2. Defenseman Luke Hughes led the NHL in bursts of speed over 20 mph (199) at his position last season, surpassing Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche (194). The rookie was also tied with Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers for the second-highest maximum skating speed (24.19) in the NHL behind Owen Tippett (24.21) of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Luke Hughes teamed up with his brother, elite center Jack Hughes, and fellow rookie defenseman Simon Nemec and made an immediate impact, even if the stats weren’t as good, especially considering how much time Hamilton missed. The Hughes brothers’ performances so far in New Jersey suggest Luke could be a Norris Trophy contender in the future, and Jack was an early contender for the Hart Trophy before his injury last season. Their oldest brother, Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, won the Norris Trophy last season.
Jack shined last season in average skating distance per 60 minutes (10.82 miles; second in the NHL behind Ryan McLeod’s 10.97) and also in volume categories such as speed bursts over 20 mph (187; 92nd percentile), mid-range shots on goal (94; 96th percentile) and mid-range goals (13; 96th percentile), despite being limited to 62 games.
