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Luke Hughes

Re-Signing Luke Hughes Top Priority For Devils Off-Season

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New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald sat down with NHL.com’s Mike Morreale to go over the team’s priorities for the off-season. Top of conversation was star defenseman Luke Hughes, who is currently set to become  a restricted free-agent on July 1st. Fitzgerald emphasized that re-signing Hughes before that deadline is a top priority, and that the two parties have already engaged in conversations around a new deal.

The GM pointed out the team’s minimal salary cap space – just over $12MM with nine pending free agents – but he ensured that Hughes would get the priority signing. Fitzgerald told Morreale:

We’re just trying to figure out what’s best for Luke and for us and how do we make our team better with the funds that we have available… Both parties are in agreement… We’re going to get this done.

Fitzgerald’s emphasis sheds some assurance on the biggest storyline shadowing the Devils’ off-season. Hughes took on a major role in the Devils’ blue-line this season, playing opposite of 10-year NHL veteran Brett Pesce and averaging 21 minutes of ice time a game. He handled the role well, recording 37 assists, 44 points, and a minus-nine through 71 games. That mark put him on pace for 42 assists and 50 points across a full 82 games, though injuries at the start of the season forced him out of 10 appearances. Still, Hughes – still just two years into his career – was able to become the first Devils’ defenseman to record consecutive 30-assist seasons since Brian Rafalski between 2005 and 2007.

It was a fantastic follow-up to Hughes’ already-strong rookie performance. He improved across the board, and even grew his plus-minus from a minus-25 to a minus-nine. He still has layers to add to his game and a clear need for more strength in the defensive zone – but all signs point towards the Devils having a star on their hands. His career 0.60 point-per-game scoring pace is the sixth-highest from a U22 defenseman since 2000 – ranked behind Cale Makar (0.88), Lane Hutson (0.81), Quinn Hughes (0.75), Erik Karlsson (0.69), and Dion Phaneuf (0.61).

It seems Fitzgerald is ready to reward Hughes’ promising upside this summer. He is projected to sign a long-term deal with a price tag north of $9MM by CapWages. That mark would eat up two-thirds of New Jersey’s available budget for the summer, and make it harder to re-sign even two of their nine free agents. Notable names like Cody Glass, and Jake Allen are each on expired contracts. Finding the space to bring them back could push New Jersey back to the trade market as the league heats up ahead of July 1st.

Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Jack Hughes, Karlstrom

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During today’s exit interviews, New Jersey Devils’ GM Tom Fitzgerald gave a blunt assessment on the team’s future roster, noting that changes are needed as the team isn’t good enough as currently constructed, per team reporter Amanda Stein.

As Fitzgerald told reporters: “It simply wasn’t good enough. I believe in the core of this team, but it’s my responsibility to keep improving it. We’ve got a lot of tough choices ahead, whether that means re-signing players, making trades, or moving on from certain guys.”

Several New Jersey players are set for free agency, including Tomas Tatar, Nathan Bastian, Curtis Lazar, Daniel Sprong, Jake Allen and Brian Dumoulin. Additionally, several players are set for restricted free agency, including defender Luke Hughes, 21, who is set for a massive raise on his current $925,000 contract. Hughes was sidelined during the playoffs due to a shoulder injury and has since undergone surgery to address the issue. According to Fitzgerald, Hughes is expected to be ready in time for training camp.

Elsewhere in the Metro:

  • Fitzgerald also shared that the team believes Jack Hughes, Luke’s brother, has moved past his own shoulder issues following surgery, per Stein. However, Fitzgerald added that the star forward does have a lot of work ahead of him this summer to get back into game shape. He successfully underwent shoulder surgery in early March and was placed on the team’s long-term injured reserve. The Devils noted at the time of his surgery that he was expected to fully recover and be ready for training camp, so Fitzgerald’s announcement today confirms the team’s original timeline.
  • Forward Fredrik Karlstrom, most recently with the New York Islanders organization, has signed a four-year deal with Linköping HC of the Swedish Hockey League, per Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey. Karlstrom is set to return to his home country after underwhelming in North America since being drafted in the third round by the Dallas Stars in the 2016 draft. He remained in Sweden until 2021-22 season, when he played in three games for the Stars and 65 games for their AHL-affiliate. He spent three seasons playing in the Stars’ organization but mostly suited up in the AHL. All told, he appeared in just eight NHL contests, posting just a single assist. Karlstrom did have his best AHL season last season, posting 21 goals and 44 points in 72 games for the Texas Stars. However, it wasn’t enough for the organization to retain his services, and he signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Islanders last July. He appeared in 30 games for the Isles’ AHL-affiliate, posting just 13 points and a minus-nine rating.

Devils’ Jesper Bratt, Luke Hughes Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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Devils winger Jesper Bratt has opted to undergo offseason shoulder surgery and will miss the World Championship, the team announced. Star defenseman Luke Hughes also recently underwent surgery to repair the shoulder injury he sustained in Game 1 of the first round against the Hurricanes. New Jersey expects both to be ready for training camp in the fall.

It’s unknown whether Bratt suffered his injury on a specific play or if he’s got wear-and-tear issues he wanted to correct. He didn’t miss a game all season aside from sitting out New Jersey’s final regular-season contest for rest.

If Bratt was playing hurt for a while, it certainly didn’t show. The 26-year-old led the Devils with a career-high 67 assists and 88 points in the regular season before adding a goal and two assists in five games in New Jersey’s first-round loss.

Entering the third season of his eight-year, $63MM contract, Bratt has topped the 70-point mark in four consecutive seasons and has been remarkably durable. That final regular-season game was the first one Bratt missed since the 2021-22 season. Assuming he hits the ground running as expected in 2025-26, he’s got a chance at becoming the first Devil with three straight 80-point seasons in franchise history.

Hughes’ injury was far more apparent. He re-injured his left shoulder in a collision with Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi and didn’t play the final four games of the series. He suffered an injury to the same shoulder last offseason but opted not to have surgery to accelerate his recovery timeline and diminish the amount of time he missed at the beginning of 2024-25. Now, with a full summer ahead of him, he goes for more serious intervention.

In need of a new deal this summer as a pending restricted free agent, Hughes has 93 points and a -34 rating through his first 155 NHL games since being drafted fourth overall in 2021. He’s led Devils defenders in scoring each of the past two years and is likely in line for an extension well north of $8MM per season if New Jersey opts to hammer out a long-term deal.

Image courtesy of John Jones-Imagn Images.

Metropolitan Notes: Crosby, Wilson, Devils

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With Mike Sullivan and the Pittsburgh Penguins agreeing to part ways, reporters at general manager Kyle Dubas’ press conference today asked several questions related to Sidney Crosby’s involvement in the process. At one point during the conference, tensions appeared to rise slightly when Dubas was asked if Crosby was happy with the change. Dubas immediately responded that he wouldn’t speak on behalf of the team’s long-time captain.

Dubas was also asked if he thought the decision to move on from Sullivan would cause Crosby to want to leave Pittsburgh as well, to which he simply replied, “No,” per Rob Rossi of The Athletic. Dubas noted that he called Crosby on Sunday to give him the heads up on the decision and added that his job is to do what’s best for the franchise.

This past offseason, Crosby signed a two-year extension that is scheduled to keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2026-27 season and carries an average annual value of $8.7 million. It is fair to wonder what Crosby’s thoughts are on a potential rebuild, which isn’t a term that Dubas used today, but was the tone he used in discussing the immediate future of the franchise. With that said, the two previous coaching changes Crosby was around for (Sullivan and Dan Bylsma before him) resulted in immediate Stanley Cup victories.

Elsewhere in the Metro:

  • Washington Capitals power forward Tom Wilson’s physicality has been a key catalyst in the team’s first-round matchup against the Canadiens, writes The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber. As Silber notes, Wilson delivered a big hit on Alexandre Carrier that led to the game-tying goal in game four, which the Caps would go on to win 5-2. Washington is now just one win away from moving on to the second round. While the hit has drawn speculation as to its legality, no penalty was called, and momentum was clearly shifted toward the Capitals. As Wilson said after the game: “It’s been a physical series both ways, getting hit, giving hits, they’ve been really physical, so it’s a long series. You just try and kind of invest and continue to play hard every shift you’re out there. It was a big hit and the boys were able to score right after. That’s the way hockey goes.” It was the second consecutive game Wilson’s physicality came into play. In game three, Wilson and Josh Anderson engaged in a wrestling match that ended up spilling into Washington’s bench. Both players received roughing minors and 10-minute misconducts and were also assessed $5,000 fines for unsportsmanlike conduct.
  • Missing key blueliners Luke Hughes, Brenden Dillon, and Johnathan Kovacevic, the Devils struggled badly in their game four loss to the Hurricanes—and with all three expected to remain out for game five, their defensive woes are likely to continue. Per team reporter Amanda Stein, all three will miss game five, which will likely require veterans Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Brian Dumoulin to continue to play extended minutes, Dennis Cholowski to continue to play his first career playoff games, and force higher than anticipated ice time for Jonas Siegenthaler, who just returned from an injury himself. from his own injury. With three starters missing from their blueline, the Devils are trying to replace nearly 60 minutes of combined ice time, as well as 77 combined regular season points, 267 combined blocked shots, and more than 300 combined hits. Carolina currently leads the series 3-1.

 

 

Devils Injury Notes: Hughes, Dillon, Kovacevic

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While the Devils are currently battling with the Carolina Hurricanes in a pivotal game four matchup, the team remains without several key blueliners, including Luke Hughes, Brenden Dillon, and Johnathan Kovacevic.

Yesterday, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Hughes and Dillon would remain out of the lineup due to injuries both suffered during game one. He added that neither have returned to skating, per team reporter Amanda Stein, signaling that their return may not be anytime soon.

The team then announced prior to this afternoon’s game that Kovacevic would also be unavailable for game four. The 27-year-old was injured in game three’s double overtime victory, and did not appear after the third period. His absence, coupled with the length of the game, forced veterans Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Brian Dumoulin to play more than 30 minutes in the win. Kovacevic is being replaced in the lineup by Dennis Cholowski. The 26-year-old has appeared in 156 career NHL games but today signifies his first appearance in the playoffs. The injuries have also forced Jonas Siegenthaler into the lineup the last two games, despite the veteran potentially not being fully ready to return from his own injury. He ended up playing more than 27 minutes in his return in game three.

With three starters missing from their blueline, the Devils are trying to replace nearly 60 minutes of combined ice time, as well as 77 combined regular season points, 267 combined blocked shots, and more than 300 combined hits. This includes the 41 points the 21-year-old Hughes put up in 71 games. His absence has been particularly felt on the power play, as the Devils have gone 0-12 in the series.

Jonas Siegenthaler Likely Returning For Devils In Game 3

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Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler is expected to make an ahead-of-schedule return for the team in tonight’s Game 3 against the Hurricanes (via Peter Baugh of The Athletic).

Siegenthaler was a full participant in this morning’s skate in third-pairing duties alongside Simon Nemec, per the team’s Amanda Stein, but head coach Sheldon Keefe said he’ll have reduced minutes with his conditioning understandably not in playoff form. We noted just yesterday that Siegenthaler practiced for the first time since undergoing lower-body surgery in February.

“He’s feeling good and we’re optimistic that he’ll play,” Keefe said of Siegenthaler (from Mike Morreale of NHL.com). “We’ll give him the day and every opportunity to just feel as comfortable as possible but he’s had the appropriate appointments and his leg, the bone, is healed and that’s [not] a concern at all. The only thing he needed more time with was the conditioning side of it but we’re not able to provide him with that time given our circumstances here so we intend to play him today but it’ll be in a reduced role with reduced minutes and those sorts of things.”

In 55 games this season, the stay-at-home defenseman posted a 2-7–9 scoring line with a plus-nine rating, 92 blocks, and 75 hits while averaging 19:36 per game. Siegenthaler hasn’t played since Feb. 4 against the Penguins but didn’t miss a game all year before going under the knife.

Down 0-2 to the Hurricanes and without fellow rearguards Brenden Dillon and Luke Hughes for a second straight game, Keefe confirmed, the Devils are banking on a boost from the reliable defensive blue-liner, even if his even-strength deployment is limited and he’s mostly dropped in a penalty-killing role. He’ll also look to improve on his only previous playoff showing for New Jersey, when he posted three points and a minus-three rating in 11 games in the 2023 playoffs.

The Devils have been outscored 7-2 in their two playoff games thus far despite receiving expert goaltending from Jacob Markström, who has a .930 SV% and has saved 3.9 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck. New Jersey has been the league’s worst defensive team at 5-on-5 so far these playoffs, allowing 3.78 expected goals against per 60 minutes and 36.5 shots against per game in all situations.

They’re also avoiding a further injury scare with defenseman Brett Pesce. He was absent from this morning’s skate but will be in the lineup tonight, per Stein.

Photo courtesy of Luther Schlaifer-Imagn Images.

Devils’ Luke Hughes, Brenden Dillon Out For Game 2

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Devils defensemen Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon will both miss tonight’s Game 2 matchup with the Hurricanes, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe (X link).

The team’s leading scorer and hitter among defensemen in the regular season, respectively, both sustained injuries in Sunday’s Game 1 loss. Hughes left the game briefly in the third period after getting tangled up with Carolina center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, favoring his left shoulder – the same one he injured last offseason but didn’t have surgically repaired. He returned for a pair of shifts late in the game. He recorded a minus-one rating, two shots on goal, seven shot attempts, one block, and three giveaways in 22:20 of ice time. Hughes was one of the few players who controlled play for New Jersey at 5-on-5 in the 4-1 loss, recording a Corsi share of 54.4% and an expected goals share of 58.1% (per Natural Stat Trick).

Injured on the same play was center Cody Glass, who did not return to the game after taking a heavy inadvertent slash from Devils netminder Jacob Markström as he was crossing in front of the net. Thankfully, he won’t miss time and called the play “pretty funny” to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh.

Dillon’s absence from Game 2 is less surprising. The physical shutdown defender left Game 1 midway through the second period after falling awkwardly in a net-front battle with William Carrier and could not get up without assistance from Devils head athletic trainer Scott Stanhibel. He didn’t return after the apparent lower-body injury, although New Jersey hasn’t handed down a specific injury designation to either Dillon or Hughes. Dillon recorded four hits in 8:53 of ice time before leaving the game. The Devils were outshot 7-3 and outchanced 6-2 with Dillon on the ice at 5-on-5 to begin the game.

Thus, after getting decisively outplayed by the Hurricanes in Game 1, the Devils enter Game 2 without half of their regular complement of defensemen. They were already without Jonas Siegenthaler, who hasn’t played since Feb. 4 due to a lower-body injury and is not expected back until the second round at the earliest. In-season waiver claim Dennis Cholowski and 2022 No. 2 overall pick Simon Nemec will replace Dillon and Hughes in the lineup, according to Baugh.

East Notes: Mrázek, Söderblom, Dahlin, Hughes

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Despite a 3-7-0 record in their last 10 contests, the Detroit Red Wings are sticking around the Eastern Conference wild-card race. They’ll have a good opportunity to pull within one point of the final spot against the Boston Bruins tonight but will have to do so without goaltender Petr Mrázek and forward Elmer Söderblom.

According to MLive’s Ansar Khan, neither player will be in the lineup tonight, although the latter could return as early as Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. Söderblom, who’s been solid for Detroit, scoring four goals and 10 points in 23 games since being recalled in late January, has missed the Red Wings’ last three games (including tonight) and four out of the past five.

Meanwhile, there have been no updates regarding Mrázek’s status. Since being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline, Mrázek’s second stint in Detroit had gone well, with a 2-2-0 record in five games and a .902 SV%. Unfortunately, due to a collision with Utah Hockey Club’s Dylan Guenther early in the team’s matchup this past Tuesday, Mrázek has been sidelined with an apparent head injury.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Buffalo Sabres suffered a glaring loss to the Philadelphia Flyers earlier today. One of the main reasons for their defensive issues may have been captain Rasmus Dahlin’s absence. According to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, Dahlin missed today’s game due to illness, and he’s doubtful to play for the team on Sunday against the Washington Capitals. Without Dahlin, Buffalo’s only defensive pairing with a positive rating in today’s matchup was the duo of Bowen Byram and Connor Clifton.
  • Sticking on defense, New Jersey Devils’ defenseman Luke Hughes missed yesterday’s contest due to a minor groin issue. Still, it didn’t prohibit Hughes from factoring into the lineup tonight, although team reporter Amanda Stein shared he was a game-time decision heading into warmups. New Jersey holds a two-goal advantage at the time of writing, and Hughes has recorded one assist in 19:55 of ice time, also putting three shots on goal.

Metro Notes: Hughes, Lazar, Mangiapane

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New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald intends to speak with the agent of defenseman Luke Hughes about a contract extension at some point in the coming weeks (as per Sam Kasan). Fitzgerald hasn’t put any timeline on how soon he wants to get a deal done as he feels it creates unnecessary pressure on the player (as per Devils reporter Gabriel Trevino).

Hughes missed the first nine games of the regular season with a shoulder injury but has returned to form, posting one goal and ten assists through 24 games. While those numbers are a tick below his offensive numbers last season, it took a while for the 21-year-old to ramp up his play, and he has been better as of late, with six points in his last eight games. Hughes’s three-year entry-level contract will expire on July 1st, 2025, at which point he will become a restricted free agent.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • Devils injured forward Curtis Lazar has been upgraded to day-to-day and could return to the lineup soon (as per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now). Lazar hasn’t played since October 27th, after he suffered a knee injury that required surgery. The 29-year-old has missed 21 games during this time but was a surprise return to practice just a few days ago. The Salmon Arm, British Columbia native has dressed in 12 games this season, posting a goal and an assist.
  • The Washington Capitals have announced that forward Andrew Mangiapane will not play tonight against the Dallas Stars due to an illness. Mangiapane will miss his first game of the season, having played in all 29 games to this point. Hendrix Lapierre will serve in his place, and Jakub Vrana returns to the lineup after ten straight games as a healthy scratch. Lapierre and Vrana will join Lars Eller on Washington’s third line this evening. Mangiapane came over to Washington in a summer trade with the Calgary Flames and has six goals and four assists on the season.

Devils To Activate Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce

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Oct. 24: Hughes and Pesce will make their season debuts tonight against the Red Wings, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed today (via Spaulding). They’ll need to be activated from injured reserve, but with two open roster spots, no corresponding transaction will be necessary.

Oct. 23: The New Jersey Devils could be getting a major boost on the blue line before their matchup tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings. Bill Spaulding of MSG Networks confirmed earlier that defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce will travel with the team to Detroit but couldn’t commit to either player participating tomorrow night.

It would seem that the Devils organization is leaning toward both players participating in tomorrow night’s action, as Detroit represents the only road game for the week. The Devils return to Newark as soon as Friday, meaning Hughes and Pesce should suit up against the New York Islanders or Anaheim Ducks by the end of the weekend.

It’ll be a major addition to a lineup that’s had a solid start to the campaign. New Jersey currently sits ninth in the league in GF/G at 3.56 and 17th in GA/G at 3.11. Pesce should help in the latter category with a career 51.2 CF% and 90.6% on-ice save percentage in all situations.

Neither defenseman has participated in a regular-season contest up to this point in the year, with Hughes recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and Pesce making his way back from leg surgery to repair a fibula fracture. New Jersey’s overall play in the defensive zone up to this point is largely a testament to the depth they added this past offseason.

This leads to the question of which defensemen will ultimately exit the lineup once Hughes and Pesce return. Rookie newcomer Daniil Misyul is an obvious candidate for reassignment for Hughes, but the Devils have a much more difficult question on the right side.

Before the start of the season, Johnathan Kovacevic would have been the likeliest candidate to become the team’s seventh defenseman. Instead, he’s been the Devils highest-scoring defenseman to start the season with one goal and five points in nine games while averaging 21:34 minutes a night.

Putting stalwart Dougie Hamilton aside, this leaves youngster Simon Nemec as the likeliest candidate for the Devils’ seventh defenseman role. The former second-overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft only has one assist through nine games to start the year and has been largely sheltered with a 16:07 average ice time. Coupled with Nemec’s poor possession metrics to start the year — the Devils could use Pesce or Hughes’s return as a wake-up call to their young blue-liner.

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