NJ Devils GM Admits A Luke Hughes Holdout Is A Possibility

Luke Hughes, NJ Devils defenseman, warms up before a game

As things continue to drag out in the Luke Hughes extension talks, New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has made a stunning admission.

In speaking with insider James Murphy at rg.org, Fitzgerald was asked if a Hughes holdout from training camp is a potential direction this could take if a deal doesn't get done soon.

It does weigh on us, and I’m sure Hughes and Pat (Brisson, his agent) too.
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.

Certainly sounds like Fitzgerald is expecting a Hughes holdout if a deal doesn't get done. The good news, at least, is that they're 'trying hard' to come to an agreement. “Eventually, this will get done. The 11th hour is training camp. Right? A lot of times, a lot of the stuff doesn't get done until the 11th hour... Both sides are working hard at it, that’s for sure,” said Fitzgerald.

We heard another report last week that the stalemate in the talks seems to be all about term. Hughes wants a five-year deal that would put him on the same timeline as his brother and teammate Jack Hughes, whose contract expires in 2030.

Luke was the 4th overall pick by the Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft, and he was a Finalist for the Calder Trophy in 2023-24, while putting up another fine season last year. He has 93 points in 155 games with the Devils, averaging 21:16 of ice time per night.

AFP Analytics projects a six-year deal for Hughes at an $8.3M AAV, which would make for some interesting cap gymnastics for New Jersey, who currently only have $6.1 million in cap space available.