Michigan Wolverine junior TJ Hughes could be of interest to Kent Hughes

Each season there are plenty of interesting NCAA free agents ready for an NHL future, and the Montreal Canadiens should take notice. 

Kent Hughes should, and presumably has somebody keeping an eye on a teammate of Michael Hage. TJ Hughes, a 23-year-old junior for the Wolverines, leads the team in points. Hughes 35 points in 33 games is three more than Hage, who sits in second for points. 

Surely Hughes and his staff have had their attention close to the Wolverines with Hage, one of their cornerstone centre prospects starring for Michigan. Hughes is in his third season with the Wolverines, and is on pace to post his second-consecutive point-per-game campaign. During his freshman season, Hughes scored 36 points in 39 games - three shy of point-per-game numbers.

Hughes, 23, is a native of Hamilton, Ontario, which is essentially the Toronto Maple Leafs backyard. I like the player quite a bit, and think that he could be a nice add for Montreal. But plucking a Toronto-area prospect would burn the Leafs - both fanbase and organization, most importantly.

In my opinion, Hughes is a bit of a late bloomer, and they have worked tremendously well for the Canadiens. Hughes should consider the 5’11”, 185 pound right-shot forward. Hughes (T.J) didn’t explode until his third season in major junior, but he certainly finished with a bang - 66-61-127 in 60 games as a 20-year-old. 

In most cases, an over-ager is a risk, but Hughes passes the eye test. When you watch him play, he is involved in everything. Hughes is a two-way presence, who is a magnet to the puck carrier when defending. 

Offensively he is solid, but his calling card will be what he does without the puck. I could be wrong, but I don’t envision him becoming a top-six NHL forward. Having said that, he will have to make an impression with his decision-making and commitment to defence. 

He is worth taking a flier on, and could provide the Laval Rocket with a nice boost. Hughes is more of a pass first player, but he has no issue when shooting the puck - employing a quick, whippy release, great one-touch prowess and soft hands in tight. 

Everything depends on when he decides to turn pro, but I don’t expect that he will have any issue getting NHL offers. 

Love for Hage

In watching Hage play against the Ohio State Buckeyes, his improvisation skills left me impressed.

Decision-making is probably the biggest characteristic that can make or break an NHL player. Many skilled players rely too much on pretty plays, which sometimes costs them. But there are the elite guys, whose puck touches turn to gold more often than not. 

For me there is a bit of wizardry in the way Hage handles his touches. On Michigan’s third goal, Hage fired a shot into the defenders' shin pads. But when he collected the loose puck, he one-touched it to a wide open TJ Hughes on his off-wing - essentially wrapping a bow on a goal for him. 

In another sequence, Hage ran out of space - so he used excellent body positioning and high creativity to escape a potential bad situation. Hage pivoted, then while in motion - he passed the puck between his feet without breaking stride. The attempt didn’t work out, but he was quick to cover his assignment. 

Hage blends intelligence, creativity and talent with tremendous heart to make a prospect with number one NHL centre potential. I think he will return to Michigan next year, and though he may be ready for the next step, I don’t think it would be an awful idea. 

The Mississauga, Ontario native doesn’t turn 19 until April - so there is plenty of time for him to develop his talents in Michigan before heading to Montreal.