One of the biggest topics surrounding the New Jersey Devils this offseason has been when General Manager Tom Fitzgerald was going to extend Defenseman Luke Hughes. There were rumblings that the star player and the Devils were mutually interested in getting a long-term extension done. Since then, it has been pretty quiet. The Devils fanbase is eager to see him extended, but they should wait, and they will most likely be rewarded.
The Optimism That a Luke Hughes Extension Will Get Done
It is extremely common that extensions get done during this time of the NHL offseason. Free agency is pretty much over, but we are still about a month out of training camp, and the preseason is starting. This downtime allows teams and players time to sit down and work out on an extension if there is mutual interest, which there is in the case of the Devils and Hughes.
Devils fans are eager to see this get done, and do not be surprised if it does get done soon. The eagerness is understandable, as he seems like a budding star in the making. What New Jersey Devils fan wouldn’t be excited about the possibility of locking up a 21-year-old defenseman coming off back-to-back 40-point seasons?
The Luke Hughes Trade Speculation Is Based On Nothing
There was a little bit of talk going around connecting the Vancouver Canucks and Hughes, but it has been shut down by NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Patrick Johnston. The rumor took off when Canucks GM Jim Rutherford hinted at his end-of-season press conference that Hughes might have wanted to play with his brothers.
Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts podcast, “I think the New Jersey Devils know that Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes aren’t eager to be traded to the Vancouver Canucks.” Johnston shut down the rumor based on Luke being a restricted free agent. The rumor of all three brothers playing in Vancouver is a nice thought, but it is nothing more than a pipe dream. Luke should be extended by the Devils soon.
