Important Conversations | 10 TAKEAWAYS

After tonight's game against the Dallas Stars, the Devils will have hit their halfway mark of the season.
It's been a year of ups and downs, dealing with COVID and injuries, all the while going through a growth and maturation process. These things are gradual, but they're underway. And that is where we begin this week in 10 Takeaways, presented by Ticketmaster, with the growth and maturation of Jack Hughes.

2.

Here's what Hughes had to say about seeing the 'A' on his jersey for the first time.
"It's a big step for me. It's something they expect me to be for a long time here, so it's pretty cool seeing it on my jersey, for sure, It's a pretty cool honor."
He added: "It's really special, and hopefully it will be on for a long time."
Something tells me that's probably going to happen.

3.

I remember back in 2017 the first Devils signing I ever "announced" or had to do an interview about was that of Damon Severson signing his six-year extension. I cannot tell you how many times I had to phonetically write out his name because the "Sev" in Severson wouldn't stick in my brain as "Seev". I remember the internal panic I had when I had to say his name on camera for the first time. It was the first video I'd ever produce for the club. Don't mess this up, I thought to myself.
Naturally, I did.
So we had to do it in two takes.

4.

So why did I tell this little story? Well, it was something that I vividly remember, and now I've gotten his name down no problem… and thankfully so, because ever since then the Devils defenseman has quietly worked his way up the Devils points ranks for defensemen. I remember him being advertised to me as an offensive defenseman, that's where he really buttered his bread, but in the last year or so he's really come a long way on the defensive end, playing critical minutes alongside Jonas Siegenthaler. Often you'll hear the coaches refer to him as playing his best defensive hockey this year.
But he still can be counted on for points on the board, and that's what he's been doing this season. Last weekend against the LA Kings he reached a new milestone, with his 200th point in the NHL, all with New Jersey. It pushes him up the franchise record books for defensemen, becoming just the seventh defenseman in Devils history to reach 200.
He's since surpassed that, with three points over last weekend, coming in at 202 career points.

5.

Severson is seventh in franchise history, which includes the years the team played in Kansas City and Colorado. But when you dial it down to just New Jersey, Severson comes in at 6th.
To move up to five? He'll have to catch his former defensive partner and captain Andy Greene, who had 246 points before departing for Long Island.

6.

This has been a week for difficult, but important conversations.
One where the hockey world was put into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Overt racial gestures, directed at players of color, and hitting particularly close to home with one of the victims being Jordan Subban, P.K.'s younger brother.
I'm sure many of you have seen it, but I strongly urge you to take 12 minutes out of your day to listen to the conversation we had with P.K. the day after the incident with his brother. It's powerful.

7.

This was truly a week of incredible education on both spectrums. Two polar opposite conversations with Subban, which also is a reminder of how far we have to go before this game of hockey feels like a safe place for everyone.
We celebrated this week as well, in the color-breaking barrier set by former Bruin Willie O'Ree back in 1957-58.
Here's a piece I put together, having talked to Subban about the significance of the night.

8.

Thanks to Devils statistician Kyle McKenna for coming out with this gem about Devils Jesper Bratt:
Remember last week when I talked about Bratt being drafted in the sixth round and all the success he's found? Well, McKenna did some number crunching and it's pretty impressive.
Bratt's 166 points (57g-109a) rank 1st for skaters drafted after the 2nd round in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Tweet from @NJDevils: Jesp sensational.#NJDevils | @PSEGDelivers pic.twitter.com/g60KcAMjth

9.

I loved watching Bratt come to the defense of Hughes in the game against the Kings. After Hughes was hit alongside the boards by Carl Grundstrom, Bratt went after his fellow countryman in defense of his star teammate.
It was a gesture appreciated by Hughes.
"That shows his character," Hughes said, "I mean, that's huge. Obviously, I hate being the guy that gets hit, and I'd rather see Bratter on the ice than fighting but you know for our team, for them to know that he has that capability, you know he's willing to do things like that, it shows you can win with a guy like that and with how highly skilled he is, and he's got that motor and he's got that intensity and competitiveness, that's why he's a special player."
Tweet from @NJDevils: Jesper sticking up for his teammates > pic.twitter.com/iNY4qDB28c

10.

Alexander Holtz is maturing. No longer a teenager, the Devils 2020 first-round pick is also maturing on the ice as well.
Since his return from the canceled World Junior tournament, he's made his way up the Utica leaderboard, at more than a point-per-game pace this season. In 17 games, he has 20 points, including nine points in his last seven games.
What this streak is telling me is that he's begun to truly figure out the North American ice and how his game can evolve to the different level that is the American Hockey League, with the next step being the National League as a dominant player.

All positive signs in development. I know we always want to see our top prospects immediately, excited about what they can bring, but I also get patience is hard.