Prospect Info: #1: Jack Hughes (C): Fired Up Edition

[PKs Broken Stick]

He should at least put him with some wingers who can drive the play before trying anything like that. So far Hughes has been expected to be the play driver, which is insane and terrible management.

But the problem hasn't been the offense, it's been the defense. Hughes needs some time on wing.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Simmonds looked fine on his wing in preseason. Try that again.

 

[GrumpyKelly]

Congrats getting Hughes, he looks like a stud

 

[Jabs102501]

Congrats getting Hughes, he looks like a stud

thanks

 

[tellermine]

No one should be surpriced with these problems at this stage.

I am quite sure Hughes will go to wing quite soon. He has to learn with little easier position.

With his skills and iq he will be just fine. It just takes season or a two.

Reminds me Mikael Granlund in a way.
Dominated in lowers and then hot brickwall. Also small, high iq player with good morale.
But Jake is even more talented.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Wood was a poor choice to be on his wing. Try Simmonds or Coleman and see how that works.

 

[bigbabybuda]

Hughes is a center and will be a dominate one. He shouldn't be moved to the wing he needs to have competent wingers on his flanks. Hell he fine and after 4 or 5 more games of getting accustomed to the league these first 2 games will he forgoten.

 

[MadDevil]

The last two games are not a great sample size for anybody on the team, much less an 18 year old rookie. He'll figure it out. It might just take him a while to adjust to the speed and defense at the NHL level. We saw Nico get thrown around physically his rookie season (and he was bigger than Jack is) too.

 

[Emperoreddy]

The last two games are not a great sample size for anybody on the team, much less an 18 year old rookie. He'll figure it out. It might just take him a while to adjust to the speed and defense at the NHL level. We saw Nico get thrown around physically his rookie season (and he was bigger than Jack is) too.

Nico was rag dolled his rookie year and didn’t break. Jack will survive a few big hits.

He needs the right linemayes though. I would put Goose back with him and try Simmonds or Coleman on the other side.

 

[glenwo2]

Nico was rag dolled his rookie year and didn’t break. Jack will survive a few big hits.

He needs the right linemayes though. I would put Goose back with him and try Simmonds or Coleman on the other side.

I'd also put Bratt back with Hall and Nico.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Hughes started slow at the world's too, but was the best player for the US by the end. It m not worried about long term and this was expected in the short term. I just wish Hynes would put him in a better place to succeed.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Hughes started slow at the world's too, but was the best player for the US by the end. It m not worried about long term and this was expected in the short term. I just wish Hynes would put him in a better place to succeed.

I might be misremembering but I think he was with Kreider, right? He could really use a big strong play driving winger if he’s gonna stick at center this season.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Wood was a poor choice to be on his wing. Try Simmonds or Coleman and see how that works.

Absolutely. Wood is tough trying to find his game too. I know gusev/Hughes was electric, but same thing.

I'd go Coleman Hughes palmieri. Both responsible, both can pull trigger, both can root out pucks.
Hall Nico bratt is stable, and zajac can handle anything. Zacha and wood are good together.

 

[jkrdevil]

Nico was rag dolled his rookie year and didn’t break. Jack will survive a few big hits.

He needs the right linemayes though. I would put Goose back with him and try Simmonds or Coleman on the other side.

Put him with Hall and let Taylor drive the play.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

Hughes is a center and will be a dominate one. He shouldn't be moved to the wing he needs to have competent wingers on his flanks. Hell he fine and after 4 or 5 more games of getting accustomed to the league these first 2 games will he forgoten.

He was a dominating center, in a much weaker league. He’s learning the ropes at the highest of levels and he’s getting a big dose of reality as we speak.

I don’t think Shero made all those moves this offseason for us to get our teeth caved in 7-2 by Buffalo, in our 2nd game of the season. I understand that he’s the youngest player in the NHL at the moment but he was never really solid away from the puck in his weaker league and it’s not going to get any better now when playing in the NHL.

He’s learning, fine but this isn’t a learning league because if we get off to a slow start which seems to be the route we’re going on ATM, we can kiss this season goodbye and that will impact a ton of things for the team this summer. Having him play the wing and do what he does best while not worrying about all the small details a center should be ideal for his overall game and his confidence. You can’t tell me that he’s on top of the world now when he probably knows himself that he’s all over the place and if he knows that, the rest of the team sees it as well.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I don't see why Hughes playing on the wing for a few weeks would be a bad thing

It doesn't mean he is going to play there his entire career

 

[devilsblood]

Hughes to wing looks like the easy decision at this point.

Acting like the choice of wingers has been the issue when he has been getting caved with every winger he as been with doesn't fly.

