Tag: 5-10

Draft Profile – Quinn Hughes

Hey there everyone, starting a new series here to hopefully promote a nice introduction to the scouting world and, more precisely, the 2018 NHL Draft class. Thanks for joining, I hope you enjoy.

Quinn Hughes

Left-Handed Defenseman

University of Michigan/US Men’s Junior National Team

Size: 5’10” (178 cm) and 174 lbs (79kg) via eliteprospects; 5’9″ and 170 via ISS

The first, and most important, trait to know about Quinn Hughes is his unparalleled skating ability. From his fine edge-work to straight-line speed, he is beyond “elite” as a skater. The truth is, after looking at far too many prospects, there’s no one close to Hughes in the draft and very few in the NHL today with feet quiet like the Florida native. Largely this is what’s given him a shot on the USMNT and in Ann Arbor above other NHL prospects and upper-classmen despite his size and aggressive nature with the puck. In a world where coaches and players alike try their best to limit risks on the ice, Hughes is one that takes risks and isn’t afraid in the slightest.

This leads into his next two traits, his vision and puck control. His calmness on the puck, largely due to his active mind and natural skating talent, is unmistakable. He’s so confident in his play that under heavy duress at every level, from AAA Midget hockey in Toronto to the Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA and at the World Juniors in 2018, he’s able to evade pressure and make plays. One look at his point totals in 2016-17 (26 points in 26 games for the USNT Development Program in USHL games, 53 in 65 for the program on its own, and 5 in 7 during the WJC-18) tells you plenty about his talent offensively. As of writing (1/21/2018) Hughes has only 1 goal for the Wolverines, scored on opening night, and 13 assists in 21 games while putting up only 3 points in 7 games at the WJC-20 this past month. Despite his dip in production, it’s certainly not for a lack of trying. The highlight of the Wolverines’ season has largely come from Hughes facilitating play at the back end, leading to the top line of Cooper Marody (6th round pick for the Philadelphia Flyers), Dexter Dancs, and team captain Tony Calderone (what a tremendous name by the way) to career years. From Hughes’ high quality “carry-it-in” zone entries, weaving through defenders twice his size, or his knack for finding an open pass, he’s still shone bright on this team. He has the potential to be a top pairing star in the NHL, without question. To quote Steve Kournianos,

Hughes is a strong playmaker with excellent vision, capable of threading the needle with either hard or saucered cross-ice passes. Additionally, he has a heavy shot with a quick release, and goaltenders have to work hard to control rebounds of his shots. Hughes makes plays on his backhand look effortless, and he’s adept at receiving and settling down pucks while traveling at a high rate of speed. His defensive play is relatively sound in terms of positioning and one-on-one tactics. Hughes has improved the timing of his step-ups and hip checks, and he stands his ground on zone entries despite obvious limitations in size and stick length. Losing slot territory to bigger players should be expected, but Hughes is a clever thief with a quick stick who transitions from defense to offense in the blink of an eye. He has top-pairing potential and can quarterback any power play regardless of the talent or skill level of the surrounding personnel.

and ISS Hockey, where he’s ranked 7th for the NHL Draft as of January,

Supremely gifted skater & puckhandler who has the ability to control a game from the back end

it’s easy to see why he’s such a highly touted prospect. Of course, being such a creative mind offensively and being known for his aggressive on-puck tendencies does lead to some draw backs. The fact is, he will likely need a true “stay-at-home” defenseman on his line with him at the NHL level to help mitigate any lapses in coverage from his judgement as he learns to adapt. His skating ability helps him a lot but it can’t solve every problem, certainly not if he’s forced off the puck against the likes of larger forecheckers. Overall, I believe if a certain Swedish Superman wasn’t in this draft class, Hughes would likely be the first defenseman off the board along with Evan Bouchard, Adam Boqvist, or Noah Dobson.

Likely draft position: #4-10

Best fits in the NHL: Detroit, New York Rangers, Edmonton, Montreal

Player Comparison(s): Paul Coffey