Garden State of Mind
TOP PROSPECT JACK HUGHES AND A SLEW OF FRESH DEVILS ARE MAKING NEW JERSEY TO PLACE TO BE … AND MAYBE THE TEAM TO COLLECT.
Planning a trip to New Jersey? There’s so much to do! You can spend some time strolling down the Atlantic City Boardwalk, enjoying the outdoor wonders of the Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area and marveling at the architecture of Old Victorian Cape May. And if you time your visit right, you can take in the state’s new top tourist attraction at Newark’s Prudential Center.
After years of neglect, some savvy trading and a bit of draft lottery luck have made the New Jersey Devils a must-see on any trip to the Garden State.
It’s been a long time since fans and collectors have been this excited about the state’s hockey team. Of course, it’s been nearly 30 years since they’ve been treated to a rookie as dazzling as Jack Hughes.
For more than a decade, a Martin Brodeur card was as coveted as any single that could be pulled from a pack. The 1990 first rounder was a hobby legend almost from the moment he and his spectacular haircut debuted in 1990-91 Score (#439). He went on to win the Calder Trophy as the top rookie in the League in 1994, the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie four times (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008) and was a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Devils (1995, 2000, 2003). By the time he retired in 2015, Brodeur had carved his name into the record books as the
NHL’s all-time leader in wins (691) and shutouts (125).
Hughes has a long way to go to make a mark as profound as Brodeur’s, but the anticipation is building with every appearance.
The top pick in the 2019 draft won’t simply make the unprecedented jump directly from the US National Team Development Program into the NHL. Scouts who have been raving about his potential since his minor hockey days in Toronto believe he’s the odds-on favorite to capture the Calder. And early viewings of Hughes in the preseason suggest he’s capable of energizing the hobby in a way we haven’t seen since Connor McDavid’s debut.
Like McDavid, that excitement stems from the potential for something special to happen every time Hughes hops over the boards. He doesn’t simply make plays. He makes plays that embarrass defenders, creating viral moments with his stickhandling, his cuts and his creativity that will have every young player trying to emulate him.
The key to his game is the breathtaking pace of his attack. Or, more accurately, the way he alters it.
“The way he rushes the puck is really unlike anyone in the league,” a veteran scout told Beckett Hockey. “There are plenty of players who can bring it up the ice with breathtaking speed, but what he does that’s unique is the way he changes gears mid-rush. He comes fast, then slows down to lure defenders close, then turns it up again to blow by them. It’s fun to watch, you know, unless he’s coming at your team.”
There’s an easy magic to Hughes’s game that’s
going to earn him comparisons to McDavid, Patrick Kane and other ethereal players. Devils teammate P.K. Subban sees it, too.
“Jack obviously showed why he’s a first-overall pick,” Subban told NJ.com after watching Hughes score twice against the Boston Bruins in his preseason debut..“It’s pretty simple. If you watch his highlights he had some really good plays out there and you gotta give him credit for that. “He’s 18 years old. He’s got a very bright future.” That future is hotly anticipated in the hobby. While collectors wait impatiently for what’s expected to be Hughes’s first in-pack card in 2019-20 Upper Deck Series 1, there already is one licensed single on the market to chase down. His first official card was issued as part of an NTDP set given away to the first 1,500 attendees of a Team USA game on March 30, 2019. The scarcity of the set is appealing, but leaves some collectors confused as to the card’s legitimacy. The Hughes singles have sold for $25-$60 over the summer, but when people start to understand what it is, those prices will seem like a bargain.
There’s also a 2019 1st Overall Draft Pick redemption single found in packs of 2019-20 MVP that can be exchanged for a Hughes RC once he hits the ice. The base Silver version has sold for $60-$100, while the tougher Gold version (1:12,500 packs) has sold for $200-$300.
Clearly, collectors love what they’re hearing about Hughes.
And he’s not the only fresh source of excitement in New Jersey. Nikita Gusev, acquired over the summer in a deal with the Golden Knights, is another electrifying attacker. The top forward at the 2018 Olympics with 12 points in six games is coming off a season in which he ran away with the KHL scoring title, tallying 17 goals and 82 points in just 62 games. At the time of the trade, GM Ray Shero said he hoped the 27-year-old Russian winger would adapt quickly to North America and seize a top-six role with the team. So far, he’s made the adjustment look easy.
“He sees the ice very well, said teammate Miles Wood.“He can be staring at a d-man and then pass it over to a forward. You don’t know where he’s going to pass it, so that’s what makes him special, but if you’re out there with him, you have to be prepared for that unexpected pass.
“On the power play, he’s a special player,”Wood continued.“He can find the seams across ice, makes it tough on the opposing goaltender.”
Gusev has appeared on scores of KHL cards produced by Russian manufacturer Sereal. Already, those collectibles are seeing action in North America. And he’s just getting started.
With the addition of a offensive spark plug on the back end in Subban, a developing prospect in Nico Hischier and a healthy Taylor Hall, New Jersey looks like the place to be.