What to Expect from Luke Hughes as an Extension is Inevitable
With the 2024-25 season in the books, Devils fans can now look towards the positives. Though their success was short-lived in the postseason, there’s still plenty to be proud of through this season. As a busy offseason approaches, it’s time to look to the future and see if this team will take the next step this summer. Into the offseason, the team goes, free agency has hit quite a few players, but none as important as one special defenseman. Luke Hughes is undoubtedly the most important RFA on New Jersey's roster and needs a significant raise compared to his ending ELC contract. Though it shouldn’t even be a question whether or not the youngest Hughes brother signs his next contract, what exactly can fans expect?
It’s not easy to ignore what Luke Hughes has done for the Devils this season. Starting the season off with a shoulder injury, Luke Hughes went through the season playing 71 games, totaling 44 points off seven goals and 37 assists. The 21-year-old averaged around 21 minutes a night, just seconds behind Brett Pesce. Though a strong regular season, his postseason was cut short after receiving a shoulder injury in Game One against Carolina, ending his season. Now, what is it that fans learned this season about Luke Hughes, other than he’s a playmaker, with elite skating and smooth passing? Like his brother Jack Hughes, he’s got great speed as he flies through the ice defensively and offensively. His shot may not be as powerful as defenseman Dougie Hamilton's, but it’s still far from bad, making him a key player for their power play. So he continues to gain valuable NHL experience, but what will he do going forward?
Luke Hughes has indeed just barely scratched the surface of his NHL career. Each game fans can see makes him more valuable as a player; he has the makings to be quite the player. To grow into a player like his oldest brother, Quinn Hughes, would make this Devils team a nightmare in the Metropolitan Division. Still young, Hughes has much more to learn as well, as he still lacks the physicality, as well as continues to cause a few giveaways on the ice. It’s important to remember his young age; it will take time for him to develop into possibly the next Cale Makar, but he’s certainly making progress to give Quinn a run for his money down the line. A long-term deal looks to be the most obvious move for Tom Fitzgerald to make, something like eight years with $8.4 million AAV it would seem he’s most definitely earned it. The question that remains now is what Luke Hughes wants exactly, but one thing is for sure: the man will remain a New Jersey Devil.
