Could be a great deal, could be a meh deal but I dont think itll ever be a terrible deal.

Do I think giving a kid with around 100 career games 8x8 is a good idea? not really BUT if Hughes takes the next step (which it looks like he's about to) then this contract will be fine

But before devils fans start comparing his contract to Mac's or Leon's Id suggest slowing your role and winning a few games first

pssst btw Mercer is elite and don't let anyone tell you different

For those who are voting no, what are y’all smoking? Hughes is going to be a top 5 centreman in the league, this contract will be an absolute steal in a couple years

Edit: someone just liked this a year and a half later, and I can confirm Hughes is a top 5 centreman in the league and this contract is an absolute steal

Ooooooohhh. Okay that makes sense. I was really confused.

For the record while I also think this is a bad or at least very risky contract the big difference is age.

Hughes 2 seasons were 18 and 19, Suzuki joined the NHL at 20.

But yeah people certainly have biased perspectives.

I don't love the Suzuki contract, but I certainly don't hate it. I kinda feel like he deserved 6.875 but got that extra million after the Habs got scared with the KK debacle (which they made the right decision by not signing).

Because it's a gamble. He has a tonne of pedigree and at times has shown his potential in the NHL. But flipside is he's played 2 years and hasn't consistently put it up yet.

Jersey took a gamble. There is no way to deny it. You think it's a good one. Others don't.

He has 20 career goals. Where are you getting 55 from?

this profile picture is on point!

As a Rangers fan, I have never been more overjoyed in my life.

What is their GM doing?

Jesus Christ this is massive

I wonder what Chris Drury doing?

I think if you asked Devils fans, they’d say, “you had me at eight years”

I’d also like to see how that poll would break out between people that have watched him play vs people who just look at points.



Wasn’t me. I loved that deal for Habs.



Subban’s cap hit isn’t a factor. And the other two are deals for which Devils are most proud.



“No chance of becoming elite”

Devils have one of the most analytics-driven approaches in the league (If not, the most). Much of Hughes value (or perceived value) comes from his ability to possession the puck and control the play, which is not reflected through point totals yet. I am sure, by now, people have data that reflects this.

Analytics is only part of the puzzle. But saying he has, “zero chance of becoming an elite center” is really just an attack on the measurement tools teams use to value players.

In other words, if one buys what the data says, then agree his metrics are already “elite”. But if you think the quants are a bunch of snake-oil salesmen, just say that.

They are debating old-world methods through a new age medium.

This is aging beautifully

I was just thinking that

People really thought a 20 year old former first overall pick who has great analytics and great two way game wouldn’t develop😂

Also speaking of Jack Hughes, we need to work out a trade in fantasy. Jack for Hedman?

what you guys don't understand is jack hughes is small boy and kakko is an absolute chad. do you remember when kakko put little jacky in a headlock at world juniors? (wow) I already arranged for kakko to meet my wife at our local truck-stop. dont forget to drink your ovaltine folks or you will end up a small beta-boy like jack

Nah I think I'm good. My defensive group is ok.

Pettersson's slump won't last forever, he'll come out of it

Hughes is already worth $8M AAV. And his contract hasn't even kicked in yet. This vote should've been 142-0. Go figure!

56 points in 49 games.

That's 1.14 points as a 20 year old.

He's not even in the first year of his eight year contract...

This is a MASSIVE win for Fitzgerald. Hughes is going to vastly outperform his contract. Already playing like a 1C at the age of 20. Basically everyone here was wrong and Fitzgerald was right.

Remember that.

I never argued that signing Hughes was a bad idea, but that the contract was too large for what he had shown to date.

There's a big difference.

"Virtually no chance of becoming an elite 1C"

So he played 49 games and scored well. Give yourself a pat on the back.

He's still not an elite 1C.

Mister Jack Hughes when compared to all Centers that played >900min this past season:

19th CF% Rel
31st FF% Rel
26th SF% Rel
25th GF% Rel
21st xGF% Rel
14th xGF% Rel
14th HDCF% Rel
12th HDGF% Rel

He could see a bit of a positive PDO correction (0.971) which may bump his stats a touch but he only starts 15.6% of his shifts in the defensive zone.

I think CD282 is currently right by-and-large: Hughes isn't an elite center in the vein of the games' best BUT he's very much a top-line pivot in the NHL and an emerging offensive superweapon. Whether or not he develops an actual two-way game is yet to be determined but there's very much a possibility that he becomes offensively elite much in the same vein as Patrick Kane (gosh what an apt draft-day comparison that was).