Jack Hughes drops surprising name as hardest 1v1 competitor

Jack Hughes has revealed the name of a defenseman he finds the hardest to beat in a one-on-one situation, and the answer may surprise many fans.

Hughes is arguably the NHL's best forward right now. After six games, the 22-year-old Orlando native leads the league in scoring with 17 points for the New Jersey Devils, thanks to an impressive tally of four goals and 13 assists.

Jack Hughes Hughes is a complete player, and with his scoring prowess, contribution, and top-level skill set upfront, defenders find it difficult to stop whenever he's on the move with the puck.

However, there is one opponent in the league whom the 22-year-old considers difficult to beat one-on-one. Jack Hughes recently spoke on "NHL on TNT" and revealed that while both of his brothers are tough to beat on defense, one edges out the other.

He said that it is his younger brother, Luke Hughes, who he considers to be the most difficult one to go one-on-one against on the ice:

"Honestly, this summer was Luke, but they defend really differently. You know, like Quinn's got the really good feet extremely smart. You know, he's like, he's really crafty with how he defends, you know, so and Luke's got that really long range can really skate so they're both really difficult and I'm glad on off to play against Luke."

Luke Hughes was drafted No. 4 by the New Jersey Devils in the 2021 draft. He's played six games this season, scoring two points.

How did Jack Hughes fare against the Washington Capitals?

The New Jersey Devils (3-2-1) lost 6-4 to the Washington Capitals (2-3-1) at home in Prudential Center on Wednesday.

The Caps dominated the game from the start, with goals from Anthony Mantha, Dylan Strome, and Sonny Milano giving them a 3-0 lead before heading into the second period. However, in the second period, the Devils mounted a brilliant comeback as they scored four goals to go 4-3 before the final period.

In the final period, goals from Dylan Strome and Connor McMichael gave the Caps a 5-4 lead. With two minutes remaining before the final buzzer, Alex Ovechkin scored the sixth and sealed two points for the Capitals.

Hughes and Tyler Toffoli accumulated three points apiece for the Devils. Meanwhile, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Anthony Mantha, Ovechkin, and Dylan Strome all scored two points for Washington.

Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils next play against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday, October 27. The puck drops at 7 P.M. ET.