The New Jersey Devils had no choice but to overpay Luke Hughes

The Devils re-signed Luke Hughes, but at a hefty price. Now, they have to figure out some maneuvers to become salary cap compliant.

Toronto Maple Leafs v New Jersey Devils | Elsa/GettyImagesThe New Jersey Devils fanbase waited the entire offseason and most of training camp for any positive update on contract talks with defenseman Luke Hughes. A restricted free agent, the clock was ticking for Hughes to reach an agreement on a long-term deal. While both sides wanted to get a deal done, the updates seemed more pessimistic by the day, especially on Tuesday.

The Athletic NHL insider Chris Johnston was first to break the news that the Devils and Hughes had agreed to terms on a seven-year, $63…