Yahoo Sports TNT Analyst Talks Jack Hughes & Why Giveaways Will Always Be Part Of His Game
While the New Jersey Devils navigate their current slump, one of their more noticeable shortcomings is the number of giveaways committed per game.
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One name that is consistently brought up concerning this metric is Jack Hughes.
Over the first 52 games of the season, the 2019 first-overall pick has 73 giveaways, second-most on the Devils behind defenseman Dougie Hamilton.
Through the first half of the 2024-25 season, Hughes joins Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov as the forwards with the most giveaways. The top ten are as follows: MacKinnon (82), Kucherov (80), Andrei Svechnikov (74), Jack Hughes (73), David Pastrnak (72), Mitch Marner (71), Mark Scheifele (67), Filip Forsberg (66), Brandon Hagel (65), and Macklin Celebrini (62).
In an exclusive interview with The Hockey News, NHL on TNT analyst Darren Pang spoke about players of Hughes caliber and the giveaways those players will commit.
"They are leaders in offensive zone possession time," Pang said. "They are the models of the NHL that get the puck into the offensive zone. So, defending-wise, the pressure is on them right away. They are going to turn pucks over, but they are also going to make the most magnificent plays.
"Great players make plays," he continued. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't work."
Dec 23, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers during the first period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
Hockey is a game of error, and the team that makes the least mistakes ultimately skates off the ice with two points. Remembering when the giveaways occur is more important than the quantity throughout the game, especially for a player like Hughes.
"I think it is the time of the game that a turnover can be highly scrutinized, and for good reason," Pang said. "If you are entering the offensive zone and there is backside pressure on you, and you decide to make a fancy drop pass hoping someone is there, and the turnover ends up going the other way, you got three players going north, and that is a bad turnover.
"If you are in the corner, and you have cycled for 30 seconds, and you made these magnificent plays, and you try one more pass between the guy's legs, and it is picked off, that to me is hockey."
It comes down to the player being cognizant of their situation, including where they are on the ice, how much time is left, etc.
"It is momentum-changing plays vs. a truly trying play that is close to the net. Two very different things."
At 23 years old, Hughes will continue to develop and have more awareness of the situation around him. A perfect example was the Devils' 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers when Hughes committed two giveaways in the five-minute overtime.
"I would say two not very good plays by myself," Hughes said to NJD.TV. "[...] It is not really a team thing; it is a personnel thing, and I definitely wanted to take back two of those plays. That is more of an individual thing, and I need to tighten the ship up there in overtime."
On most nights, Hughes will have the puck on his stick more than his teammates. He averages the most time on ice per game over any New Jersey skater, playing at critical times in all situations.
Like MacKinnon and Kucherov, Hughes is a gifted offensive player who has and will continue to make highlight reel plays that will be plastered over social media. With that style comes giveaways, which will always be part of his game. It is best not to get hung up on the amount per game but to watch his awareness develop as he learns when to play it safe and simplify vs. making that spectacular play.
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