Adam Proteau discusses the Avalanche and Golden Knights looking like Cup front-runners again, recent moves of inclusivity in hockey and Devils star forward Jack Hughes. Welcome once again to Screen Shots. This is a regular THN.com feature in which we focus on a few different hockey topics and break them down into a handful of paragraphs. Straightforward and to the point. Let’s get right to it:
The past two Stanley Cup champions have looked like front-runners again this season. After Tuesday’s 16-game slate, the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights are leading their respective divisions as unbeaten teams, and they’re lighting it up on offence with 28 goals-for – only Detroit (34) has more. They're equally adept on defence, with the Avs allowing only 12 goals and Vegas allowing 13. Why are the Avs and Golden Knights looking so good? Well, their best players have been their best players: Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen have combined for 12 goals and 28 points, while Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore and Mark Stone have combined for six goals and 21 points. When your biggest talents are taking the bull by the horns and dominating play, you will be in a very good position in the standings. The Avs had a Cup hangover year last season, but Vegas is showing no signs of that, and Colorado is showing it's one of the most dangerous teams in the league, even without injured captain Gabriel Landeskog. There’s a long way for them to go, but thus far, they’ve given themselves some nice cushion in case of injuries and subpar play later on this season. The Avalanche and Golden Knights should be high-level playoff teams, and no opponent will want to face them in the opening round and beyond next spring. Hockey inclusivity has been in the news of late, with Arizona defenceman Travis Dermott being the first NHLer this season to use Pride tape on his stick. The NHL quickly followed up on Dermott’s efforts to make hockey for everyone by announcing it's adjusted its stance on players making statement moves to support LGBTQ+ rights by “voluntarily represent(ing) social causes with their stick tape throughout the season.” Meanwhile, at the grassroots level, an Edmonton-area official added the colour pink to his uniform to support breast cancer awareness and early detection. And a player with the UK-based Elite Ice Hockey League has spoken out strongly in support of progressive approaches to gatekeeping the sport. The bottom line in these instances is that we can't make every player or hockey personality buy into the notion of hockey being for everyone, but every time a notable name steps up and publicly supports inclusivity programmes and charities for worthy institutions, they force the discussion forward into a more progressive area. Time is only going to make the culture of the sport more friendly, and it will make opponents of inclusivity look more small-minded. There’s no stopping progress. It’s all just a matter of time before the game is where it should be. Finally, it’s time to recognise New Jersey Devils star centre Jack Hughes as the biggest (non-Connor McDavid) beast in the NHL thus far. Hughes has amassed 10 assists and 14 points in five games, tying him with Dylan Larkin for the lead in points this season. New Jersey is elite for many reasons, but Hughes is clearly on a different level. The relative anonymity of playing in New Jersey can no longer shield him from the spotlight and the accompanying pressure that goes along with it. He may not like the attention, but he’s earned it. As a result, Hughes is going to be the focus of the media spotlight from now on, and he's 22 years old, meaning he's going to be even better in the coming years. That should terrify opponents. The Devils are a threat to score every time Hughes steps over the boards, and he looks like a legitimate contender to chase McDavid for the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top point producer. And he’s earning just $8 million per year through the summer of 2030, per PuckPedia. Quite the bargain.
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