from Randy Miller of NJ.com,

“I knew I had to get stronger,” Hughes said Thursday in a media Zoom call from his home in suburban Detroit.

The next words that came out of Hughes’ mouth was a vow that was made with conviction:

“I will get stronger over the years.”

Hughes is listed at 5-10, 168 pounds. He probably won’t get taller, but he still some filling out to do. That, more than anything, is what he’ll be working on during the Devils’ very long offseason, which began in March and could last until January due to the coronavirus stoppage.

His weight-gain plan is simple.

Big meals.

Lots of meals.

“Obviously, I’m trying to eat a lot, gain weight that way,” Hughes said.

It’ll take more than loading up on pasta and milkshakes to turn added pounds to muscle though, and Hughes will not be taking shortcuts pumping iron in the weight room.

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