The Foundation | FEATURE 

The Devils announced last Wednesday that they had agreed to terms with defenseman Luke Hughes on a seven-year contract extension worth $63 million with a $9 million average annual value.

The deal locked in the 22-year-old blueliner for the long term.

“I’m happy I’m in New Jersey for the next seven years,” said Hughes, the fourth-overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. “Hopefully, I play here the rest of my career. It’s a great, great place to play. I love the fans. Obviously, I love the organization.”

Hughes backed up those words by putting ink to paper for the next near decade. Hughes’ lengthy contract joins other teammates who have signed long-term deals with the Devils: Timo Meier (eight-year deal), Jesper Bratt (eight years), Nico Hischier (seven years) and his brother Jack (eight years).

“It shows how much we all love it here. How much we all want to be part of this ride,” Bratt said. “We all know what we have here. Everyone that gets to come in and play here and gets to be a part of this team wants to be here for the long haul. It’s awesome.”

“It’s huge to have guys commit long term. We all share the same goal: to win,” Meier said. “It’s nice having all these guys really committed to this team and pulling the same string and having the same goal.”

The Hughes brothers, Bratt, Meier and Hischier are the foundational pieces in the organization. Signing those pillars for the long-term is crucial to the team’s long-term success.

“It’s commitment,” said Hischier, who has two years remaining on his current seven-year deal. “Being here, being a part of it. It’s always great to see these players here in this organization. It means we’re moving in the right direction.”

The Devils rebuilt their franchise the right way, through the draft. It began with Nico Hischier, taken No. 1-overall in 2017. He signed a seven-year agreement in 2020 and was named the team’s captain the following year. Jack Hughes was selected first overall in 2019, inking an eight-year contract in 2022. His brother, Luke, was taken fourth overall in 2021 and signed last week. Jesper Bratt was a steal in the sixth round (162^nd overall) in 2016. He committed in 2023.

The Devils keyed in on Timo Meier, who was selected ninth overall in 2015 by San Jose, late in the 2022-23 season. After acquiring Meier, whose contract was set to expire, the Devils bet that Meier would see what was being built in New Jersey and would want to stay.

Meier admitted that after spending a brief time in the organization, he was sold.

“The whole organization and the team, the guys in the room but also the way we approach the goals on a day-to-day basis,” he said of why he re-signed. “Living here is great. I really enjoyed the time I’ve been here so far. It’s very underrated, has a lot of beautiful places. The way the team is going and the potential this group has is special. We have to take the next step right now.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Meier at the time of the trade, general manager Tom Fitzgerald still pulled the trigger on a trade believing Meier would be swayed to remain a Devil after his contract expired.

“I bet on New Jersey,” Fitzgerald said at the time. “I bet on what we have to offer players. I bet on our facility. I bet on the limited time traveling. I bet on the suburbs and Jersey City and Hoboken. And I bet on our team, just coming in and experiencing this. We’re showing people around the League that we are now a destination for players.

“I hedged a bet on us and I hedged a bet on what we can offer players. And we won.”

Fitzgerald has often called New Jersey a “hidden gem.” Most NHL players’ experience with the area is flying in, staying a night in a hotel and seeing only the arena. But those that can get around realize what a beautiful state it is and what the area has to offer.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Meier reminisced. “As a visiting team you see a different side than living here, exploring the area, meeting the people, meeting the fans. It’s a special place. I’m glad I can be here. We want to do really well and win for this organization and this whole state.”

“I love this area. All the different neighborhoods are amazing,” said Swede Bratt. “It’s a great place to play. We have a great facility. The team gives you everything you could possibly need to perform. I think everyone that comes in and signs here really realizes how amazing of a place it is.”

With the foundational players in place, Fitzgerald and his staff have built out from there, particularly on the blue line. The club has high quality defensemen under contract for the next several years, including Brett Pesce (contract expires 2029-30), Johnathan Kovacevic (’29-30), Dougie Hamilton (’27-28) and Jonas Siegenthaler (’27-28). And that’s not even including several blue chip prospects in Simon Nemec (second-overall pick in 2022), Seamus Casey (second round, 2022) and Ethan Edwards (fourth round, 2020).

This all bodes well for the Devils in the present and future. The team is ready to take a big step this season and be a completive and Stanley Cup-caliber team for years to come.

“Every year we’ve been taking steps,” Bratt said. “If you want to win the Cup, it’s not about one fluke year. It’s about building something sustainable over the long haul. It’s a long process. But it starts with every day, every day is small step in the long-term future.”

The future is in a good place. But the focus is on now. With a healthy mixture of veterans and youth, experience and hunger, championship pedigree and desire, the Devils are ready to start a fresh new season with high hopes and high ambition.

“We have a good combination of guys that have won before and been on winning teams, but also those hungry guys that want to get it done,” Bratt said. “I think this is the deepest and most skilled and hard-working group that I’ve been a part of. It’s going to be exciting. But now it comes down to the real season and that’s when it counts.”