In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we look at how term is the holdup for Luke Hughes and the New Jersey Devils with their contract negotiations. Elsewhere, Anze Kopitar mentioned the idea of retirement and what this season could mean. Finally, the Ottawa Senators and Shane Pinto could be working on an extension, but it seems like both sides want to be patient with it.
Luke Hughes Wants 5-Year Deal
While most of the chatter this summer about the Hughes brothers has been about Quinn Hughes ultimately finding his way to the Devils, the fact that Luke is still without a contract is becoming a big storyline, too. Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com reported that Luke and his camp want a five-year deal and are pretty firm on that. That is because his brother Jack, the superstar center on the Devils, also has a deal expiring in five years after signing an eight-year extension in 2021. (from Here’s the latest on Devils-Luke Hughes extension talks, NJ.com, Aug. 29, 2025)
Luke Hughes, New Jersey Devils (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
A five-year deal would walk Luke right to unrestricted free agency, and he and Jack could decide where to go together. The Devils are reportedly only interested in short and long-term deals, and the five years would be the worst option for them, and they know it.
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Hughes is one of the few remaining restricted free agents, and while the Devils have a strong team and Hughes is still coming into his own, he is a huge part of the defensive group that has been built by the Devils.
Teams often shy away from bringing any player right to unrestricted free agency, but with the influence of his brother(s), the Devils will want to avoid that at all costs.
Kopitar’s Career Dwindling Down
There has been a lot of attention pointing toward the fact that we are soon to see a league without Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, and some others. Anze Kopitar often gets forgotten in that conversation, but he deserves to be there.
In an interview with Jamie Maggio of the Sports Central LA Podcast, Kopitar stated that 2025-26 could be his final season in the league. In 2023, Kopitar signed a two-year extension worth $7 million per season, and he has been worth every penny. With that deal coming to an end, and Kopitar already being 38, the stars are aligning for a retirement.
Kopitar didn’t make an official announcement, but there is a strong chance that it could be his final season.
Senators in No Rush to Extend Pinto
After establishing himself as a very good third-line center with the Senators, some fans were expecting some conversations around an extension for Pinto. He is in the final year of a two-year deal worth $3.75 million per season, and after setting career-highs last season, he is still budding into what could see him as a top-six center very soon.
On an episode of Coming In Hot, general manager Steve Staios was talking about Pinto. Staios stated, “We’ve decided that we’re gonna let the season start and not have Shane distracted with [contract talks]…But I guess the best way to put it is [we’ve had] preliminary conversations, positive ones, that lead me to believe that there will be a deal done at the right time. And that’s really all I can report on that.”.
Pinto is a hard contract to do ahead of the last season. Staios makes it sound like both sides are happy with where things are, but Pinto certainly has the capabilities to break out and score at least 60 points if he is in the right position.
Later in the interview, Staios is asked about the invitation for Pinto to the Team USA Olympic Orientation camp. He mentioned how it was a huge confidence booster, and his performance at the World Championship certainly helped the case. While a spot on the Olympic roster isn’t guaranteed, it is a huge honour to be put on that list.
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