As Tom Fitzgerald, the New Jersey Devils, and Luke Hughes and his camp continue to grind away at a new contract that works for both sides, there's one thing they will try to avoid seeing happen again.
Last season, Devils forward Dawson Mercer held out into the start of training camp, signing his three-year, $12 million deal with New Jersey on Sept. 20. Notably, Mercer, 23, is represented by agent Pat Brisson, who also represents Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes.
In his contract year, in 2023-24, Mercer scored just 20 goals, 13 assists, and a career-worst 33 points. After signing the deal last year, the 2021 first-round pick failed to bounce back, posting just 19 goals, 17 assists, and 36 points.
“[The Mercer contract holdout] does weigh on us, and I’m sure Hughes and Pat, too,” Fitzgerald told RG Media in a recent interview.
“At the end of the day, when really the only leverage the player has at this point in their career is holding out, that stinks. I don't think anyone wins, quite honestly, when that happens. So Pat and I are trying hard to get this thing to come to some common ground.”
In the same interview, Fitzgerald also made known his willingness to wait until the "11th hour" to get a deal done with Hughes, which he ear-marked as training camp. As for a timeline, veterans report to the Devils for training camp on Sept. 17, which is just over two weeks away.
We already have an idea of what Hughes wants with his next contract thanks to a recent report from NJ.com, but, clearly, the two sides are not moving in lockstep just yet.