantilli told the Michigan Daily earlier this year:
"He's so calm, cool, and collected," freshman defenseman Luca
Fantilli told Michigan Daily
earlier this year. "I've never seen a defenseman like that. I've never played with a defenseman like that. He's so poised and calm and his skating is unbelievable."
Those who have watched him more recently, like ESPN's John Buccigross are convinced that Hughes will be a difference-maker once he is settled into the pros. Just last week, Buccigross told The Ray and Dregs Podcast:
"He could have played last year I think, and run the power play. He's very slight, so going in the corners against some of these forecheckers can be difficult, but you know how those guys skate now, they turn around, he turns around and puts his back and takes peeks and can make moves. He can figure out angles and curves to avoid contact. He'll get it once in a while. He's a true savant (...) He'll be an impactful guy next week. You'll notice him next week, he's an electric player and he'll only be better with better players."
