The New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues made the same kind of bet on two young defensemen, and Thursday night gives the matchup a little extra juice. Philip Broberg and Luke Hughes are both being paid before they’ve fully reached their prime, with each team wagering that upside will turn into something even bigger.
Broberg has already started to justify that gamble in St. Louis.
Since signing the offer sheet in the 2024 offseason, he has grown into the Blues’ top defenseman, and this season he’s looked like one of the better young blue-liners in the league. He’s averaging 24:05 of ice time, which leads all skaters on the team, and he has 10 points in 15 games.
The Blues have not been a shutdown group, allowing 3.00 goals per game, but Broberg has still been central to what they do on the back end. He leads the team with a 0.9 defensive point share and has 22 blocked shots, trailing only Colton Parayko for the club lead.
Hughes is making a similar leap for New Jersey. He signed a seven-year deal with a $9 million average annual value ahead of the 2025-26 season, and the Devils are already seeing the payoff.
He has five goals, which ranks fourth on the team, and his puck-handling has shown up in a few highlight-reel finishes. Defensively, he’s also made real progress, with 1.2 defensive point shares, second on the Devils behind his partner Brett Pesce.
For New Jersey, Hughes has raised the team’s ceiling. One of the season’s early questions was whether the Devils had a defenseman who could drive offense from the point, and if not, whether they’d need to go looking for one. Hughes has answered that question and helped fuel the strong start.
The Devils have also been strong defensively, allowing only 2.87 goals per game, seventh-fewest in the NHL. Connor Hellebuyck in net and the team’s blue-line depth matter too, but Hughes’ growth has been a major part of the story.
The Blues made a similar long-term commitment to Broberg, giving him a six-year extension with an $8 million AAV in Jan. 2026.
At the time, it was fair to wonder if either deal was too rich for players with limited track records. Broberg had 56 points in 194 games before signing, while Hughes had not yet proven he could be the Devils’ go-to scoring defenseman.
That’s the new reality around the league, though. Teams are paying for upside more often now, not just for what a player has already done. The offer sheet for Leo Carlsson that Anaheim matched was another example of that thinking, and rising cap numbers are pushing clubs to lock up young talent earlier.
The cap keeps climbing, and the prices for elite defensemen are climbing with it. Cale Makar passed the $20 million AAV threshold this offseason, and Quinn Hughes could be next.
Zach Werenski’s contract expires after next season, and as the 2026 Norris Trophy winner, he can be in that same range. Matthew Schaefer could eventually break the record when his entry-level deal is up.
The market doesn’t stop there. Vince Dunn is set to hit free agency this summer and is arguably the next best defenseman available behind Quinn Hughes, while Rasmus Ristolainen is in the final year of his contract and could still land a high AAV somewhere.
Against that backdrop, the Blues and Devils have their young defensemen locked in at prices that look manageable by comparison. Broberg is on an $8 million AAV, Hughes on $9 million, and both teams are getting more flexibility while their players continue to develop.
In Other News...
Hellebuyck Finally Addressed The Trade Request Devils Fans Keep Talking About
Connor Hellebuycks first public message since landing with the Devils was aimed squarely at Winnipeg, where he spent his previous stretch and built the kind of connection that makes a trade request sting for fans on both sides. In a letter to Jets supporters, he thanked the organization and the crowd for their backing, and made clear that his time there meant a great deal to him.
The part he did not unpack is the one that has kept Devils fans and Jets fans talking since the move became official. Hellebuyck said asking out was not easy and pointed to personal family circumstances he chose to keep private, leaving the broader speculation around his request unanswered for now. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Military Appreciation Night Gives Fans A Tradition Worth Showing Up For
A familiar fall date is back on the Devils calendar, and with it comes one of the franchises most established game-night traditions. New Jersey and Prudential Financial will stage their 16th annual Military Appreciation Night on Nov. 5 at Prudential Center when the Devils host the St. Louis Blues, with the evening built around honoring service members through giveaways, special recognitions and fundraising tied to veterans.
The first 9,000 fans through the doors will receive a military cap, while military personnel will be offered complimentary tickets as part of the nights outreach. The pregame program is set to include a ceremonial puck drop by World War II veteran Bob Walsh, along with performances by military personnel, giving the event a ceremonial feel that has become a meaningful part of the Devils home schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Stay Hot After Another Big Night From Jack Hughes
Jack Hughes kept rolling with another two-goal night, and the Devils needed every bit of it in a 4-3 shootout win over the Edmonton Oilers. Connor Hellebuyck held up his end in the extra session, helping New Jersey keep its momentum going in a game that had plenty of firepower on both sides.
For a Devils team trying to stay hot, nights like this matter because they show how much they can lean on Hughes when the pace picks up. The win also came in a league landscape that has been busy off the ice as well, with trade chatter around Nikita Kucherov and a broader international dispute over Russia's status at the upcoming world junior tournament adding more noise around the sport. [Read more 🡒]