It’s September. Luke Hughes remains a restricted free agent (RFA) and is unsigned by the New Jersey Devils. The deal, or lack thereof, has flown under the radar all offseason. There’s an assumption that a deal will get done. Nevertheless, the longer the Devils wait, the more the pressure builds for a team with high aspirations this season.
There isn’t a lot of information that’s gotten out there from either side. No trade requests, no demands, and no drama because of it. It also leaves the fans to speculate what’s going on and what’s taking so long. The bottom line is that both sides are playing the waiting game, and it’s not helping general manager (GM) Tom Fitzgerald or the Devils.
Devils Need Hughes & Need Him From Day One
Last season wasn’t a breakout year for Hughes. He stepped up and emerged as a top-pair defenseman but was far from the anchor of the unit (44 points and 3.4 defensive point shares are far from mind-blowing). However, he proved why he’s an integral part of the unit as a two-way option on a team that doesn’t have many of those.
If Dougie Hamilton isn’t healthy, and the assumption is he won’t be for the full season, the Devils need Hughes to operate play from the point and be the scoring defenseman. Hughes is also an excellent skater who can limit opposing offenses on the rush and in space, a contrast from an otherwise bigger unit that plays a physical shot-blocking style.
The Devils need Hughes and can’t mess around with an extension because of it. They don’t want to end up like the New York Islanders, a team that couldn’t come to terms with Noah Dobson and ended up trading their top-scoring defenseman (leaving them without one). They need him on the team if they hope to compete for the Cup, and they need him there on opening night. Hughes must be there right away and can’t afford a slow start to the new season; that’s why the longer the Devils wait, the worse this looks, as they can get off to a slow start and be in a tough hole to climb out of.
Why The Devils & Hughes Can’t Come to Terms
What stands out about the contract talks is that little has gotten out to the public. Usually, one side threatens the other with a trade or puts out a statement to pressure the other side in negotiations. In this case, it’s quiet, and it only leaves the fans guessing.
The salary cap, however, is the driving force behind things stalling. The Devils have $6.1 million in projected cap space for this season. It makes a deal, regardless of the term, with a $6 million average annual value (AAV), a reasonable offer. There’s a good chance Hughes doesn’t see himself as a $6 million defenseman.
Hughes doesn’t have the track record of the defensemen who were paid this offseason, many of whom were given contracts in the $7 million AAV or higher range. Instead, he projects as a better and more valuable defenseman. He’s 21 and still years away from his prime, and it’s why he can get a deal with a high AAV.
The problem is the Devils don’t have the money for that type of deal, not unless they move someone or place someone on waivers before the season begins. So, with a stalemate, there’s a slight unknown for what will happen next.
Can The Devils Lose Hughes?
The assumption is that Hughes re-signs with the Devils, and there’s no reason to believe otherwise. It’s just a matter of when and what the contract looks like, and it’s hard seeing a team swooping in to grab the young defenseman (especially since teams aren’t letting the next Philip Broberg or Dylan Holloway walk out the door).
It would be something if the Vancouver Canucks pulled off a move to grab Hughes. Jim Rutherford made headlines (shocker, right) by stating how Quinn Hughes wants to play with his brothers, and that presumably will happen someday with the Devils. Yet, snagging Luke to play on the same defense as Quinn turns the tables. The reality is that it can’t happen, considering the Canucks don’t have the cap space to make it happen (even if it’s a fun hypothetical to think about).
Regardless, there are some teams with the cap space that can add Hughes. The Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Columbus Blue Jackets all have $15 million or more in space, while the Detroit Red Wings, the team in the same state where Hughes played college hockey, have $11.9 million to work with. So, if Fitzgerald is overconfident, there’s a chance he loses Hughes.
How Fitzgerald Can Win The Waiting Game
A bridge deal kicks the can down the road, and it’s probably what Fitzgerald will end up giving Hughes. However, it puts the Devils in a tougher situation when that contract is up, as Hughes can come back and ask for a bigger deal, especially if he continues to improve (which ought to happen from a 21-year-old only getting better).
It’s why the best type of deal Fitzgerald can give out is a one-year deal that forces Hughes to bet on himself for one season. While there are only a few teams that hand out highly incentivized deals to veterans, the Devils can give Hughes a deal with bonuses that pay him extra if he wins the Norris Trophy or if the team reaches the Stanley Cup. That’s the type of bet where everyone wins in the end.
The Florida Panthers won the Cup with Sam Bennett playing his best hockey in a contract year. They also had Marchand playing with that motivation. If there was ever a chance to get that from Hughes, this is it. With the Devils prepared to make a Cup run as well, this is the time to have players on the roster who want to bet on themselves and play their best hockey.
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