After a long summer of back-and-forth negotiations, the Devils
agreed to terms with defenseman Luke Hughes on a seven-year deal worth $63 million on Wednesday.
This will now keep two of the three Hughes brothers together in New Jersey for several more seasons.
From “a ways apart” to a healthy payday
Less than two weeks ago, Hughes, a restricted free agent, and the Devils were “a ways apart” in terms of contract talks after his three-year entry-level contract wrapped up following the 2024-25 season. According to one Devils reporter, head coach Sheldon Keefe expressed concern about Hughes’ absence following Tuesday’s practice.
While Hughes put up solid numbers for a defenseman last year (seven goals and 37 assists in 71 games), the Devils are paying the youngster for the player they expect him to become, more so than the player he is right now. According to PuckPedia, Hughes will have a 10-team no-trade clause for the sixth and seventh seasons of his contract.
Two scoops of Hughes
The megadeal keeps Hughes in the same dressing room as his brother, Jack, for the rest of this decade. Jack is about to start the fourth season of his eight-year deal, which pays $8 million a season.
In two years, Luke’s oldest brother, Quinn, will become an unrestricted free agent in Vancouver. It would likely require some salary cap gymnastics for the Devils to manage all three Hughes brothers on the same roster, but it would be fun to see.
All three Hughes brothers were top-10 picks in the NHL; Quinn was taken seventh overall in 2018, Jack was picked first overall in 2019 and Luke was drafted fourth overall in 2021. At the moment, Luke is the highest-paid brother ($9 million per season), but that could change when Quinn hits free agency after the 2026-27 season.
