Luke Hughes is the top priority for the New Jersey Devils, but his number doesn’t just affect him
B/R Open Ice: Frank Seravalli, when asked about New Jersey Devils RFA defenseman Luke Hughes, and if Jack Hughes‘ contract plays a role in what the number could be. Would Luke’s deal affect Dougie Hamilton?
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“Any news on Luke Hughes and the New Jersey Devils? Nope, but it was interesting to hear Jack Hughes today at the NHL player media tour, talking to reporters. Just say point blank, yes, I’ll be honest. I would like to play with Quinn, his brother, who’s out in Vancouver. Of course they would. Thank you for the honesty jack in stating the obvious.
The other part then would be getting Luke done and a deal. Look, I think this looks and starts with the Brock Faber type number.
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But I wonder if the deal that Jack signed, also long-term, big money from a few years ago. Does that impact at all how the Hughes family looks at this? Because it was great to get that $64, $68,000,000, $66 million, whatever, he sign for and get that security.
But I think at, you know, a certain point in time when you follow that up with a 100-point season, that you then feel like, hey, this was and, you know, we’ve been underpaid, and I know that, that’s you can’t have it both ways. Either you take the security or you’re willing to, you know, play it out and place a wager on yourself.
But just an interesting sort of tidbits. It’s to try and gain some line of sight into the thinking of the Hughes family as they try and figure this contract out for Luke. I mean, it’s still going to be a pretty sizable deal regardless. Two 40-plus point seasons on the blue line. Two seasons north of 21 minutes a night.
He is a significant part of what the New Jersey Devils want to do moving forward. It’s been their top offseason priority to get that deal done all summer.
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Obviously, this has lingered, but, man, it also makes you look at a Dougie Hamilton contract that’s on the books and say that’s a really tough spot to be in. How do we find a way to get out from under that contract? How do we find a way to lessen the load on our defenseman, relative to cap with that Dougie Hamilton contract? Because it all has to fit together like puzzle pieces for Tom Fitzgerald and coach Sheldon Keefe.”
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