Luke Hughes, the 2021 fourth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils defensemen, was named a Calder Trophy finalist for the 2023-24 season. The Calder Trophy goes to the best rookie in the league.
Along with Hughes, Connor Bedard, and Brock Faber were also named finalists for the trophy.
Hughes appeared in all 82 games this season, setting a franchise record for points by a rookie defenseman with 47. He scored nine goals and had 38 assists throughout the season.
Hughes put together a few-point streaks throughout the season. His longest one was a seven-game point streak, during which he recorded seven points. He also had a five-game assist streak. After playing on the power play for most of the season, he led all rookies in the league with 25 power-play points.
After fellow defenseman Dougie Hamilton got injured and sidelined for the season in November, the coaching staff put much faith in Hughes to fill a more significant role on the Devils' blueline.
Hughes rarely looked out of place in the Devils' lineup. Next season, the Devils will continue to rely heavily on him as he begins his sophomore season.
Hughes will head to Las Vegas for the NHL Awards on June 27. Will he be taking some hardware back to Jersey?
Be sure to check out JerseySportingNews.com during the offseason for updates on Luke Hughes and the Calder Trophy
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