The New Jersey Devils are heading into Day 7 of training camp, having played two preseason games, and restricted free agent defenseman Luke Hughes remains unsigned.
The term “top priority” is going to haunt Devils President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald, as it has been 84 days since he uttered the famous line on July 2nd, 2025. But his “top priority” remains unsigned, and even though he is confident a deal will get done, this is part of the process, as he explained last week. However, his top priority remains the same: signing Luke Hughes to a long-term extension.
Tom Fitzgerald: “We Will Be Signing Luke Hughes”
And that is where things stand, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, who mentioned on Tuesday night that the two sides continue to grind away. Both sides are focusing on a long-term deal. However, there is still common ground that needs to be found for an agreement to be reached.
Both sides in Luke Hughes negotiation spoke again Monday night in an effort to find some leeway in talks for the unsigned RFA D. Both sides still need to find more common ground. Still a ways apart. Both sides are focused on a long-term deal but aren’t there yet on the AAV. The tone remains amicable between both sides. But it continues to be a grind.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 23, 2025
But he is not the only one saying long-term deal now. Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet have also reported that both sides are working on a long-term contract. This has always been the case, as DevilsNation.com and NHLRumors.com have reported all summer.
Devils Rumors: Expectations Are Luke Hughes Will Sign a Long-Term Deal
Fitzgerald has made it clear he wants Luke Hughes there long-term, and the player wants to be there long-term. They want to secure a seven- or eight-year deal, but finding a way to make the numbers work seems to be an issue. Regardless, the Devils have an internal cap, and they want their core players to fit within that salary structure. That is how good teams and consistent Championship teams are built.
However, as we reported back in July, the Devils want Luke Hughes’s AAV between $7-$7.5 million a season. That number has come up. While no official numbers have been released publicly, the Devils don’t want to go higher than $8 million per season. Ideally, they would like to get him at $7.75 million a season.
However, the Hughes camp has seen what Owen Power received from the Buffalo Sabres, which was an eight-year contract worth $8.35 million per season. The starting point could be the Brock Faber deal with the Minnesota Wild, which is an eight-year contract at $8.5 million per season. Do the New Jersey Devils and Tom Fitzgerald settle on the Jake Sanderson deal with the Ottawa Senators, which is eight years at $8.05 million a season?
Both sides are dug into their positions. Fitzgerald has a price in mind and doesn’t want to exceed it, even with the salary cap increasing. It is becoming a waiting game to see who blinks first. However, remember that this is a complicated situation, as the Devils need to clear space despite Fitzgerald saying he doesn’t plan on trading any players. Even with Jonathan Kovacevic going on LTIR, other moves need to be made.
The rest of the NHL knows it, leaving the Devils in a position where they lack the leverage to make the moves they want to free up the money to sign Luke Hughes. Again, Dougie Hamilton isn’t going anywhere, not this year. Losing a player for financial reasons is not a wise business decision for a team with high expectations this season.
Luke Hughes Could See His Development Halted with the Potential Addition of Quinn Hughes
However, holdouts are a part of the process. Many didn’t think it would reach this point, where he would be missing games. Although preseason games, the longer this goes on, it not only affects the player but also the team. These holdouts never end well.
But the two parties continue to have open lines of communication with Luke Hughes away from the New Jersey Devils. They continue to work through their “problems” to hash out a deal that works for not only the player but the team. The next big target on the calendar is October 9th, when the Devils open the season in Carolina against the Hurricanes.
Ideally, the New Jersey Devils and Luke Hughes have that contract in place by then. That is the goal anyway.
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