Luke Hughes has the talent to shape the New Jersey Devils’ future, but his contract holdout raises the question of whether he’s risking that future before it truly begins.
Luke Hughes is playing a dangerous game, navigating the fine line between securing his perceived value and alienating the very franchise positioned to shape his career.
The New Jersey Devils opened training camp last week without Hughes, who was conspicuously absent amid an ongoing contractual dispute.
At just 22 years old, Hughes is coming off a 44-point season (7 goals, 37 assists) despite missing 11 games to start the season.