New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said on Thursday that the team "will be signing" standout defenceman Luke Hughes (22) as the two sides work on a new contract.
"We will be signing him," said Fitzgerald. "I said (before) that the top priority is signing Luke Hughes to a long-term deal. That's our goal. It hasn't changed."
Hughes' 44 points (seven goals, 37 assists) led all defencemen on the team in just his second season in the NHL. He played in Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes of the Stanley Cup Playoffs but was out for the rest of the series after injuring his shoulder.
His brother, Jack, is currently under an eight-year, $64 million contract with the Devils.
Hughes is still a restricted free agent after playing out his previous three-year contract. He's been a no-show at training camp to start the new year, given he's still without a contract.
"Unfortunately, we're disappointed he's not here. I know he's disappointed he's not here. I was texting with him on Wednesday, knowing that we will get through this at some point. We just don't know when that point is."
"This is part of the process," said Fitzgerald. "We're grinding through this together and presenting both sides' stories and where we want to go with this, respecting each other's opinions."
New Jersey's regular season starts on October 9th against the Hurricanes.