When asked, New Jersey Devils superstar, Jack Hughes, didn’t hesitate to answer who he’d like to play on a line with for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
READ: Devils Jack Hughes Reveals Preferred Team USA 4 Nations Face-Off Linemate
It took less than 24 hours for Hughes to plant the seed for Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan that the Devils forward wants to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs captain, Auston Matthews.
“I’d obviously love to play with Matthews,” Hughes revealed one day after he was selected to Team USA. “Just seeing him and [Mitch] Marner do their thing, it’d be fun to play with a guy that can score 70 goals in the NHL. It’d be pretty fun. So, even if it’s a few games, that’s something I’m definitely looking forward to, you know, the possibility.”
So, would Sullivan consider it?
We asked.
Coach Sullivan and USA general manager Bill Guerin met with the media on Friday afternoon to address their roster choices. They explained the difficulties of navigating potentially the deepest crop of American-born hockey players in history, with the task of selecting just a 23-man roster.
RELATED: Why Team USA Told Devils Luke Hughes Not Yet (+)
Now comes the fun part. The hard decisions are behind them. Sullivan can now focus on how he’s going to assemble his lineup with the most talent he’s ever had on one roster.
So, would the USA head coach take Hughes’ desire to play with Matthews into consideration?
“For sure, I would definitely have discussions with players,” Sullivan explained to New Jersey Hockey Now. “And you know, I’ve always been a coach that that invites and encourages input from our players. And we will do that when we’re with this group also.”
Sullivan went on to explain that—as any coach would—he’s looking for players who compliment each other. With a similar skill set as Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, it’s easy to see a scenario where Hughes and Matthews are put together.
“As far as line combinations, defense pairs, you know, for me, we’re looking for complimentary skill sets, and we’re looking for balance, because I think those things are essential to having success,” Sullivan said. “We can’t just rely on any one line to have success on any given night. And the reality is, when you look at the roster that we’ve assembled here, we should have the ability to accomplish both. We’ve got players that bring different skill sets to the table.”
Obviously, Hughes is a gifted offensive talent. He’s the exact kind of playmaker that should gel perfectly with a shoot-first mentality in Matthews. However, one of the emerging factors in Hughes’ game this season has been his defense. Hughes has taken to Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe well. As a result, he’s been as strong of a two-way player as ever.
In fact, according to Rono Analytics, Hughes ranks in the 98th percentile in defensive impact across the entire NHL.
Hughes is excelling at such an elite level in all three zones of the ice this season. Pairing him with Matthews and another perhaps another smart, high-end winger such as Jake Guentzel would certainly create the balance Sullivan will be looking for.
“We have a deep talent pool that should provide an opportunity for us to create balance through all four lines, in all three defense pairs and in the goaltending position also,” Sullivan concluded. “So that’s really, from on a macro level, the thought process, when we go about it and we and we start putting actual line combinations and defense pairs together.”
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