Over the past five years, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has locked down the main core of this team long-term. He has signed most of them to good, team-friendly deals. Players such as Nico Hischier (who was signed by Ray Shero), Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and Dougie Hamilton have all put pen-to-paper agreements that benefit both the team and themselves. However, one of them has been considered not just the best in New Jersey, but the most valued in all of the National Hockey League (NHL).
In an article published in The Athletic, NHL staff writer Dom Luszczyszyn
compiled a list of the top 10 best contracts in the NHL in 2025. This is according to his analytics-based net rating/market value model. In that piece, he states that superstar Jack Hughes has the number one best contract in the entire league.
Hughes, 24, is entering the fourth season of his eight-year contract, which he signed in 2022-23. At the time, many people were skeptical about the deal and believed he was being overpaid for an unproven player. Fast forward to today, and Fitzgerald looks like a genius for that move.
From Jack Hughes to Tim Stützle, my annual look at the 10 best contracts in hockey.https://t.co/1s62wcICLU pic.twitter.com/4ynu78e9c1
— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) July 29, 2025
Since he signed, Hughes has delivered for the most part, contributing 97 goals, 146 assists for 243 points. He also broke the Devils' record for points in a regular season with 99 in 2022-23.
The young center has blossomed into one of the most talented players in the game, but one of the most criticized as well. This is mainly because he has missed a huge chunk of time in his career with injuries and has never played a full 82-game regular season. In his 6-year career so far, Hughes has played in 368 of the 445 games. That brings him to 77 times he did not play.
Jack Hughes has the best contract in the NHL
Hopefully, moving forward, the Devils' star will be able to stay on the ice as much as possible because when he's on the ice and playing, he's a major threat every night. This is why Luszczyszyn values Hughes' contract so much. He has the current contract at an amazing 99.9% positive value possibility. To put it simply, the Orlando, Florida native is playing well above what he's making overall. Luszczyszyn believes that, depending on future production and the rest of the deal, Hughes can elevate himself into the upper echelon of the league.
"Over the life of his deal, Hughes has a very real chance of becoming a top-five player in the sport."Dom Luszczyszyn, Writer, The Athletic
Seeing him at the top of this list will divide many about Hughes. It will go back to not just the previously mentioned missed games, but his size as a player, as well as his lack of experience playing deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs. While there's justification for that, there shouldn't be any question about the value and talent that he brings to the ice game in and game out. What also makes this contract so important and great is that it gives the team peace of mind that their star is committed to the Garden State long-term.
On top of that, it makes his younger brother and future phenom defenseman Luke Hughes' contract negotiations much easier than in other circumstances. Fitzgerald has signed several tremendous, favorable deals over the years. However, there's no denying that the one he signed for his most talented as well as marketable player is the best yet. That notion not only remains true for the team but throughout the entire NHL.