Hughes is a small but highly–skilled puck-mover…a strong skater who possesses impressive four-way mobility…gets up to top speed in just a couple short strides…transitions smoothly and keeps up with his opponents, even those who are shifty and the fleetest of foot…a constant puck-rushing threat who makes impulse choices to join the rush when he sees open ice and has the quickness and soft mitts to remain in control of the puck at high speeds…confidently jumps off the line and lets his skillset go to work when getting looks at the net…shoots and passes with intent…his ability to retrieve pucks under pressure and kickstart the breakout is impressive, as is his ability to aleviate pressure…mobile little defender is skilled and speedy but still has to learn to manage his own zone better…possesses an active stick and smarts that he uses to strip pucks from unsuspecting opponents, and then like a flash he is gone on offense…regularly gets outmuscled when physically defending…has the potential to become a solid puck-rusher and power play specialist at the NHL level. (July 2017)