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Devils' Luke Hughes Discusses 'Whirlwind' Week & Return to New Jersey

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On Thursday, at 10:27 a.m., Luke Hughes smoothly skated onto the ice at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House, marking his first day on the ice at New Jersey Devils training camp. 

Skating as an extra along with Kurtis MacDermid and Stefan Noesen (lower body), during the team's morning skate, Hughes worked through each drill, with a determined expression. 

He chose to particpate in both the club's 10:30 a.m. skate and 11:45 practice that ran for approximately 45 mintues. 

"It feels great (to be back)," Hughes shared. "Obviously, I was waiting a little bit, but really excited to be back and happy that I am in New Jersey for the next seven years."

On Oct. 1, the 22-year-old restricted free agent signed a seven-year, $63 million extension to remain in New Jersey through 2032.

"There was never a doubt during the negotiations that Luke wanted to remain a Devil," his agent Pat Brisson told The Hockey News. "We looked at his comps and what he has accomplished thus far. Where the cap is going, we felt over seven years, it was a very fair deal for both sides." 

"I know he loves living here, loves playing here," Jack Hughes said on Thursday. "I think it was a mutual fit. He's really excited to be a part of this group for a long time. He is excited with the deal he got, and he is most excited about being a part of the group and getting ready for the season."

The younger Hughes brother said the past few days have been a whirlwind as he spent time in both New Jesey and at home in Michigan. 

"I got here yesterday," he expained. "I was in and out though. I had the NJ charity gala on Monday night. They do great work, and it is really easy to work with them. I was here for that, and then flew out and skated on Tuesday morning with my dad, and then got (the contract) done Tuesday late night. I skated again with my dad in the morning, and then flew out. Kind of whirlwind but really excited to be here, and fired up for the season."

'There Was Never A Doubt That Luke Wanted To Remain A Devil': Hughes Commits To New Jersey 'There Was Never A Doubt That Luke Wanted To Remain A Devil': Hughes Commits To New Jersey On Wednesday morning, the New Jersey Devils announced that restricted free agent Luke Hughes has signed a seven-year contract worth $63,000,000 ($9,000,000 AAV) to remain with the organization long-term. 

Head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Hughes will not appear in Thursday night's preseason game against the New York Rangers. The Devils will practice Friday and play their final preseason game on Saturday afternoon against the Philadelphia Flyers. 

"It is a bit of a unique situation where not only has he missed camp, but he's also coming off of a major shoulder surgery since he played last," head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "We want to make sure we give him the appropriate time to be feeling good, but he looks good. He has been through all the medicals and testing, all the things that guys would normally go through at the beginning of camp, and he is cleared."

On May 5, the Devils announced the defenseman underwent successful shoulder surgery, which Dr. Peter Millett performed at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. He was expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of camp. 

When asked if the blueliner will be ready for the start of the regular season on Oct. 9, Keefe simply said, "I don't see a reason why he wouldn't." 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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Anaheim Ducks Sign No. 1 D-Man LaCombe To Massive Eight-Year Contract

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The Anaheim Ducks signed Jackson LaCombe to an eight-year contract extension on Thursday.

While the Ducks didn't reveal the average annual salary, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported it's $9 million, which would make the total value a franchise-high $72 million.

LaCombe, a left-shot, two-way defenseman, will have a cap hit that's $2 million higher than center Mason McTavish, who ended a contract standoff last weekend by signing a six-year deal worth $7 million annually.

"We are excited to sign Jackson to a long-term contract and lock up a core player for our future," Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said in a news release. "Getting this deal done early was a priority for us. Jackson has all of the tools to be an anchor on our back end for many years to come."

The 24-year-old LaCombe put up 14 goals and 29 assists for 43 points in 75 games last season, a 26-point increase from his rookie season. He also averaged 22:18 in ice time, the most on the Ducks in 2024-25 and even more than the 21:04 that Cam Fowler played in 17 games before being traded to the St. Louis Blues.

In fact, since the Ducks traded Fowler on Dec. 14, 2024, LaCombe played the fourth-most minutes in the NHL, trailing only the Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski, Montreal Canadiens' Mike Matheson and Detroit Red Wings' Moritz Seider.

"Today is an exciting day for my family, and I am grateful to the organization for their belief in me," LaCombe said. "It was an easy decision for me to commit my future to the Ducks and Orange County. We are building something special here, and I am excited to do everything I can to help this team win."

Jackson LaCombe and Mikko Rantanen (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

LaCombe ranked third on the Ducks in blocked shots, with 129. And on a team that finished sixth in the Pacific Division, he led regular Anaheim defenders at 5-on-5 in expected goals percentage (49.75 percent), scoring chances percentage (48.57 percent) and shot attempt percentage (49.29 percent), according to naturalstattrick.com. He was also the only Ducks defender to be on the ice for more shots-for than against at 5-on-5.

