The New Jersey Devils are not done with their responsibilities this off-season. There is still work to be done for Devils President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald as he looks to sign restricted free agent Luke Hughes to a new contract.
Heading into the July 4th holiday, Fitzgerald met with the media and told reporters that Luke Hughes was his number one priority. He also mentioned that he had spoken to Hughes’s agent before the holiday, and they would take the July 4th holiday to enjoy and return to work the following week. Fitzgerald added that Luke Hughes had wanted to be a member of the New Jersey Devils, like his brother Jack, for a long time.
Devils Analyst Ken Daneyko Believe Luke Hughes Will Sign a Long Term Deal
However, the question many are asking is why this deal hasn’t been done. After you look at the history of players coming out of their entry level deals, outside of Jesper Bratt, which was a fight on numerous occassions before he signed long-term, and last year with Dawson Mercer, who signed a three-year bridge deal, the two other core pieces Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes signed their new long-term extensions entering the final year of the entry level deals.
Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier are the core pieces to build around down the middle, while Luke Hughes is the piece to build around on the backend. But, it is the end of July, and the restricted free agent has yet to sign a contract. Which begs the question of what he is asking for and why the two parties can’t get it done?
Aside from the apparent fact that the Devils have been trying to clear cap space, the salary will rise over the next couple of years. Thus, it would make sense for Luke Hughes to bet on himself with a short-term or mid-range deal that pays him similar to his brother Jack, at $8 million a season. Knowing how the Devils’ salary structure works, they will likely look to have him come under that number.
Remember, Dougie Hamilton makes $9 million a season. Do the Devils feel his worth that? Probably not. As many have pointed out, the target could be Brock Faber‘s $8.5 million AAV that he signed with the Minnesota Wild on a long-term deal. And while Luke Hughes is good, some believe he is not on the same level as Faber. There are still areas of his game that Luke Hughes could clean up, especially on the backend.
Devils Rumors: Could Luke Hughes Take a Short-Term Deal with New Jersey?
In speaking with sources around the league, the belief is that the Devils are looking to get Hughes locked in to an AAV around $7-$7.5 million on a seven or eight-year deal. The Devils don’t want to go short-term with him because then he would be eligible for an offer sheet later on.
With Bowen Byram signing a two-year deal worth $6.25 million per season, it is reasonable to think that if Fitzgerald started with that number and met Hughes and his camp in the middle, they would get it done in the $7-$7.5 million range. And while Byram has a Stanley Cup to his name, the impact Luke Hughes makes on the ice is higher than Byram’s.
The Devils can go over the cap in the summer to finalize this deal. And with Johnathan Kovacevic and his $4 million AAV starting the year on LTIR, the option of moving a player or two out later on is on the table as well. The Devils and Luke Hughes continue to work on a new deal.
These things take time. We have also seen deals happen on the first day of training camp. However, Hughes is expected to be paid like a top-20 defenseman in the NHL this offseason. Everyone has an idea of what the number is, now it is determining the length of the deal.
However, the belief is that the New Jersey Devils will have Luke Hughes on their roster for a very long time.
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