The New Jersey Devils warded off the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. For one player, it marked yet another milestone moment.
Jack Hughes had another game to remember, finishing with three points and two goals. While multi-goal games have become a theme for Hughes, Tuesday’s came with even more significance.
Per Devils Media:
“Hughes now owns 34 career multi-goal games, which ranks third for all skaters in franchise history.
“Tonight’s effort also marked Hughes’ 45th career game with three point games, which ranks third all-time in franchise history behind Patrik Elias’ 74 and John MacLean’s 46.”
Those are two remarkable names for Hughes to be mentioned in the same sentence with. Hughes, though, is just one away from matching MacLean and two away from passing the Devils legend. But it gets even more interesting.
MacLean suited up for 934 games with the Devils and compiled 701 points and 347 goals. He notched his 46th and final three-point game in a Devils uniform on Oct. 27, 1997, in a 5-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. It was MacLean’s 918th game with New Jersey, and he was traded to the San Jose Sharks shortly thereafter.
MacLean was one of the better players in Devils history, but he began his career in 1983-84. It took him nearly a decade and a half to reach the mark.
Hughes is in just his age-25 season, and he should, at some point this season, tie and ultimately pass MacLean. Patrik Elias, however, will take some time to pass.
Patrik Elias Spent A Career Putting Up Three-Point Games
Patrik Elias played in just 16 games in 2015-16, his final season in the league. His 74th and final three-point game occurred on Apr. 9th, 2016, in a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. That doubled as the final game of his career.
Elias had been in the twilight of his career for quite some time, posting just 34 points and 13 goals in 69 games the season before, in 2014-15. In his final season, he notched eight points and two goals. The final goal of his career also occurred in his last game.
That said, Hughes has an incredible jumpstart to ultimately catch and pass Elias. It most likely won’t occur in 2026-27 or 2027-28 unless he goes on a legendary tear. But with 45 three-point games across roughly 7.18 seasons, Hughes is more than on pace to hit the milestone faster than Elias, who spent 20 seasons with the Devils.
When May Hughes Realistically Pass Elias?
Hughes is currently averaging approximately 6.3 games per season when he puts up at least three points. He has 45 and needs 29 to tie and 30 to pass Elias. If he notches five more in 2026-27 and continues at a 6.3-game pace in the coming seasons, Hughes would tie Elias at some point in 2030-31 and pass him in 2031-32.
A lot can happen in that timeframe, so this is just a rough projection if Hughes continued producing at the same pace. But if Hughes increases his three-point production as he moves further into his prime, he could surpass Elias sooner.
If Hughes doesn’t keep up the same three-point production year over year, it will take him longer. It will be fun to watch in the coming seasons to see how close Hughes ends up year after year.
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