On ice activity begins today at training camp for the New Jersey Devils and of course, there’s one name missing from their camp roster that was released to the public yesterday. Luke Hughes is still without a new contract as a restricted free agent, meaning he’s not going to be part of the team’s training cam, at least not yet. There’s been speculation all summer regarding contract length, monetary amount, and conspiracy theories about all three Hughes brothers trying to line up their deals. Regardless of whichever narrative you believe, the Devils enter camp at time of writing with only one of their Hughes brothers.
A restricted free agent being unsigned as training camp opens isn’t anything new in the NHL. Heck, it isn’t even new to the Devils. as Jesper Bratt held out for a brief period as an RFA in 2020-21 before joining the team slightly after the start of camp. At the same time, it isn’t ideal, as with no timeline on Hughes re-signing, he could miss some of preseason, all of preseason, or even beyond if a deal doesn’t get done soon. With the Devils already down Johnny Kovacevic to start the season, having a key defender of each handedness unavailable for the start of a second straight season would be awful for the Devils.
Now that doesn’t mean the Devils should acquiesce to all of Luke’s demands. The last thing they want to do is sign him to a deal that walks him to unrestricted free agency the same year Jack’s deal is up, mainly because that would feed right into the rumors and fears. At the same time, letting this drag on hurts the team both in the immediate future and beyond. In the immediate it hurts with the gap it leaves in the lineup; beyond it means less time for Luke to get his skating legs back under him and get adjusted and ready for games. Obviously he will get acclimated at some point, but hopefully it won’t lead to any early games with gaffes causing the Devils to lose points in the standings.
One other impediment? The salary cap and how much space the Devils have available. If Luke is looking for a long-term deal, the Devils seemingly don’t have enough cap space to sign him to an amount that makes sense for both parties. Differing deals and ways to free up space have been discussed at length, as lack of hockey news in the summer often leads to more focus and discussion of the few bigger pieces of news and narrative. Unless the Devils pull the trigger on a deal to open up space (and that takes a willing second party) they may have to go with a bridge deal sheerly out of necessity.
My hope? That as soon as I post this piece today that it becomes irrelevant and the team announces a new deal for Luke. Realistically? Camp opens today, the preseason starts Sunday, and games that count for real start on October 9th for the Devils. I think we see Luke signed before the end of next week for certain. I would prefer we see it get done sooner, at least in time for him to appear in the second or third preseason game, as there’s usually not too many regulars in the first preseason game anyway. Again though, the Devils need him in the lineup, so now’s the time to hammer out whatever is in the way and get a deal done. The Devils goal is to take another step forward this season, and having Luke in uniform would help make that a reality.
What are your thoughts on the Luke Hughes contract situation; anything new that you haven’t mentioned in one of the other discussions on this topic? Are you concerned that he’s still not signed? At what point, if any, would you be concerned if he’s still unsigned? Do you think the Devils are still trying to find someone to make a trade with to free up more cap for a long-term Hughes deal? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!