As Friedman noted, Ryan Getzlaf, Paul Kariya and Corey Perry had higher average annual values, but their contracts weren't as long, which means LaCombe set a franchise record for richest contract in terms of total value.

With LaCombe under contract for the long run, the Ducks have four pending RFAs left: Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger.

Earlier on Thursday, the Florida Panthers signed defensive defenseman Niko Mikkola to an eight-year contract as well, with a $5-million cap hit.

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Florida adds another long-term deal, giving Niko Mikkola an eight-year, $40 million extension

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers and defenseman Niko Mikkola have agreed on an eight-year, $40 million contract extension that would keep him with the team through the 2033-34 season.

The deal begins next season.

Mikkola’s contract only adds to Florida’s pile of long-term deals with current players. Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Anton Lundell and Seth Jones are under contract through 2029-30. Brad Marchand is signed through 2030-31, Sam Reinhart and Gustav Forsling have deals through 2031-32, while Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad are signed through 2032-33.

Mikkola would be 38 when his new deal expires.

“Niko has proven himself to be a dependable defenseman who uses his speed and physicality to impact both ends of the ice,” Panthers general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito said. “He was an indispensable piece of our past two championship campaigns, and we are thrilled that Niko will be continuing his career with the Florida Panthers.”

Mikkola has been with the Panthers for two years; the Panthers won the Stanley Cup in both of those seasons. He had career-highs in goals (6), assists (16), points (22) and plus-minus rating (plus-12) during the regular season a year ago, plus led Florida’s defensemen with 137 hits.

The 6-foot-6 native of Finland has also played for the New York Rangers and St. Louis. It’s expected that he will be part of the Finnish team at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

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Sam Rinzel Will Make Rookie Mistakes But He Deserves A Significant Role On Blackhawks

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Sam Rinzel is going to be one of the defensemen who make the Chicago Blackhawks roster out of camp. He will make it alongside Alex Vlasic, Connor Murphy, Artyom Levshunov, and Wyatt Kaiser. The rest is still being sorted out.

With just nine games played so far in his NHL career, it’s impressive to have the status that he does at just 21 years old. Being a former first-round pick, he’s always had the pedigree, but now we’re seeing it show on NHL ice.

Those nine games came at the end of last season, following the end of his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota. He recorded five assists but has yet to score his first career NHL goal.

As a young defenseman, his main concern is learning to play the position well in the NHL. He skipped the AHL because of his abilities; now he’s looking to get to another level. 

Rinzel plays a two-way style that could allow him to be an impactful top-pair defenseman in the best league in the world. Still, at such a young age, there are going to be ups and downs. 

Even if Rinzel is a legitimate top-pair guy right away, it won’t be without rookie mistakes. We saw some of that in Tuesday night’s preseason game. Right after looking skilled, poised, and mature on the power play, he made a soft play that led to a Detroit Red Wings goal. 

When Jonatan Berggren came out of the box, he made a play to steal the puck from Rinzel, which set up a goal for Lucas Raymond. Rinzel would like to be more prepared for that as Berggren was coming out of the box. As he develops, he will be harder on the puck with more consistency. 

"I just think I've got to be better in that situation, just getting back to it, and I think knowing my outs, knowing what I've got to do."

Rinzel is well aware of the things that need to be better in his game. For being as young and inexperienced as he is, it seems like he's confident that his rookie mistakes won't linger. 

Part of being a young guy on a young team can be many other players on your pair throughout camp and preseason. Rinzel seems to think that he can help complement anyone's strengths as their partner, no matter who it is. 

"It doesn't matter who's your partner. Our whole [defense] core is tight-knit, so I don't think it matters who you're playing with. I just think everyone's game kind of has [its] own little niche, so I just think it's playing to your strengths, and it always complements each other well."

There is no denying the fact that Rinzel buys into whatever the Blackhawks ask of him in his game. Although he is clearly going to have those rookie lapses from time to time, and it won't end right when his first year is done, there are plenty of tools there for him to have a significant role right away. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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NHL's Best Forward Pairings To Watch This Season

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In the NHL, winning games and having a successful line often comes down to finding the right chemistry among pairings. 

Typically, the word “pairings” is linked to defense, but there are duos at forward in the NHL who can be game-changers. Some of the NHL’s most dangerous duos are already generating buzz as training camps and pre-season action heat up. 

Each pairing below has an intriguing story as the 2025-26 NHL season begins. Not all are just about on-ice production. Which duos should we be watching?

