The New Jersey Devils go as Jack Hughes goes. It's why they got off to a hot start, where a Stanley Cup-caliber season looked like a possibility. It's also why they fell apart when he was injured.
Hughes is back and playing well, a big difference from how he looked in his initial return. He returned to the lineup for the Dec. 21 game, but in four games, he only registered one point, resulting in four Devils losses. His recent play showed the impact of being healthy compared to being 100% and playing at a high level.