General manager Tom Fitzgerald<\/a> offered his first comments on the situation Saturday morning via an interview with RG Media.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll just continue to talk and present each other with ideas,\u201d Fitzgerald said to RG Media.<\/p>\n \u201cEventually, this will get done. The 11th hour is training camp. Right? A lot of times, a lot of the stuff doesn\u2019t get done until the 11th hour. We\u2019re hoping we can get something done here in quick fashion, and both sides are working hard at it; that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n The rest of that interview can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Veterans are set to report in just 19 days to training camp.<\/p>\n New Jersey Hockey Now reported in July<\/a> the void between Hughes\u2019 and the Devils camp. The youngest Hughes brother is hoping for a mid-year range contract, perhaps to walk to free agency with his brother Jack Hughes. However, the Devils seek a bridge-deal, or max-term contract before eight year deals vanish in September 2026.<\/p>\n On Friday, NJ Advance Media reported the same<\/a> findings.<\/p>\n The Devils are hoping to avoid another holdout, such as the one they saw last year with Dawson Mercer<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Devils forward missed just the first day of training camp, but even Fitzgerald admitted the single absence was enough to slow down the trajectory of the former first round pick\u2019s season.<\/p>\n Certainly, it\u2019s something Fitzgerald is hoping to avoid with the budding star defenseman.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does weigh on us, and I\u2019m sure Hughes and Pat [Brisson] (Hughes\u2019 agent) too,\u201d Fitzgerald acknowledged.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, when really the only leverage the player has at this point in their career is holding out, that stinks. I don\u2019t think anyone wins, quite honestly, when that happens. So Pat and I are trying hard to get this thing to come to some common ground.\u201d<\/p>\n For more\u00a0Devils news<\/a>, visit\u00a0New Jersey Hockey Now<\/a>, subscribe to our\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0and like our\u00a0Facebook page.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us on\u00a0\ud835\udd4f:<\/p>\n @NJDHockeyNow<\/a>,\u00a0@JamesNicholsNHL<\/a><\/p>\n And on Threads:<\/p>\n @JamesNicholsNHL<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Get](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NJHN-plus.png.webp.webp\")
<\/a><\/p>\n