from Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province,

He will burn the first year of his entry-level contract when he plays his first game. And the left-shot blueliner can only play 10 games the remainder of this season so he doesn’t have to be protected for the Seattle expansion draft in 2021. If he exceeds 10 games, he would be a third-year player by 2021 and need to be included on the protected list.

That’s the boiler-plate stuff. What everyone is anxious to see is the on-ice stuff.

If the right-shot Chis Tanev returns after missing 11 games with an ankle injury, he would pair well with Hughes. So would Troy Stecher. And Travis Green said he’d play Hughes “as much as I can.”

Hughes had 33 points (5-28) in 30 games this season with the disappointing 13-18-7 Wolverines. His eye-popping array of puck-moving wizardry — especially mobility to avoid the first forechecker with elite edge work — will be a boon to the back end. So will his ability to run a plodding and predictable power play that has sunk to 29th overall.

“He can snap passes or change the angle on his shot to get them through, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on him,” added Benning. “It’s a big step. I told him come in, work hard, don’t be nervous and do the things you’re capable of doing and I expect him to do that.”

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