Hughes becomes the team's first captain since Bo Horvat, who left the organization via trade earlier this year. Hughes will wear the 'C' for the first time during a preseason game, which his debut is TBD at this time, but his first official game as captain will come on opening night, October 11th, against the Edmonton Oilers.
The 23-year-old has four more years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $7.85 million. Last season, the Orlando, Florida native had a career year in 2022-23, putting up 76 points (seven goals, 69 assists), 34 penalty minutes and was a plus-15.