NHL Rumors: Luke Hughes, Mason McTavish, and Luke Evangelista

The Saga Continues For Luke Hughes, Mason McTavish, and Luke Evangelista

Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff joined TSN Radio in Montreal on Wednesday and was asked which holdout situation —Luke Hughes in New Jersey, Mason McTavish in Anaheim, or Luke Evangelista in Nashville —is the biggest concern and could negatively impact their team’s season. Additionally, he was asked about the status of each player.

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

Host: “Well, you know who it might mean something to? The guys who don’t play in the preseason. And we’ve seen examples that are really setting players back, Anthony. When you think of Jeremy Swayman last year as an example. Or we remember when William Nylander missed up until December, when he had his contract dispute with the Maple Leafs. How do you think things ultimately play out here with three pretty significant players, when you look at (Mason) McTavish in Anaheim, (Luke) Evangelista in Nashville, and (Luke) Hughes in New Jersey?”

Anthony Di Marco: “I mean, you’ll start with the biggest fish in Luke Hughes. I mean, that one is just absolutely bizarre that the New Jersey Devils have allowed it to get to this point. And obviously it takes two to tango, but it doesn’t seem like Luke Hughes is chomping at the bit to leave, especially with his brother being one of the faces of that team. But I think it was Pierre LeBrun who reported that they’re more than a million dollars apart on AAV on a longer-term deal.

NHL Rumors: Luke Hughes Holdout Continues As Two Sides Grind Away

I thought that the Brock Faber contract, which is the AAV, $8.5 million with the Minnesota Wild, I believe, was like a good barometer for Luke Hughes on a longer-term contract. And then you have the Bowen Byram contract of, I believe, two years at $6.25 million if you want to go bridge. So, I mean, look, maybe, I’ve spoken to one general manager who thought that was a bit too much for Luke Hughes on a long-term deal to give him the Faber deal.

I mean, at a certain point, like push comes to shove, you have to, kind of like, lean into it. And you know that where the New Jersey Devils are at, you need Luke Hughes on that back end. So I’m really kind of fearful for what this could mean for the New Jersey Devils, who are looking to bounce back after, like, a really disappointing first-round exit to the current Carolina Hurricanes.

You look at Evangelista. My former colleague, Dave Pagnotta, has been pretty on top of that story, and it seems like he maybe not even be showing up for camp at all, and maybe be looking on the outs there. Like I spoke to one source in Nashville who could decline to comment on it. And it’s just weird to see, like, Nashville digging in on such, like, a young player, but also, like, not a very substantial contract.

And then as for Mason McTavish. I mean, how much damage did Greg Cronin do there with the Anaheim Ducks? Where you pretty much jettison Trevor Zegras out of town for pennies on the dollar. And now you’re arguably your top line center coming into the season, holding out in a year where you’re looking to take the next step with head coach Joel Quenneville coming in for his inaugural season and return to the bench.

NHL Rumors: Anaheim Ducks Want To Keep Mason McTavish

So, I mean, the most concerning for me is Mason McTavish, because I just wonder if he wants to be in Anaheim long-term. But in terms of impact on a season, I think the Luke Hughes potential holdout could have the most negative impact just for the internal expectations with the Devils.”

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