No Panic Between Devils and Luke Hughes About a New Deal
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman joined Erika Watcher and Mike Johnson on NHL Network on Friday, September 5th and discussed the situation involving Luke Hughes and the New Jersey Devils. Friedman believes there should not be an issue getting a deal done.
DevilsNation.com Transcriptions
Devils Rumors: Luke Hughes Extension Will Get Done Eventually
Host: “Let’s switch gears to Luke Hughes. Now, obviously, there’s a lot of talk about the Hughes brothers as a whole. That’s no secret, and even Quinn Hughes is kind of saying that he can handle all that outside noise. But for Luke in particular, with the Devils, it seems to be taking longer than expected. What’s the latest?”
Elliotte Friedman: “I think, with Luke Hughes. This is one that I will watch next week, and then we get to a situation where the players have to start coming to camp about 10 days from now. I don’t worry about this one with Luke Hughes all summer. Like, to me, this one, it’s not a panic. I watch it over the next seven to 10 days. Like, is he in camp on time?
Like we saw, Connor Zary signed today (Friday) with Calgary. It’s probably a deal that the Flames might be a bit happier with than the player, but the player says, You know what, I want to be in camp on time. I want to get it done. To me, the biggest question here Erika is term, and, there’s been some reports, does he want to line it up with his brother Jack, who’s got three more years left.
Devils Rumors: New Jersey and Luke Hughes Continue To Grind Away at a New Deal
Like, I just think, with a guy like Luke Hughes, if I’m the Devils, I’m locking him up for as long as I can. A player like him, the price doesn’t go down. But Lane Hutson hasn’t signed yet, and he’s a guy whose numbers are only going to get higher too. I think a lot of these really young, talented guys, I think they like bridges now because they want to see where the cap is going, and if they’re going to sign for term, the teams are really going to have to make it worthwhile.”
DevilsNation.com Note: As mentioned throughout the offseason on DevilsNation.com and NHLRumors.com, the Devils are making Luke Hughes a priority. Both parties want to get a deal done. While it is taking longer than most would like, New Jersey is hampered by the salary cap. However, some believe that moving Dougie Hamilton remains the best course of action to free up money. However, the Devils want to compete, as sources continue to reiterate Hamilton isn’t going anywhere. But everyone is confident a deal will be in place and Luke Hughes won’t miss training camp.
Jack Hughes is Confident His Brother Will Get a Deal
Jack Hughes spoke with the media during the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour. He was a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, where he told Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas that he believes a deal for his brother Luke Hughes will get done with the New Jersey Devils.
“Eventually it’ll get done,” Jack Hughes said to Friedman and Bukauskas.
Devils Analyst Ken Daneyko Believe Luke Hughes Will Sign a Long Term Deal
“I don’t think so. He enjoys playing in New Jersey,” Hughes added
Of course, Jack Hughes was asked about the report stating the Hughes brothers would like their contract to line up, but Jack didn’t read too much into it.
“I don’t think (a five-year deal for Luke) is a make-or-break thing. Luke is his own guy. I want Luke to set himself up for the rest of his life.”
DevilsNation.com Note: As mentioned, the belief has always been a bridge (three-year deal) or a seven or eight-year deal. The five-year contract began as an idea and evolved into a larger endeavour. The Devils need to make the money work. While everyone assumes the Brock Faber deal in Minnesota at $8.5 million a season is the starting point, Devils President and GM Tom Fitzgerald would like to get that number under $8 million. Again, the Devils not only have to look at now, but the future as well.
Tom Fitzgerald: “Luke Hughes is My Number One Priority”
As a former agent told DevilsNation.com, “each contract negotiation is unique to the individual and team. They are never truly related. Teams value each player individually, and while there are comparables out in the market, they are not starting points in negotiations.”
What we have heard is $7.75 million per season. But there is confidence that the deal will get done. But there are a lot of other factors fans don’t know about to make it feasible moving forward.
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