Luke Hughes

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.