Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec prove that a team doesn’t dream in colors if it hopes to see two rookie defensemen occupy important roles.
It took some hard work and a big hole to fill at this position with the New Jersey Devils for the team to find themselves in this situation, but both players do not disappoint.
Hughes, who has played 60 games, plays an average of 21:15 per game, while Nemec, who has 39 games under his belt, sees his playing time rise to 19:52, which is rare for rookies in the NHL Today. In NHL history, only three times have two rookie players averaged at least 20 minutes per game on the same team in the same season: Darnell Nurse (20:14; 69 games ) and Jordan Oesterle (21:41, 17) with the Edmonton Oilers in 2015-16, Duncan Keith (23:26, 81) and Brent Seabrook (20:02, 69) with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2005-06 and Brian Pothier (21:41, 33) and Daniel Tjarnqvist (21:32, 75) with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2001-02.
Keith and Seabrook are the only rookie defensemen to have average ice time this high in 35 or more games.
Hughes and Nemec hope they can keep the Devils (30-26-4) in the hunt for a Stanley Cup playoff spot when they visit the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN360, TNT, MAX). After a 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, New Jersey is five points behind the Philadelphia Flyers and third in the Metropolitan Division. The team also has six points less than the Detroit Red Wings and the second fourth-place playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“Luke leads our first wave of the power play and is one of our hardest-playing defensemen,” said assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon. “It’s a lot to ask of a first-year defenseman, but he copes well with the situation.
“The experience he gains this season will allow him to have consistent success in the future. »
Hughes, drafted fourth overall in 2021, was expected to earn a spot with the Devils following training camp. It became a formality last summer when the Devils lost veteran defensemen Ryan Graves, who signed a six-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Damon Severson, who was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Being a defenseman in today’s NHL is extremely difficult defensively because of the speed of execution when the play moves quickly to your end,” MacKinnon added. It’s a role that can be taxing, but Luke is learning to balance his transition game and offensive skills with his reading and positioning to dictate the pace of the game to the opposition. »
Hughes ranks first among all rookie defenders with 30 caused turnovers.
“I think I’m preparing my body well over the summer to play as long as possible and I’m happy I didn’t have any bad luck injuries, so everything is going well at the moment,” Hughes said. We are trying to improve as a team and move forward. »
The 20-year-old is first among NHL rookie defensemen with eight goals and second with 31 points and 23 assists. He is the eighth rookie defenseman in Devils/Colorado Rockies/Kansas City Scouts history to collect at least 30 points in a season, the first since Will Butcher in 2017-18 (44).
Nemec, drafted second overall in 2022, may have been called in earlier than expected after defenseman Dougie Hamilton suffered a torn pectoral muscle on November 30. Hamilton has not played again since.
“I don’t know if I expected this process to happen this early, but I’m happy to be in the NHL and I’m trying to enjoy every moment,” Nemec said. I think my game is improving, but I want to be even better. »
Since recording two assists in a 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks in his NHL debut on Dec. 1, the 20-year-old ranks third among rookie defensemen with 16 points (two goals, 14 assists).
“Simon may have made the jump to the NHL full-time sooner than expected,” MacKinnon admitted. He has been thrust into an important role on our team and is averaging almost 20 minutes, which is huge. Reading the game in front of you in both directions of the ice at an elite level is an asset that takes a lot of time and experience to develop. We believe that as he continues to develop, Simon will one day become one of the most complete defenders in the League thanks to the balance between his defensive game and his offensive strengths. »
Nemec, who is third among rookies with 64 blocked shots, is happy with the immense workload he has been given.
“I like to play a lot of minutes and I think playing over 20 minutes a game in the NHL at 20 years old is exceptional,” Nemec said. I want to be a really good two-way defender.”
According to MacKinnon, it’s only a matter of time.
“Simon is naturally strong, so it’s not as physically demanding for him as it might be for other defensemen his age,” MacKinnon said. He likes to have the puck and distribute it, and be involved in all three zones. Simon is working on his sense of the game to better manage his different strengths and have an impact as a defender. »
2024-03-03 01:27:48
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