The New Jersey Devils announced their 2025-26 training camp roster on Wednesday. This is usually a glorious day for Devils fans, as they get to rejoice in the fact that hockey is officially back and our favorite team is hitting the ice in red and black once again. Unfortunately, this isn’t what fans are talking about.
Instead of talking about the 35 forwards trying to nab one of the 12 starting slots or the seven goalies looking to make a name for themselves. No, we’re paying attention to the fact that the Devils don’t have 20 defensemen on the roster. It’s not the number that’s important, per se, but it’s the one name not on the roster.
Jersey, wake up. Training Camp roster just dropped. pic.twitter.com/DTjbKfS7k0
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) September 17, 2025
The missing name, of course, is Luke Hughes. The number 43 isn’t in the program as he remains unsigned. Back in July, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald said this was his number-one priority for the offseason. Well, the offseason is over, and this still hasn’t been settled.
It’s not full-fledged panic time just yet, but this is getting close. Luke Hughes needs to grow in the Sheldon Keefe system if he wants to hit the peaks many believe he’s capable of. Training camp is where the most growth is often seen, as the new system comes into place.
Also, he’ll be working with Brad Shaw for the first time. After spending his first years in the league with Ryan McGill, this is the first time he’ll have a new coach focused on defense. These practices could help Hughes take a huge step in his development and come out of the gate racing towards superstardom.
The holdup on Hughes’s contract is still relatively unknown. Many say it’s term, and conventional wisdom says there are some dollars on the line, as well. The Devils want to sign him long-term, and a new report from Pierre Lebrun makes it seem like that’s what we should expect.
Beyond Hughes, most of the training camp roster is what we expect. We’re excited to see where things land in terms of line pairings. That should come out in the next few days. However, the one thing Devils fans care about right now is getting their 22-year-old phenom into camp.