New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald said early on in the offseason that re-signing RFA defenseman Luke Hughes was his top priority. As we approach the beginning of September, that deal has still not come to fruition, and the reason why is becoming more clear.
NJ.com's Ryan Novozisnsky described that there have been disagreements about the finer details of the new contract. The main point of contention seems to be the contract length. This isn't necessarily a suprise to those who have followed the situation closely, but it does provide more clarity on the reason for the holdup.
The Devils camp seems to be in favor of a short-term bridge deal, which could look like three years at around $6 million annually, or a maximum-term contract of eight years that could be in the range of $8 to $9 million per season.
However, Hughes' side is reportedly more interested in lining up Luke's contract with his older brother, Jack, so both players would have their deals expire during the summer of 2030. That situation would spell disaster for New Jersey.
Why the Devils should avoid a five-year deal
If both Jack and Luke have matching contracts, this opens the door for two concerning possibiities. The first, more obvious factor is that, in five years' time, both players would have the option to walk away from the Devils simultaneously.
Jack and Luke represent the future of New Jersey's franchise on offense and defense, respectively, and the team is banking on having their contributions in the long-term. Jack, of course, is among the league's top young talent. The 24-year-old is the franchise record holder for most points in a season with 99 points in 2023-24 and, had he not been limited by injuries, would have been pushing 90 points in a full season this past year. Luke, on the other hand, has shown promise in his development skating in all situations and producing 44 points in 71 games this season.
There have even been whispers of the Devils parting ways with blueliner Dougie Hamilton via trade to a.) free up cap space to sign Luke, and b.) give him an established position as the team's top defender. That potential deal would show an unwavering commitment to Luke as the defenseman of the future. It's not likely to happen before the start of the upcoming season, however.
But it's a fact that the Hughes brothers enjoy playing together, and one that has been publicly confirmed on more than one occasion. Most notably, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Rutherford shared in a press conference that the eldest Hughes brother, Quinn, would be interested in reuniting with his siblings on the ice.
That brings us to the second concern with signing Luke to a five-year deal: it limits the Devils' chances of being abe to acquire Quinn via trade next summer. This has been heavily speculated on ever since Rutherford's comments. Quinn's contract is set to expire in 2027 so once he enters the last year of his deal ahead of the 2026-27 season, it allows the perfect window to negotiate a trade as opposed to letting him walk away in free agency.
Quinn is a game-changing defenseman, a former Norris Trophy winner, and far and away the Canucks' most elite skater. His name is even brought up in conversations about the best blueliners in the entire league. It's no surprise that the Devils would show a great deal of interest in him, especially given the discourse about him wanting to possibly join his brothers.
But if both Jack and Luke's contracts expire in 2030, then what would be so alluring about signing a massive long-term deal with the Devils? That would leave Quinn the odd man out, and he would be in a similar position to where he is now.
It's understandable why the Devils are offering so much pushback about signing Luke to a five-year deal given how it would limit the team's success down the line and lower the odds of landing Quinn in the next two years. That would be worst-case scenario for New Jersey and something the team should steer clear of.