The New Jersey Devils announced on October 1 that they had finally signed restricted free agent Luke Hughes to a seven-year, $63 million deal ($9 million AAV).
With his new contract, Hughes became tied for the highest-paid player on the roster.
The breakdown of the ten highest-paid players in the Devils organization is:
- Luke Hughes – $9 million
- Dougie Hamilton – $9 million
- Timo Meier – $8.8 million
- Jack Hughes – $8 million
- Jesper Bratt – $7.88 million
- Nico Hischier – $7.25 million
- Ondrej Palat – $6 million
- Brett Pesce – $5.5 million
- Jacob Markstrom – $4.13 million
- Dawson Mercer – $4 million
The 22-year-old’s franchise-record-breaking deal shows just how much faith the organization has in the young defender.
Did the Devils make the right move signing Luke to such a large contract? Yes.
Hughes has played two games for the Devils after missing most of training camp and the preseason. In those two games, he’s recorded four assists, earning him the top spot in points on the team so far.
He’s currently tied for the most points among defensemen in the league.
Adam Fox, Morgan Rielly, Thomas Harley, and Luke Hughes are the only four defensemen with four points. While Fox has played three games, the others have only played two.
The 2021 first-round draft pick is clearly proving why he deserves the extension he was given. He’s averaged around 20 minutes of ice time through his first two games and is off to a hot start.
Missing the preseason clearly didn’t faze Hughes. He entered the season ready to go. At his current pace, he’d be on track for 246 points if he were to keep it up.
Hughes did take a delay of the game penalty in the second period and was visibly frustrated with the call. However, it’s clear that he’s on pace to become a top defender in the franchise, and his lack of preseason practice has had zero impact on his performance.