New Jersey Devils fans are concerned that restricted free agent and franchise defenseman Luke Hughes is demanding a five-year contract, which would allow him to again become a free agent in 2030 alongside his older brother Jack Hughes.
Previously, it was reported that Luke and his camp were aiming for that five-year term, though, obviously, nothing has materialized one way or another to this point.
Jack Hughes, however, is aware of that possibility and has assured inquiring media (and Devils fans) that Luke is his own person and wants his younger brother to "set himself up for the rest of his life."
“I think that report — I saw it too — it's probably just a shot in the dark, though. Where is he getting this information from? Of course, just from the outside, like, anyone at any bar talking hockey can be like: ‘I'm sure the Hughes brothers want their contracts to match up.’ For sure," Jack said of Luke as reported by Sportsnet. "But then there's so many things that come into play: money, the term, and the money’s always changing,”
Jack Hughes says that Luke Hughes isn't tying his contract negotiations to his own free agency timeline
“I don’t think [five years for Luke] is a make-or-break thing. Luke is his own guy. I want Luke to set himself up for the rest of his life.”
Luke is, for better or for worse, the key to uniting the three Hughes brothers at the NHL level, which is more likely than not to happen with the Devils in New Jersey.
If, say, Luke does what Jack wants and sets himself up for life, that likely entails an eight-year extension that carries significant money, which realistically could exceed a $9 million AAV. That's a deal worth upwards of $72 million; not a bad chunk of change!
And with Luke hypothetically locked in beyond 2030, it forces Jack and Quinn Hughes to make a decision, and one that could potentially favor the Devils for more than a decade.
Time will tell, but if Jack's comments mean anything, the door isn't closed on Luke being a Devils player for a long time still to come.