The first time I saw Quinn Hughes play in November of 2016, I was blown away. He had five assists in the game, but what really stood out was his skating ability. He was untouchable while in possession, easily weaving through traffic and blowing past the opposition.



He was playing for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program U18 squad. It was a year where the program was unusually bereft of star power, except for Hughes, a 5-foot-9 defender with feet and stick skills better than any forward on the team.



A full season later, and Quinn Hughes is a probable top-10 pick at next week’s draft, possibly as high as third overall. The 18-year-old posted 29 points in 37 games in the NCAA with the University of Michigan, the highest points per game average by a first-time draft eligible defender in the NCAA since 2005.



Along the way, Hughes was named to the Big Ten’s second all-star team, grabbed a bronze medal at the world juniors and...