Luke Hughes’ Devils Standoff Influenced by Jack Hughes’ Extension, Frank Seravalli Suggests

According to Seravalli, a possible hurdle in negotiations is the precedent set by Luke's brother Jack when he signed his own contract extension in 2021, which is a type of deal Luke might not be willing to take.

Jack Hughes signed an eight-year, $64 million deal with the Devils locking him in for the long term in what could eventually turn into a bargian contract given the raising cap.

“Think about the deal that Luke’s brother Jack signed with the Devils. It seemed like a ton of security upfront,” Seravalli said. “Who says no to sixty-some million dollars? Then, in short order, (Hughes) has a 100-plus point season, (and) then, all of a sudden, (the contract) became a relative bargain as the cap has continued to increase."

The sticking points, however, go beyond dollars in Luke's case.

“The big interesting part for Luke Hughes is: is he going to consistently be on that number one power play?” Seravalli said. “What does the rest of his game look like? What does the New Jersey Devils’ salary cap picture look like?”

Hughes, 22, is coming off back-to-back 40-plus point seasons and led Devils defensemen with 44 points last year and 47 the year before. The defenseman is already locked into a top-four role and could see his power-play minutes grow this season.

Seravalli also raised the question of how fellow defenseman Dougie Hamilton’s future with the club fits into the cap puzzle genearl manager Tom Fitzgerald is trying to solve, as Hamilton carries a $9 million annual cap hit through 2028.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic described the negotiations as “grinding away” with both sides intent on hammering out a deal before the season opener in early October and Fitzgerald himself calling training camp the “11th hour” in an interview from back in August.