If we didn't have aspirations as a team you might let him work through this, but we expect to be playoff team and Hughes is clearly not ready to handle center duties on a playoff team.

 

[devilsblood]

Absolutely. Wood is tough trying to find his game too. I know gusev/Hughes was electric, but same thing.

I'd go Coleman Hughes palmieri. Both responsible, both can pull trigger, both can root out pucks.
Hall Nico bratt is stable, and zajac can handle anything. Zacha and wood are good together.

Wood had a excellent game 1. That played into why he was with him in game 2. Plus the speed factor.

Was it a perfect choice? No, but everyone thought the all skill line was the perfect choice and that bombed worse. If it's this hard to find the right wingers for a guy, it's likely he's not ready to be center.

It's early, he's young, it's not a big deal in the long run, but in the short term we need to stabilize this situation. Hughes to wing looks like an easy call to me.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

If Hughes is going to stay at center, Zacha should be the first option to play on his wing. Maybe bump McLeod and send Rooney down, I don’t know.

Pavel is the perfect option to pair with Hughes IMO and we can slide someone like Bratt, Coleman or even Boqvist on the other wing.

 

[devilsblood]

Nico was rag dolled his rookie year and didn’t break. Jack will survive a few big hits.

He needs the right linemayes though. I would put Goose back with him and try Simmonds or Coleman on the other side.

It's not about getting hit though. Nico brings a defensive mindset, a willingness and ability to work the boards in the defensive zone, I think that is synonymous with the term grit, and people seem to hate that in players these days, but it's important especially from a center.

Hughes is far more skilled, but because Nico brought more of the intangible's, he was better prepared to play center in the NHL.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Hughes to wing looks like the easy decision at this point.

Acting like the choice of wingers has been the issue when he has been getting caved with every winger he as been with doesn't fly.

If we didn't have aspirations as a team you might let him work through this, but we expect to be playoff team and Hughes is clearly not ready to handle center duties on a playoff team.

I'm fine with Hughes to the wing, but I'd much rather try him at for C for 10 games before capitulation.

Honestly, I think that the staff has to be conscious of not sending a message that the teams losing is at all tied to Hughes.

This team's issues are far more profound than anything a rookie c can help or hurt.

Put him out there with stable wingers. Coleman can take tough draws or take over at center.
Hall Nico bratt
Boqvist Travis Palms
Coleman Hughes simmons
Wood Zacha Goose

 

[devilsblood]

I'm fine with Hughes to the wing, but I'd much rather try him at for C for 10 games before capitulation.

Honestly, I think that the staff has to be conscious of not sending a message that the teams losing is at all tied to Hughes.

This team's issues are far more profound than anything a rookie c can help or hurt.

Put him out there with stable wingers. Coleman can take tough draws or take over at center.
Hall Nico bratt
Boqvist Travis Palms
Coleman Hughes simmons
Wood Zacha Goose

Game 1 he was with Gusev and Bratt. His most common linemate by far is Bratt. I know some on this board don't think much of Wood, but he was very good in game 1. So Hughes has been playing with good players.

I was a big offseason advocate of Zacha on his wing, but my thinking was Zacha would kind of be the real center there. Some could be said of Coleman. And maybe that is the call right now, get him with someone who can cover his deficiencies even if he does stay at center.

But to me Hughes to wing is a pretty minor move. Shouldn't be viewed as a signal that the blame is on Hughes. Just a move that could put him in a better position to succeed.

But

 

[Billdo]

He was a dominating center, in a much weaker league. He’s learning the ropes at the highest of levels and he’s getting a big dose of reality as we speak.

I don’t think Shero made all those moves this offseason for us to get our teeth caved in 7-2 by Buffalo, in our 2nd game of the season. I understand that he’s the youngest player in the NHL at the moment but he was never really solid away from the puck in his weaker league and it’s not going to get any better now when playing in the NHL.

He’s learning, fine but this isn’t a learning league because if we get off to a slow start which seems to be the route we’re going on ATM, we can kiss this season goodbye and that will impact a ton of things for the team this summer. Having him play the wing and do what he does best while not worrying about all the small details a center should be ideal for his overall game and his confidence. You can’t tell me that he’s on top of the world now when he probably knows himself that he’s all over the place and if he knows that, the rest of the team sees it as well.

so what you're saying is we should've kept Seney up and let Jack to college or something, right?

 

[MadDevil]

Granted, they're different players at different stages of their careers, but Giroux did pretty well moving to the wing for the Flyers. Maybe putting Hughes on Zacha's wing could take the heavier lifting of playing center off Hughes and free him up a bit.

 

[billingtons ghost]

And honestly, we wouldn't be talking about Hughes at all if the losses weren't so vile.. and he's the tiniest part of the problem right now...

Because he's so small and playing with men.