The New Jersey Devils and restricted free agent defenseman Luke Hughes continue to work on a new contract extension. This holdout continues to drag on longer than many had anticipated. Everyone points to President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald, saying signing Luke Hughes was his “top priority” this offseason.
Just What Will Luke Hughes Make on His Next Deal with the New Jersey Devils?
Fitzgerald has been trying to finalize this deal since the NHL Scouting Combine in June. Even when the Devils opened training camp, he was defiant in saying, “We will be signing Luke Hughes, and he remained my number one priority.”
However, Hughes and the Devils are inching toward Jeremy Swayman territory with the Boston Bruins from a year ago. Swayman missed most of camp and signed right before the season started. That not only set the player back, but also the team. The Devils have high expectations, and not having one of, if not their best defenseman, in the lineup, is not good.
That could be the case for the Devils and Luke Hughes. For the second year in a row, there is a real shot that he may not be in the lineup when New Jersey opens the season against the Hurricanes in Carolina on October 9th.
Devils Rumors: Confidence Surrounds Luke Hughes and New Jersey Striking a New Deal
Both parties want to secure a long-term extension, as Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic noted on Insider Trading; however, a sizable gap remains between the team’s valuation of the player and the player’s own valuation.
Luke Hughes is the biggest name left, and certainly, people around the league are surprised that Mason McTavish got done before Hughes did.
What I can tell you is that there is daily dialogue between Hughes and the New Jersey Devils, which is positive. They tried to inch forward in this negotiation; it’s been an absolute grind, to steal a word from Dregs (Darren Dreger), but having said that, even though the two sides spoke again on this day, I’m told there’s still a tangible gap in those talks before they can get a deal done here.
And there’s urgency in this situation. The Devils really want to get this guy signed. The season is around the corner.
This reporting from LeBrun not only backs up what DevilsNation.com and NHLRumors.com have been reporting, but it is also a follow-up to what Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Monday on his latest 32 Thoughts Podcast.
Devils Rumors: Luke Hughes Extension Will Get Done Eventually
In the program, Friedman discusses the ongoing work that remains to be done. However, he added the caveat that he is cautious this time of year, citing Mason McTavish and the Anaheim Ducks not getting close on a deal, and then, all of a sudden, one phone call changed everything.
“I’m so careful this time of year because its like with the Ducks all we were hearing there was no-movement, no movement, no-movement, the Ducks move and the deal gets done right,” Friedman said. “So you have to be so careful this time of year. But I heard with Hughes there is still work that needs to get done there.”
Again, no official numbers have been released. However, the Devils and Tom Fitzgerald want to keep Luke Hughes within a salary structure. Luke Hughes and his camp are trying to maximize his value based on what he has accomplished since entering the NHL.
Luke Hughes Deserved to be on NHL Network’s Top 20 Defensemen List
Hughes sees players who have played fewer games in the NHL get $8-$8.5 million per season on an eight-year deal. The Devils may have to get up into Owen Power ($8.35 million AAV) or Brock Faber ($8.5 million) territory to get Luke Hughes signed. And the Hughes camp may have to come down from that $9 million number for a deal to work for the team.
There will need to be some compromise on both sides to reach a deal. However, both sides remain entrenched as negotiations continue to drag on.
