The Devils enter 2026-27 carrying plenty of pressure, and Jack Hughes is right at the center of it. New Jersey has the kind of roster that should be dangerous, but after last season’s collapse and playoff miss, there’s no room for another slow fade. Hughes remains the player the Devils trust to drive the offense, and the expectation is simple: keep producing, keep leading the scoring, keep the whole thing moving.
Last season gave another reminder of just how central he is. Hughes appeared in 61 games and put up 77 points, finishing with 27 goals and 55 assists.
He also missed time after surgery on his hand following an off-ice incident, but when he was on the ice, the production was there almost every night. He picked up an assist in the Devils’ opener, scored his first goal three games later on Oct. 16, then delivered a hat trick on Oct.
- He added another three-goal game on March 7 against the New York Rangers.
Across those 61 games, he was held off the scoresheet only 18 times.
His season got even bigger on the international stage. Hughes was named to the US Olympic team for the 2026 Winter Games and posted three assists and four goals in six games.
The moment that stood out most was the overtime game-winning goal against Canada to secure gold for Team USA. He was already a major star, but that goal pushed him into a different level of hockey fame.
For New Jersey, the task in 2026-27 is straightforward: keep Hughes in the role that makes the Devils go. He’ll stay in the top six and is expected to center the second line with Jesper Bratt on his wing.
The Devils also added Luke Evangelista over the offseason, and he is likely to slot in as the right wing on that line. Evangelista recorded 77 points last season, which gives New Jersey another real scoring threat alongside Hughes and Bratt.
That trio has the look of a serious problem for opposing defenses.
The milestones are lining up, too. Hughes finished 2025-26 with 429 games played, and if he stays healthy, he should reach Game 500 before the season ends.
If he plays all 84 games, that total would climb to 513. He also enters the year with 168 goals and 260 assists for 428 points, putting several big round numbers within reach.
He is in position to score his 200th NHL goal, record his 300th NHL assist, and hit 500 NHL points before the season is over.
There’s also a steady streak that speaks to how reliable he has become. Since the 2022-23 season, Hughes has posted 70-plus points every regular season.
That kind of consistency is exactly why the projection here is bold: his first 100-point season. He came close in 2022-23 with 99 points in 78 games, and with Bratt and Evangelista beside him, that next step feels well within reach if he stays healthy.
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What makes camp worth watching now is the squeeze at the bottom of the roster, where a few spots are going to be fought over rather than handed out. Dawson Mercers status remains part of the conversation, and new defenseman Declan Chisholm adds another layer to the competition as the Devils sort through how their projected lines and defense pairings ultimately fit together. [Read more 🡒]