Hughes spent last season playing for Alaska of the ECHL where he posted 15 goals in 59 games. His past legal problems have removed him from prospect status.
Hughes at one time was a prospect, but a run in with the law and poor play have seen his career go in the wrong direction. He is also on the smaller side, which doesn't help matters any. In reality, his best case scenario would be that he gets to play in the AHL this season and doesn't spend another campaign in the CHL with Wichita, where he posted 41 points in 49 games.
A lower-body and neck injury early in Hughes pro career slowed down his progress and subsequent arrest for criminal sexual acts didn't help any. Hughes has talent but at 5-foot-11, 170-pounds, he is a bit on the smaller side and has a long way to go to prove he is ready to play in the NHL.
A bowling ball of a hockey player that is a bull on skates. Bounced around the minors last season before ending up with Wichita of the CHL. Doesn't seem to be anywhere near NHL ready at this time.
A few years ago, Hughes was showing flashes of being someone who could really contend for a spot on an NHL team. He had come off a successful OHL career and was doing well in his first taste of the AHL before he was sidelined for an extended period with a neck injury. His development was further sidetracked last year due to a lower-body injury. He'll try to get back on track in Bridgeport in 2009-10.
He has a lot of proving to do to establish where he belongs on the organizational depth chart. He'll be just 20 as the season begins, so he has time to do that, but he likely won't produce any fantasy value for a couple of years or more.
Hughes lasted until the fourth round of the 2006 draft, but all indications are that Carolina got a steal. Hughes teamed up with Detroit prospect Cory Emmerton and Colorado prospect Chris Stewart to lead Kingston to the OHL playoffs. Just 19, he has some developing to do, but has a future in the organization. You'll have to be patient, though; we don't expect to see him in Raleigh for a couple of years.
Hughes is just 18 as the '06-'07 season opens, and won't make a splash with the 'Canes for a couple of years at least.
Hughes is a little guy -- he's listed at 5'10" and 170 lbs so you know that's probably generous -- but he's a first-round type talent. Ranked as the 25th-rated North American skater by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau, he's a skilled player with good upside. He finished with 35 goals and 40 assists in 56 games with Kingston in the Ontario Hockey League in 2005-06, an output that was hampered by two separated shoulders and a knee sprain. Still, he performed well in pre-draft testing and there were no lingering effects from those injuries. He's a real coup for the Canes, who realized he was still on the board at 123 (fourth round) and snapped him up.
