The New Jersey Devils are trying to see what kind of team this is going to be this season. This was a very important preseason, as the Devils are trying to shake off the stink of 2023-24. They revamped the defense, added a new starting goalie, and replaced the head coach. The Devils went all in on change.
Then, the bad news started to come in, and the preseason hasn't gone as expected. We learned about Brett Pesce's injury lingering into training camp, but he is at least back on the ice skating. They have been very safe with Jack Hughes, who only played one preseason game. The worst news by far was the revelation that Luke Hughes would miss six-to-eight weeks with a shoulder injury.
Hughes growth was a big reason for the optimism around the Devils. He played well in his first full season in the NHL. He might be the fastest player in all of the NHL, showing incredible bursts of speed up and down the ice. As he learned new ways to impact through great coaching and general experience, the Calder Trophy nominee should have been able to take another step forward.
Because of when Luke Hughes signed his entry-level contract, he only has one more year left at close to the minimum. That number is going to drastically change. How much will it change? We are starting to see young players with a short career signing massive extensions that are the maximum eight years. Teams want to pay huge contracts hoping they get a deal in the second half, and budding star players want to get the guarantee.
We expect Hughes to do the same. However, this speculation came before his recent injury. Jack Hughes signed an eight-year deal, and it's largely considered one of the best contracts in the sport. Undoubtedly, the Devils want to do that again with Luke Hughes, but is it possible the Devils are slightly hesitant.
Even slight hesitance could put a pause on what could be a $72 million contract. The Devils now see the youngest Hughes brother suffer a similar ailment that has impact Jack Hughes and has resulted in many weeks of missed games.
Let's not get crazy. The Devils still want to re-sign Luke Hughes, and it's possible they announce a new contract before he even returns from injury. The issue with his shoulder could cause the Devils to sign a bridge deal or even wait until after the season to sign. It could cause Hughes to see his mortality in the sport and sign the deal that's in front of him now.
There are many possible impacts to compensation due to this injury, but the skill speaks for itself. The shoulder injury is not going to impact Hughes' speed, and he should still contribute offensively. If this injury impacts anything about the Hughes injury, it's really just about timing.