The Devils sign highly rated Luke Hughes on defense

Highly ranked Luke Hughes, #4 in the 2021 NHL draft, signed an entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

The decision to sign the 19-year-old defender was widely expected after Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said after the trade deadline that Hughes would join the team once his season at Michigan was over. Hughes, a sophomore, helped Michigan reach its second consecutive Frozen Four championship game only to lose to Quinnipiac in the semifinals on Thursday. Hughes finished the season with 10 goals and 48 points in 39 games.

Now that he’s signed with the Devils, he’ll join his brother Jack Hughes as the two look to help the team make an impression in New Jersey’s first playoff game since the 2017-18 season. He became the third Hughes brother to reach the NHL with the oldest of the trio, Quinn Hughes, playing for the Vancouver Canucks. A two-time All-Star, Jack was the first pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Quinn, who also played two seasons at Michigan, made the All-Star Game in 2020.

When will Hughes’ younger brother debut? Fitzgerald told ESPN that the Devils play for home ice advantage, which could play a role in determining whether Hughes plays. The Devils entered Saturday in second place in the Metropolitan Division, just one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes at the division lead with three games left in the regular season. Fitzgerald also said that Hughes’ plan is for him to be around the team, get involved in practices, learn the system and be ready should he be able to play.

Devils coach Lindy Ruff told reporters that Luke Hughes will not play Saturday night against the Boston Bruins, but he is training with the team.

When Hughes enters the lineup, he will be part of a team that boasts one of the strongest defensive structures in the NHL. The Devils, in a 5-on-5 sequence, were in the top five in scoring opportunities allowed per-60 and high-risk chances allowed per-60, according to Natural Stat Trick. They also finished seventh in high-risk goals allowed. It’s a team that has used essentially the same six fullbacks – Ryan Graves, Dougie Hamilton, John Marino, Damon Severson, Jonas Seigenthaler and Brendan Smith – throughout most of the season with Kevin Bahl serving as the seventh defenceman.