New Jersey Devils in Talks to Trade Two Expensive Players With Luke Hughes Contract on the Horizon

Per analyst Luke Fox of Sportsnet, the Devils are considering a trade of either Dougie Hamilton or Ondrej Palat to shed salary cap space to accommodate a new Hughes contract.

Jersey only has roughly $7 million in cap space, which is why veteran names like Ondrej Palat and Hamilton have surfaced in trade speculation.

Palat has 2 years left on his contract with an AAV (average annual value) of $6 million, while Hamilton has 3 years left with an AAV of $9 million.

Tom Fitzgerald said Luke Hughes wants to remain in New Jersey

Earlier in the summer, Fitzgerald spoke with urgency about getting Hughes signed to a new deal and said that Hughes wants to remain with the Devils.

I talked to his agent (Tuesday). We said, 'Let's enjoy the holiday weekend and we'll start talking after. He's excited. He wants to be a Devil long term-just like his brother (Jack). We're excited about that.

Players want to stay here. They want to be in New Jersey. They want to be part of something we're creating. The standards are getting higher with each year, which is exciting. I don't sense anything other than Luke wants to be a Devil for a long time.

Taken with the 4th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Hughes has 93 points (17G, 76A) in 155 career NHL games with the Devils.