After two full seasons in the NHL, New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes appears well on his way towards taking that next step to becoming one of the world's elite. That, of course, is exactly what the Devils bargained for when they signed the 22-year-old to a seven-year, $63 million ($9 million AAV) extension just 11 days ago on October 1st.
It's just two games, sure, but the youngest Hughes quietly leads the Devils in scoring with his four assists and four points. To add to that, the former No. 4 overall pick trails only Brett Pesce, his defense partner, in time on ice per game through these two games.