The New Jersey Devils' new contract with defenseman Luke Hughes raises more questions about Dougie Hamilton's future with the club.

Hughes, 22, agreed to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million, tying him with the 32-year-old Hamilton for the highest average annual value on the Devils. The latter is signed through 2027-28.

Hamilton surfaced in the rumor mill earlier this summer as negotiations between the Devils and the Hughes camp were ongoing. TSN's Pierre LeBrun recently asked how many power-play quarterbacks one team needed in today's NHL.

On Sept. 23, Hamilton addressed the trade conjecture, saying he didn't pay much attention to it. He reminded everyone that he signed with the Devils because he believes he can help them win the Stanley Cup. Nevertheless, Peter Baugh and Chris Johnston of The Athletic wondered about Hamilton's future in New Jersey.

Most of the trade rumors regarding Hamilton had the Devils peddling him in a cost-cutting move to free up salary-cap space for Hughes' new contract. They now sit above the $95.5 million salary cap by nearly $4 million ($3.983 million, according to PuckPedia).

However, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now pointed out that defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic ($4 million AAV) remains sidelined indefinitely after undergoing knee surgery during the summer. The Devils are expected to place him on LTIR, which should make them cap compliant before their regular-season schedule begins on Oct. 9. They could also place injured forward Stefan Noesen ($2.75 million) on LTIR.

Those moves will only provide short-term cap relief for the Devils. At some point, Kovacevic and Noesen are expected to return to the lineup this season, meaning the club must shed salary to become cap-compliant.

That could resurrect the Hamilton trade speculation, but his $9 million cap hit won't be easy to move during the regular season. He also carries a 10-team trade list, which narrows significantly the number of potential trade partners for the Devils.

NHL Rumor Roundup: Updates On Jacob Markstrom And Yegor Chinakhov The New Jersey Devils took care of a big piece of business on Wednesday, re-signing RFA defenseman Luke Hughes to a seven-year, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils/latest-news/devils-sign-luke-hughes-to-seven-year-contract-extension">$63-million contract. </a>

Meanwhile, former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart could be joining a new NHL club soon.

Hart, 27, was part of the five former members of Hockey Canada acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from a 2018 incident in London, Ont. They are eligible to sign with NHL clubs on Oct. 15 and can return to action once their suspension with the league ends on Dec. 1.

Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported Wednesday that Hart is “almost certain” to sign with the Vegas Golden Knights. He had drawn interest from several teams, but he'll play meaningful minutes with a contender in Vegas.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.