James Nichols
We’re officially one week into NHL training camps, and Luke Hughes remains absent from the New Jersey Devils. Head coach Sheldon Keefe isn’t afraid to state that fact out loud. Nor did he refrain from naming his potential replacement, should this contract standoff last through the regular season.
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Following a dominant 6-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night, Keefe was straight forward when asked about Ethan Edwards playing alongside Brett Pesce.
“Obviously, that’s [Luke Hughes’] spot, and Luke’s not here,” Keefe said. “So, there’s an opportunity there to both have a young player go into that spot that can benefit from that mentorship. But also, we need it. We need a player. So, we’re giving him an opportunity, as we’ve talked a bunch about.”
On Luke Hughes, the latest bit of info doesn’t instill much faith in a timely solution. According to Pierre LeBrun, term isn’t the issue. Both sides remain fixated on a long-term deal. As we’ve reported here at New Jersey Hockey Now, the wedge between general manager Tom Fitzgerald and the Hughes camp is the average annual value.
LeBrun tweeted on Tuesday, “Both sides in [the] Luke Hughes negotiation spoke again Monday night in an effort to find some leeway in talks for the unsigned RFA D. Both sides still need to find more common ground. Still a ways apart. Both sides are focused on a long-term deal, but aren’t there yet on the AAV. The tone remains amicable between both sides. But it continues to be a grind.”
On Edwards, he had another strong showing in his second preseason game with the Devils this fall. He was rewarded with a goal as the result of finding an open slot and pinching up to the slot to make a play. He was physical, throwing four hits in 15:33 of ice time, blocked two shots, and displayed a steady, reliable defensive presence.
What impresses Keefe even more about Edwards is his skating ability, but the player as a whole has the Devils head coach excited.
“I mean, he could skate with every player out there. In fact, he might be the best skating defenseman that we have,” Keefe claimed. “So there’s so much we can do with that. And he’s another guy, we’re just going to play a lot through preseason and keep working with him… I know he’s not the biggest guy, but he’s almost 200-lbs. Like, he’s strong, he’s physically strong. And when you put all that together, you’ve got something to work with there. So I’m excited about him.”
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Edwards blocked a shot in the third period of Tuesday night’s tilt that sent him hobbling off the ice and down the tunnel for evaluation. He returned to the Devils’ bench, but the final buzzer went off before he could get another shift.
In the locker room, Edwards was still hobbling on his right leg a bit, however, Keefe explained he doesn’t believe there’s any concern with the 23-year-old defenseman.
Edwards signed a standard two-year, entry-level contract with the Devils in March 2025, and played the rest of the spring with the Utica Comets on a professional tryout contract. He registered three assists in 10 American Hockey League games last season.
The complete irony in the situation is Edwards is former Michigan Wolverines teammates with Hughes, and they’re close friends.
Make no mistake, Edwards has earned the right—to this point—to be considered squarely in the mix for the NHL roster. Yes, Hughes’ absence is a factor, but so is Edwards’ play, which has grabbed Keefe’s undivided attention.
Whereas it once looked like Edwards was destined to play out the 2025-26 season with the Comets, there’s now a real chance he could be filling in for his friend next to Pesce on the Devils’ blueline.
