Hughes talks Devils season, brothers Quinn, Luke in Q&A with NHL.com

NHL.com's Q&A feature called "Sitting Down with…" runs each Sunday. We talk to key figures in the game, gaining insight into their lives on and off the ice.
This edition features New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes.

NEWARK, N.J. -- Jack Hughes said he looks forward to the day when the New Jersey Devils are consistently in contention for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"I'm in my third year now and I want to be playing important hockey down the stretch," the 20-year-old center said. "It's frustrating where we're at, but at the same time, we've dealt with a lot of things this year and I think we still have made positive strides. We've beaten some really good hockey teams and hopefully next year we can get back to it, but we still have games left and we should keep trying to win them and keep pushing it."
The Devils (24-37-5) are tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for last in the eight-team Metropolitan Division and on the verge of missing the playoffs for the fourth straight season. But Hughes said they are going in the right direction.
"We're working on the culture and trying to create a winning environment," he said.
Hughes is front and center for the rebuilding Devils. The No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft leads New Jersey with 24 goals and is second with 54 points in 46 games.
Hughes, who signed an eight-year, $64-million contract ($8 million average annual value) on Nov. 30, 2021 that begins next season, scored three points (two goals, one assist) in the Devils first two games of the season before missing the next 17 (Oct. 21-Nov. 28) with a dislocated shoulder.
He has scored 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in his past 10 games and his 100th NHL point when he scored two goals in 7-4 win against the New York Rangers on March 22. He has scored 106 points (42 goals, 64 assists) in 163 NHL games and became the fourth Devils player to score 100 points before his 21st birthday (20 years, 312 days). He joins Kirk Muller (20 year, 12 days), Nico Hischier (20 years, 274 days) and Brendan Shanahan (20 years, 306 days).
NHL.com caught up with Hughes to discuss the season, his teammates and older brother Quinn, a defenseman with the Vancouver Canucks, and younger brother Luke, a defenseman at the University of Michigan who was selected No. 4 by the Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft and was recently named a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the player voted best in NCAA men's hockey.
When you returned to the lineup following your shoulder injury, did you envision going on a run like the one you've been on?
"I don't know. It took me a while to get back into it. I had a major injury, and I missed a lot of time and I had to reassert myself, get my timing back and just little plays where I can take bumps and take hits where, you know, you feel comfortable. So, it took me some time, but obviously I've been on a pretty good run. I don't know if I ever expected it. I was kind of just playing and trying to push the pace, push my game and here we are."

What do you feel you have become better at this season?
"I'm obviously finishing plays better. Not just making good plays but finishing them and making them turn into goals. I'm probably creating more and the more opportunities you create, the more good things are going to happen. So that's definitely been helping my game."
Which forwards on the Devils don't receive enough credit for what they do?
"I think we have a bunch of good players. The guy that everyone says is 'Bratter.' He's a guy who goes under the radar and has been one of the best players in the Eastern Conference this year. He's over a point-per-game (1.07) and he's played 59 games, so he's been extremely impressive. He probably doesn't get talked about enough as a household name, but he's a guy that's driven our team. I think Nico Hischier is our driving force. His ability to drive play with his 200-foot game, shut guys down, play really well offensively and obviously just his character. He's a true captain for us. He plays through injuries, plays through a lot of things, and deals with a lot of things. We're lucky to have him. Everyone knows how good he is, but he's still under the radar, I think."
What impresses you about rookie forward Dawson Mercer?
"I just love everything he brings to our team. He's a huge piece, a guy who hounds pucks, gets on pucks, and is hard to play against. He's a dog, always hounding the puck, and he's got really good skill and hockey sense. He's got an engine, he's got a motor, he can skate. In terms of in our locker room, he's just a great kid, an innocent dude. He's a rookie, you know, in his first year, so he's figuring things out. We were all the same way our first year in the NHL, but all the guys like him a lot here in New Jersey."
Do you feel younger brother Luke might be ready to turn professional next season following his freshman season at Michigan?
"I think he's ready to go pro. I've watched a bunch of his games. In my mind, he's good enough to play for sure, 100 percent. But it's not just all hockey, there's a bunch of other things that come with it. So that decision will be up to him, but I would love to have him in New Jersey as soon as next year. I think he'd be a good fit for us, but we'll see what happens. It's not up to me."

Can you handicap the Calder Trophy race for NHL rookie of the year and the Hart Trophy race for NHL most valuable player?
"They're both such toss-ups. For the Hart, Auston Matthews (of the Toronto Maple Leafs) has been unbelievable. His last 30 games, he's been maybe the best in the League. Then you always have Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), and Leon Draisaitl (Oilers), and Jonathan Huberdeau (Florida Panthers) are right there. There's just so many guys right there. The Calder is the same way. I feel every week there's a new leader. There are a bunch of good rookies. Obviously, Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings), Lucas Raymond (Red Wings) and Trevor Zegras (Anaheim Ducks) were the early front-runners and they've all kept their pace. They haven't dropped off and are still all playing really well. Michael Bunting (Maple Leafs), Anton Lundell (Panthers) and even Mercer have caught the pack a bit. I wouldn't say it's a two-man race for either trophy. It's more like a five- or six-guy race."
What part of your game did your mom, Ellen, play a big part in developing to where it is today?
"She was the one who taught me how to skate. So that was huge because that's my whole game. You know, my skating. So, I credit a lot of that to her."
How special is it to have older brother, Quinn, as your roommate at your house in Michigan? And what was the painting that Quinn talked about prior to your matchup against him at Prudential Center on Feb. 28 that you and he wanted to have done for the house?
"Well, he's a good roommate. He's fun. We always have a crowded house and always have people over. It's a lot of fun having a house with your brother. The painting was a bit of an inside joke, so I'm not going to say it. I can tell you it's a custom painting that we hope to have someone paint. We have no clue how much it's going to cost. We haven't looked into it. It could be a couple hundred bucks or a few grand."
When you found out that good friend Zegras was going to an ode to the movie "Dodgeball" at the adidas NHL Breakaway Challenge at the 2022 NHL All-Star Skills in Las Vegas on Feb. 4, what were your initial thoughts, and did you think he'd pull it off?
"Well, I had no initial thoughts. I was just laughing. I thought it was hilarious. He's obviously got crazy skill, and he's really good at that stuff so I knew it was something he was going to kill. I didn't even get to see it live because we were in the tunnel but I knew it went well. He's sick."