Why is Tom Fitzgerald taking so long to sign Luke Hughes to a contract extension?

“My number one priority is Luke Hughes,” General Manager Tom Fitzgerald said on July 2.

Clearly not. We're over 10 days later, and the budding young defenseman still isn't signed. Hughes was the No. 4 overall pick in 2021 and is at the end of his three-year entry-level deal. He played 82 games with the Devils last season, recording nine goals, 38 assists, and 47 points. He was also a finalist for the 2023-24 Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL rookie of the year.

Contract negotiations were supposed to begin following the July 4th holiday weekend as a result of his current contract with New Jersey — a three-year, entry-level deal signed on April 8, 2023, officially ending on July 1st.

He's not currently eligible for an offer sheet, as he is considered a "10.2.c" player due to not reaching 10 games played in his first year. But nonetheless, fans are getting restless.

Now, the reason why things are taking so long is likely (and practically confirmed) to be because of cap space concerns. According to PuckPedia, the Devils currently have just over $6.9 million in cap space, with a total cap hit of over $88.50 million against the $95.5 million limit.

But, the good news is that we know the youngest Hughes brother's extension is coming, per Fitzgerald himself.

"I talked to his agent (Tuesday). We said, ‘Let’s enjoy the holiday weekend and we’ll start talking after. He’s excited. He wants to be a Devil long term — just like his brother (Jack). We’re excited about that. Players want to stay here. They want to be in New Jersey. They want to be part of something we’re creating. The standards are getting higher with each year, which is exciting. I don’t sense anything other than Luke wants to be a Devil for a long time."

Tom Fitzgerald, July 2

It's a shame, but at this point, it really is just a matter of a waiting game when it comes to Hughes's extension. But for Fitzgerald, there's no time like the present — because Devils fans are quite literally begging him to lock down the deal sooner rather than later.