In Red Wings Land (…Kinda)

Lose for Hughes Sweepstakes: How Jack Hughes Fits With Each of the NHL’s Bottom Teams | Sports Illustrated

DETROIT RED WINGS

The Red Wings are on pace to finish with their lowest points per game average in 33 years and are destined for its third straight top-10 pick. Things aren’t great in Motown, but Dylan Larkin, Andreas Athanasiou and Hughes would form arguably the best trio of under-25 centers in the NHL if the Ping-Pong balls fall in Detroit’s favor.

If the Wings some how land Jack Hughes, what would your top nine look like?

Tyler Bertuzzi — Dylan Larkin — Filip Zadina

Anthony Mantha — Jack Hughes — Frans Nielsen

Taro Hirose — Andreas Athanasiou — Michael Rasmussen

Something like that? I’m probably WAY off and so much of the roster is unknown, but it’s fun to think about. That’s for sure.

Around the League

Craig’s List: Hughes leads class heavy on American talent | TSN

Jack Hughes’s record-breaking season could end with him leading a historic draft class for American hockey talent.

Hughes, who recently broke Clayton Keller’s USA Hockey National Team Development Program scoring record by recording his 190th point in two seasons with the Under-17 and Under-18 squads, sits atop the March edition of Craig’s List ahead of the 2019 NHL Draft.

Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko?

That’s likely the biggest NHL draft question we’ll have between now and June. According to TSN’s Craig Button, the answer — at least right now — is Hughes.