Jack Eichel And Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights

In Vegas, Jack Eichel and newly acquired Mitch Marner hit the ice with Ivan Barbashev, instantly showing chemistry and even connecting for a highlight-reel goal in their first session. 

Eichel, fresh off a career year, is also in a contract season. The likelihood is he gets a deal done far before it becomes worrisome, but if negotiations drag into the season, or Kirill Kaprizov’s new whopper of a deal slows things down, how these two play together could have an impact on Eichel’s numbers and what the Golden Knights see their long-term future looking like. 

Each player said they are excited to play alongside the other, with Marner suggesting the focus will be on using each other’s skills to “open each other up” offensively.

As far as playoffs go, Eichel will need to help Marner achieve post-season success he wasn’t able to accomplish in Toronto alongside Auston Matthews.

Connor McDavid And Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

Ideally, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are pushing their own respective lines in Edmonton, but who are we kidding? Every season, these two superstars wind up together, and they are arguably the most dynamic duo in the NHL. 

McDavid has three Hart Trophy wins, while Draisaitl has one. Either could win it again this season, with McDavid at 2.90 (+190) and Draisaitl at 11.00 (+1000), according to BetMGM.

They complement each other so well that it’s hard for the Oilers not to go back to the well and go to these two often. 

Another star player in a contract year, McDavid is trying to decide what to do about an extension. He wants to win the Stanley Cup, which has eluded him for the last two finals. How does playing with Draisaitl this season impact his decision about signing or moving on? Is he pushing for this combo? Or, does McDavid prefer to spread out the offense?

If McDavid is considering playing elsewhere next season, he’d have to be open to playing somewhere that doesn’t have the yin to his yang.

Oilers Double Down On McDavid-Draisaitl Duo Despite Depth ConcernsOilers Double Down On McDavid-Draisaitl Duo Despite Depth ConcernsEDMONTON - The Edmonton Oilers’ decision to reunite Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the top line heading into the 2025-26 season is generating some discussion.

Auston Matthews And Matthew Knies, Toronto Maple Leafs

In Toronto, Auston Matthews looks to play his first season without Marner, and the narrative surrounding what that looks like could get interesting. 

With Matthew Knies, Matthews and Marner on a 5-on-5 line last season, the Leafs averaged 3.63 goals per 60 minutes. Without Knies and Matthews together without Marner, the Leafs averaged 2.87 goals per 60, according to naturalstattrick.com.

The hope is that Knies steps up, and these two go on a tear regardless of who plays right wing, making the loss of Marner less painful for Leafs Nation.

The Leafs signed Knies to a new long-term extension, and pairing these two as a successful duo would solve many potential problems for the team, which has tried to pick up several depth pieces and fill holes with quantity over quality. 

The Maple Leafs’ lack of playoff success has been their Achilles heel. It was finally time to change things up, move on from the “Core Four” and go with different pairings. Whether it works remains to be seen.

Rickard Rakell and Sidney Crosby (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

Sidney Crosby And Bryan Rust/Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins

The future of the Penguins’ top line will be a season-long storyline.

Sidney Crosby has made it clear time and again that Pittsburgh is where he wants to be, even after his agent said it’s always a possibility he could leave. But Crosby does want to win.

How the Penguins play this season may shape what happens to Crosby’s linemates, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. The wingers set career highs in points last year – 70 points for Rakell and 65 for Rust – and Penguins GM Kyle Dubas has hung onto them despite making moves elsewhere to bring in the youngsters.

Rust and Rakell were the subject of trade speculation this summer. While the Penguins only have 7.00 (+600) odds of making the playoffs, according to BetMGM, Crosby’s line could help Pittsburgh pull off some kind of surprise and keep the team from selling the captain’s wingers soon.

Nathan MacKinnon And Martin Necas, Colorado Avalanche

Colorado broke up its dynamic duo last season when it traded then-pending UFA Mikko Rantanen in January. The Avalanche then put Martin Necas on Nathan MacKinnon’s right wing, and they didn’t really miss a beat. 

The Avalanche scored 15 times in nearly 270 minutes with the Artturi Lehkonen-MacKinon-Rantanen line on the ice, according to naturalstattrick.com. With Necas replacing Rantanen, the Avs scored 13 times in 218 minutes, which is actually a higher rate.

Necas is expected to skate alongside MacKinnon again to start the season. But now, Necas is the pending UFA, and although negotiations are ongoing, there’s no certainty that he’ll re-sign.

Will things change as these two build chemistry together? Are they successful enough that Necas wants to stay where he is and sign a new deal? We’ll just have to watch.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.