Jack Hughes is a gifted facilitator of the puck with strong offensive awareness making him a fun player to watch when he has the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. The biggest asset in his game is his passing ability and there’s no question about that. He has high-end vision and confidence with the puck. He is patient when examining the ice for a pass, allowing passing lanes to open up and he has the ability to deliver crisp and accurate passes through tight windows right onto his teammate’s sticks. He has the potential to be a solid second unit power play facilitator, maybe even a top unit if he hits his full potential. While passing is his calling card, he’s not a one-dimensional offensive threat. He has a capable shot that will allow him to freeze goalies in odd-man rush situations because they will have to be weary of the passing and shooting threat he presents. Defensively, he’s a capable player, understanding his positioning in the defensive zone. He has the ability to stick to his assignment and rarely loses site of the opponent he’s guarding. The biggest area of concern is his consistency. Throughout the season he would flash high-end potential one game, but then completely disappear offensively the next. That may be partially attributed to his age and the depth his team possessed up front, but if he is able to find a consistent effort in his game his long-term outlook would drastically improve. He has all the tools to become a quality NHL player, he just needs to find a way to put everything together on a more regular basis. Hughes has the versatility to play in all situations, and play a nice top-nine forward role for whoever drafts him. That makes him an attractive package to say the least.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide