Overview

• Luke Hughes remains without a contract and was not listed on New Jersey’s training camp roster as on-ice sessions began.
• General manager Tom Fitzgerald said, “We will be signing him,” and acknowledged that each day missed impacts the player, underscoring the push to finalize a deal.
• Multiple insiders, including Pierre LeBrun and David Pagnotta, report progress and say negotiations are trending toward a long-term extension.
• The Devils have $6,131,667 in cap space, and analysts suggest a market-level long-term deal may require roster moves, with veterans like Ondrej Palat or Dougie Hamilton mentioned by media as possible cap-clearing candidates.
• Earlier reporting framed the core dispute as contract length, with Hughes preferring five years and the team pushing for either a short bridge or an eight-year commitment.