The holdout is finally over. Luke Hughes and the New Jersey Devils agreed to a long-term contract that will keep the youngest Hughes brother in Newark at least through the 2031-32 season.
READ MORE: Holdout Over, Devils Extend Luke Hughes to Long-Term Contract
It’s excellent news, and a tidy bit of business by general manager, Tom Fitzgerald. The Hughes camp drew a line, the Devils drew a line, and both sides eventually caved a little to agree to the new extension.
Hughes missed the first two weeks, 14 days, of training camp. He took no part in the first four preseason games as well. He’ll be on the ice for the first time on Thursday when the Devils practice in New Jersey, ahead of their preseason tilt against the New York Rangers later that night.
Whether Hughes will play or not remains to be seen.
So, Hughes—in terms of average annual value—is tied for the highest paid player in New Jersey. Thus, several questions are raised as a result, both short and long-term.
Will the Devils need to clear cap space?
We’ve been asking this question hypothetically for some time. The Devils are now negative in terms of cap space at $-3,983,047. They’re allowed to be 10% over the salary cap until the regular season starts, but it’s now October. That’s soon.
So, what can the Devils do?
Certainly, they can make a trade to clear cap space. However, how much does that really answer? The Devils have players on professional tryout contracts, and by the looks of it, at least Luke Glendening will get one. So, take the negative dollars the Devils are in right now with a grain of salt. It may turn out to be more.
However, who are they trading right now? No one is lining up to purchase Kurtis MacDermid at $1.15 million. And the rest of the projected NHL roster is a necessity.
It seems more likely that MacDermid could be buried at his full cap hit in the AHL if it comes to it. Otherwise, we’re looking at a player, perhaps two, to hit the injured reserve.
Enter Johnathan Kovacevic who won’t be ready to start the season. Per the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement, they can receive $3.8 million in cap relief, as opposed to his full $4 million cap hit, unless they determine him out for the season—which is not the plan.
That still leaves the Devils a fraction over the salary cap if MacDermid isn’t passed through to the AHL. Perhaps Stefan Noesen is stashed on the IR, too. His injury timeline is still uncertain.
Yet, both of those players are expected to return. So…
What’s Dougie Hamilton’s Future?
The chatter on Dougie Hamilton started this summer. Amid the grind to get Hughes pinned down to an extension, many wondered what Hamilton’s future in New Jersey would be.
Hughes and Hamilton now make the same amount per year. They’re the richest Devils in terms of AAV on the team. Hamilton doesn’t want to leave, but that might not be up to him anymore.
“I signed here for a reason, and I love being here. Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup here, and I want to keep trying to do that,” Hamilton told NJ Advance Media.
This past July 1st, Hamilton’s trade protection downgraded from full to a 10-team trade list of his choosing. It won’t be easy, but Hamilton has a say in where he goes.
It’s clear by the numbers that Hughes—at 22 years old—is the clear successor to Hamilton, who served as the Devils’ No.1 defenseman since he signed on in New Jersey. The question becomes…
Is Hughes ready to assume No.1 duties?
If you ask Jack Hughes, he is.
But, Jack is not Sheldon Keefe.
The middle Hughes brother already crowned Luke as the QB1 on the Devils’ first unit power play. But, being a No.1 defenseman is more than that. The hope is that Hughes can eat big minutes, play well in all three zones amid those minutes, and contribute on offense significantly.
Well, he’s already begun to check those boxes. His 21:45 average time on ice per game last season ranked second on the team, behind only Brett Pesce. Working with Pesce all year certainly improved Hughes’ own defensive game. Plus, he posted back-to-back seasons of 47 (9 goals, 38 assists) and 44 (7 goals, 37 assists) in consecutive seasons.
He has all the skill in the world to be a true No.1 defenseman. It’s just about sharpening those tools to do it consistently, as he’s proven to have some inconsistencies previously.
Did missing two weeks of training camp help his case? That question remains to be answered.
Quinn Hughes?
And finally, when do we seriously start talking about Quinn Hughes?
The short answer is not yet. But long-term? Yeah, it’s possible.
The Vancouver Canucks captain left the door open himself. He wants to see how the Canucks perform this year and he’ll assess his future from there. All the fuel provided by the Canucks President doesn’t help either, consistently reminding the general public of Quinn’s desire to play with his brothers.
So, Luke is in New Jersey through at least 2032. Jack’s deal ends in 2030.
Quinn’s deal in Vancouver is up in two summers.
How soon, if ever, does Quinn Hughes arrive in New Jersey?
