7:20 AM ET

College hockey coaches are always walking a fine line during news conferences. Especially during the postseason, when there is a strong chance they are willing to speak in generalities, afraid of saying too much.

Unless they are being asked about Michigan sophomore defenseman Luke Hughes.

“Honestly? He probably doesn’t need to be in college this year,” Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold said. “He could already be in the NHL. I’m glad he did play because I had him as my captain for the World Juniors. As good a player as he is, I think he’s a better person. He’s a phenomenal athlete, a phenomenal person and he’s got that elusiveness you can’t teach. You can’t teach what he does. “

Yes, a college coach said this. Scratch that. A college coach said this about an opposing player more than a week before the Frozen Four in a sport in which there are some coaches who will only answer questions about their own players.

People have thoughts on Hughes, whom the New Jersey Devils drafted fourth overall in 2021, with the general consensus being he’s really good at hockey.

This is why the comparisons exist. Could he be the next Zach Werenski? The next Charlie McAvoy? The next Cale Makar or even the next Quinn Hughes?

Maybe the more appropriate question: Who’s to say Hughes is not there already?

“I think he’s in that class of player for sure,” Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. “Those names that are mentioned — now, where will he end up? We don’t know. But we believe we have a very high caliber player. When you look at the history of these types of players, two years did not hurt Quinn. It didn’t hurt Werenski or McAvoy. It did not hurt to go back for your sophomore year and continue the growth of your game.”

Hughes will sign with New Jersey once Michigan’s season has ended (Michigan plays Quinnipiac in the Frozen Four on April 6 at 8:30 on ESPN2), Fitzgerald has said. And when that happens, Hughes will become the latest in a growing trend of defensemen who are first-round draft picks and leave college after two seasons.

Werenski was the first, followed by McAvoy, Makar and Quinn Hughes. The two-and-through club has since expanded to include Cam York, K’Andre Miller, Jake Sanderson and Owen Power.

This year, it welcomed Luke Hughes along with Corson Ceulemans, who left Wisconsin after two seasons to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“He beats people one-on-one at the offensive blue line,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said of Hughes. “A lot of coaches wouldn’t like this kind of stuff. With these young prospects, it’s like, ‘Ah, it works in college, but will it work in the NHL?’ Talking to both Quinn and Zach about Luke, I think they believe it’s going to work at the NHL level.”

Look at what the members of that club have achieved in a short time. They’ve had varying degrees of success, ranging from being instant contributors in a top-four role to making the All-Star Game to winning individual accolades such as the Norris Trophy, the award that goes to the NHL’s best defenseman.

How did hockey arrive at a point in which two years in college suddenly became the threshold for NHL-bound first-round defensemen?

“I don’t know if it is a black-and-white threshold,” said NHL agent Allain Roy, who represents Ceulemans. “As an agent, the conversation we have with our players is about development and it is when do you feel you have plateaued? Some guys, it’s a year or two years or three years, or some need all four.”

They also wanted to see how he could perform in some of the most high-leverage situations in Michigan’s chase for what would be a record-setting 10th national championship. The Wolverines face Quinnipiac in the national semifinals Thursday night in Tampa, Florida (8:30 ET on ESPN2/ESPN+).

“We wanted him to continue his development and help develop this kid into the player we want him to be,” Fitzgerald said. “The sky’s the limit for Luke. It’s NHL caliber right now. The decision making is going to get tighter. But he’s not going to learn that at Michigan or anywhere else to be honest with you.”

As for how quickly Hughes could enter the Devils’ lineup? Fitzgerald said that remains to be seen.

That’s no slight against Hughes. It’s just that the Devils are really good defensively. As in, they have one of the best defensive structures in the NHL. Natural Stat Trick’s metrics reinforce what makes the Devils’ blue line so good. In terms of 5-on-5 sequences, they are in the top five in shots allowed per 60 minutes, scoring chances allowed per 60 and high-danger chances allowed per 60, and are seventh in high-danger goals allowed per 60.

Devils coach Lindy Ruff has consistently relied upon his six defensemen — Ryan Graves, Dougie Hamilton, John Marino, Damon Severson, Jonas Siegenthaler and Brenden Smith — to create a unit that works in tandem with their forwards to make them one of the NHL’s more complete teams. Plus, Kevin Bahl has played 35 games as a seventh defenseman.

Furthermore, the Devils are going to be playing for home-ice advantage in the playoffs. And by the time Hughes and Michigan are done, the Devils may have only two regular-season games left.

These are the challenges that come with adding one of the best defensive prospects in hockey to one of the best defensive teams in hockey.

“Our coaches have been working with these players the last seven months,” Fitzgerald said. “This is the team that got us to where we are. Do I not want to put in a player that can help us achieve our goal? I just don’t know. Charlie McAvoy played because of injuries. It was not the plan, but it turned out awesome. I don’t know what that looks like.”

Of course an injury, as Fitzgerald alluded to, changes the dynamic. He said the Devils intentionally did not add any defensive reinforcements at the trade deadline because they knew Hughes would be available if needed.

That is another reason the Devils want Hughes around the team. They want him practicing so he can learn the system, start building relationships with his teammates — particularly those he will be living with when he comes to New Jersey — and adapt to the NHL so he is ready when the time comes.

“What are our expectations? We hope he wins a national championship and turns pro,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s coming into our group and seeing the things we value, how we want our D to play, our system, how we’re a quick-attack team and he will fit in seamlessly that way. … That is the plan right now. When you draft a player, two years is probably the limit if that’s how things go. But a third year is OK if he’s not quite ready.

“That’s not the case at all with Luke.”