The New Jersey Devils continue to deal with the rumours surrounding defenseman Dougie Hamilton, but it is defenseman Luke Hughes who remains a priority for the Devils. Hughes, a restricted free agent, needs a new contract. However, the Devils need cap space to make that happen. Nevertheless, as President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald has stated on numerous occasions, his number one priority is to get an extension with Luke Hughes.
The New Jersey Devils Should Not Trade Dougie Hamilton Just to Clear Cap Space
During the July 8th version of NHL Tonight the panel of Bill Pidto, Ken Daneyko, and Mike Johnson discuss the New Jersey Devils and the contract extension for Luke Hughes. Former player and current analyst with the Devils, Ken Daneyko makes a point to note that Luke Hughes will sign a long-term extension with the club.
DevilsNation.com Transcriptions
Bill Pidto: “Tom Fitzgerald of the Devils when asked if he expects to do anything more. Number one priority, Kenny getting Luke Hughes done in terms of a contract? He’s a restricted free agent. What do you think?”
Ken Daneyko: “I think it’s not a matter of when, but if…”
Mike Johnson: “Not a matter of if, but when.”
Daneykoo: “Not a matter of if, but when. Yes, excuse me. Thank you for correcting me.”
Johnson: “You got the Jersey fans a little panicked there.”
Tom Fitzgerald: “Luke Hughes is My Number One Priority“
Danekyo: “Thanks for correcting me. I want to make sure Devils fans aren’t mad at me. And obviously, Tom Fitzgerald understands the importance of Luke Hughes, not just because he’s Jack’s brother. He’s starting to come into his own, and they need Luke Hughes 0n the back end, with that great skating ability. They’ve added some bigger, stronger defensemen that really helped them with their goals against last year, and being tougher to play against in their zone.
But you need a guy who can be a one-man exit. Luke Hughes is that guy, and he’s only going to continue to grow. So they’d like to lock him up long term. I think it’s only a matter of time now, and we will see. I know the Devils don’t have a ton of cap space. I don’t think you have to worry about that. They will sign him and find the extra couple of million bucks that they have to move out, or whatever they have to do.
Fitzgerald’s not done just yet. I think he’s done a real good job thus far addressing the bottom six. But make no mistake, Luke Hughes has been his top priority. Probably from day one. He just had some other business to do, and I think Luke patiently waited and understands that he’s going to be a Devil for a long time. He wants to be a Devil for a long time, and the Devils can’t win without him, in my opinion, if he’s going to continue to grow as a player.”
Devils Rumors: Tom Fitzgerald Working On Extending Luke Hughes
As DevilsNation.com has documented, everything this offseason has centred around Hughes and his extension. Both the Devils and the player want to get it done. And with Luke Hughes wanting to be a member of the Devils long-term, like his brother, the expectations, as Daneyko stated, are that he signs long-term.
Whether that is a seven-year deal or an eight-year deal remains to be seen. But the organization wants Luke Hughes locked up to the max. Most figure he will get in the $7-$7.5 million range on an AAV. But some think he could get more. However, one thing is clear: the Devils want Luke Hughes on the team for a very long time.
