Devils sign Luke Hughes to 7-year, $63M deal, triggering cap concerns

The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Luke Hughes to a seven-year, $63 million contract on Wednesday, cementing the 22 year old as a long-term fixture on the club's blue line and immediately creating roster and salary-cap consequences as the NHL regular season approaches. General manager Tom Fitzgerald announced the deal, which carries an average annual value of $9 million and runs through the 2031-32 season. Hughes, who had been absent from training camp while negotiating, is expected to join the team for practice on Thursday.

Hughes has 93 points in 155 regular-season games and posted 44 points in 71 games last season. His emergence as a top offensive defenseman and his age prompted the Devils to avoid a bridge deal and lock him into an extended contract. Teammate Jack Hughes praised Luke’s upside and skating, saying his brother can be "a true No. 1" who can handle top power-play minutes and heavy defensive workloads.

The new contract pushed New Jersey roughly $4 million over the current salary cap, forcing immediate roster-management decisions. The club could gain short-term relief by placing injured players on long-term injured reserve. Defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic is...