In his interviews after the Draft Lottery, Kent Hughes had a big smile on his face. He had every reason to as the Canadiens had just won the lottery and will have the first overall pick at the upcoming NHL Draft held in Montreal on July 7th. As he put it himself, it will be a packed Bell Centre with tons of anticipation and excitement.
Jokingly, Hughes answered a humouristic question asking if he will be tempted to select a certain player from Northeastern University (hinting to his son Jack) with the first overall pick and if not, if there would be hard feelings. This put a smile on the Canadiens’ GM’s face and he replied that Jack will not be selected first overall. After all, this is not the same Jack Hughes selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils at the 2019 Draft.
This, however, doesn’t mean that Hughes the son is not a target for Hughes the father. The Canadiens also own the Calgary Flames’ first round pick, which should be a late pick in this year’s Draft. Further, the Canadiens also have the 33rd pick (first pick of the second round) since they finished last in the standings. So don’t close the door on a family reunion just yet.
Jack of all trades
Jack Hughes is an 18 year-old American, born in Westwood, Massachusetts, on the outskirt of Boston where his father Kent was located as a successful players’ agent. The scouting report on him describes him as a very good, dependable and hard-working two-way center who isn’t afraid to play physically. While he isn’t outstanding in any specific category, he is very good in every aspect of the game and he is known as a team-first type of player.
“I see a diligent two-way centre who skates well (this quality is underrated by some, I’d argue), possesses excellent hands, has a great deal of poise under pressure, and thrives as a distributor when backdoor options open up. He doesn’t have star power, but I won’t be surprised if becomes a good middle-six pivot in the NHL.” ~ Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
More reading…
- The Myth of The Rebuilding Habs by JD Lagrange
- Mock Draft v.1 – Montreal Canadiens by Bob Trask
- NHL Entry Draft – Wildcards by Bob Trask