Luke Hughes

21-Year-Old DefensemanD
IR-NR
Injury Shoulder
Est. Return 11/7/2024
2024 Fantasy Outlook
The youngest of the three Hughes brothers took part in his first full NHL campaign in 2023-24 and made his mark, scoring nine goals and 47 points across 82 contests en route to a Calder Trophy nomination. However, Hughes' defense needs work, and while plus/minus is an imperfect stat, his minus-25 rating last year -- the third worst among New Jersey players -- reflects those struggles. The Devils tolerated those defensive issues last campaign, but if they persist, it might diminish Hughes' ice time. His value was also heavily tied to the power play, which accounted for 25 of his points, but a healthy Dougie Hamilton could limit Hughes' role with the man advantage. Additionally, Hughes will now miss the first month of the season due to a shoulder injury suffered before training camp opened. Those issues aren't enough to alter the fact that he has the potential to be an elite contributor on offense, but it does make him a higher-risk selection going into drafts for the 2024-25 campaign. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Devils in April of 2023.
Surfaces on injured reserve
DNew Jersey Devils
Shoulder
October 7, 2024
Hughes (shoulder) landed on injured reserve Monday, per PuckPedia.
ANALYSIS
Hughes has not resumed skating after suffering a shoulder injury during offseason training. The 21-year-old skated in all 82 regular-season contests with the Devils last season, banking 47 points and a minus-25 rating. Fellow blueliner Dougie Hamilton will quarterback New Jersey's top power-play unit while Hughes is sidelined.
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NHL Stats
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2022
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2023 NHL Game Log
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2024–25 Time On Ice Stats
 
Ice Time
Power Play
Short-Handed
2022–23
16:14
0:06
0:00
2023–24
21:28
3:27
0:05
Devils Depth Chart
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Devils Power Play Depth Chart
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2023 Fantasy Outlook
There's a case to be made Hughes was the top prospect in the NHL a season ago. He averaged well over a point-per-game in his sophomore season at the University of Michigan (10 goals, 48 points in 39 games) before turning pro. He got into two games late in the year before being a healthy scratch for the club's first nine postseason games. Hughes got back in the lineup for the club's final three playoff games, but New Jersey was already living on borrowed time. Luke is quite a bit bigger than either of his star brothers, but he possesses the family trademark speed and elusiveness. It's fair to wonder how much the Devils want to put on his plate in his first full NHL season considering he will be playing the entire year at age 20, but Hughes is already one of the best defenders on the Jersey roster.
More Fantasy News
Not skating yet
DNew Jersey Devils
Shoulder
October 2, 2024
Hughes (shoulder) hasn't resumed skating and is still 5-7 weeks away from playing, according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com.
ANALYSIS
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Suffers shoulder injury
DNew Jersey Devils
Shoulder
September 12, 2024
Hughes is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after suffering a left shoulder injury but will not require surgery, the club announced Thursday.
ANALYSIS
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Strong stretch run in rookie year
DNew Jersey Devils
April 17, 2024
Hughes finished his rookie season with nine goals and 47 points while dressing for all 82 games in 2023-24.
ANALYSIS
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Contributes assist Sunday
DNew Jersey Devils
April 7, 2024
Hughes notched an assist and added a shot on net in Sunday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Predators.
ANALYSIS
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Posts helper in loss
DNew Jersey Devils
March 29, 2024
Hughes notched an assist, four shots on goal and a minus-2 rating in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Sabres.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Announced as Calder finalist
DNew Jersey Devils
April 30, 2024
Hughes was named as a Calder Trophy finalist Tuesday.
ANALYSIS
Hughes put together a fantastic rookie season, registering nine goals and 38 assists, including 25 power-play points, in 82 games this year. If it weren't for Connor Bedard, who finished with 61 points, Hughes certainly would have had a realistic shot of being named the Rookie of the Year. Fantasy players can probably expect Hughes to build upon those rookie numbers next year, possibly pushing for the 60-point mark.
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