The New Jersey Devils have one piece of business that must be done now that Thomas Bordeleau got signed this week. Luke Hughes is the last thing on Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald’s to-do list before he goes off on vacation for the month of August. Would we love a top-six forward? Sure, but movement has slowed to a snail’s pace, so we’ll focus on Luke Hughes’s next deal.
What could be holding up the Luke Hughes deal? With Jack Hughes on the roster, it’s incredibly unlikely that the reason is that one side or the other is unsure about the connection. No trade is happening here. So, it’s down to either money or term (or both) that is causing this negotiation to last possibly into August.
While money is obviously part of the conversation, Fitzgerald has shown in the past that he’s willing to pay it forward. We can’t see money being the barrier here. They would make the money work, even with the limited cap space (which can be fixed with a creative Ondrej Palat trade).
What would be worth holding these negotiations up is term. The Devils and Tom Fitzgerald should do everything in their power to sign Hughes to an eight-year deal. It’s worth the wait if they get him locked up until 2034.
However, two contract options would be considered worst-case scenarios. One seems like it’s much worse than the other, but what if there were only two options that Luke Hughes wanted?
Need to see something. What would #NjDevils fans rather see? A one year deal for Luke that sends him to offer sheet eligibility next season or a five year deal that sends him to UFA with his brother Jack.
— Pucks and Pitchforks (@pitchforkedpuck) July 17, 2025
Looking at the results of a poll we ran on Twitter this week, the two options aren’t ideal, but it would probably get the deal done. But first, let’s talk about why these two deals are not ideal.
First, we’ll go with the losing option. A one-year deal is not only bad, but it’s annoying. We’ve seen with the Jesper Bratt saga from a few years ago what short-term deals lead to if they aren’t extended quickly.
Basically, the Devils would be right back in this position next year. Hughes isn’t coming off the best year. He was injured twice last season, including an offseason surgery on his shoulder, and he had inconsistencies as he got used to working in Sheldon Keefe’s system. We see some great techniques that will eventually work with Hughes’s skillset, but he clearly left offense on the table to get better at defense.
He should be a much better player this season, which will cost so much more. A one-year deal would be a mistake, and it would also put Hughes up for the worst-case scenario.
Would the Vancouver Canucks be willing to go all in on a deal to try and secure Quinn Hughes? They’ve done insane things in the past. Would they move four first-round picks to think they eventually get all three Hughes brothers? Since Hughes would be eligible for an offer sheet next year, the Canucks have the right to make a godfather offer.
On the other hand, a five-year deal would walk Luke Hughes to unrestricted free agency. That’s not all, but he would be going to unrestricted free agency with Jack Hughes. Would Quinn Hughes guarantee his arrival in New Jersey if he knew he was just three years away from picking any team to play with his brothers? Would they all want to go to Detroit or return to their birthplace in Florida? They also grew up in Toronto with their dad working for the Maple Leafs. If Auston Matthews ever leaves, or even if he doesn’t, they could connect there.
These are all crazy hypotheticals, but the Devils can end them by just signing Hughes to an eight-year deal. If Luke Hughes is signed long-term, it probably secures a future with Quinn Hughes. We all want that to be our future, but the absolute worst-case scenario is a five-year deal, despite the fanbase voting 70-30 in the other direction.