Analyzing Luke Hughes' Next Contract After Faber Signing

On Monday, the Minnesota Wild announced they had signed Calder Trophy finalist Brock Faber to an eight-year extension worth $68 million.

The 21-year-old is coming off a season where he tallied 47 points with eight goals and 39 helpers while finishing minus-1 and was named to the All-Rookie Team.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, New Jersey Devils rookie defender Luke Hughes also scored 47 points in 82 games with nine goals and 38 assists but was minus-25 on a seventh-place team.

While both defensemen made the All-Rookie Team, they lost out on the Calder Trophy as former first-overall pick Connor Bedard won the award.

Both Hughes and Faber had identical rookie seasons on the scoresheet. Still, with the Devils' struggles, Hughes finished with the second worst plus/minus among Calder Trophy nominees, behind Bedard at minus-44.

These two are destined to compete for the Norris Trophy for the next decade, but their unlabelled rivalry took a turn when Wild general manager Bill Guerin locked up his young star to an eight-year deal.

Now, the ball is in Tom Fitzgerald's court. The New Jersey general manager must match or find a salary close to Faber's deal or risk losing Jack Hughes' younger brother.

The Devils have roughly $5.7 million in cap space, which isn't enough to cover a potential $8.5 million salary.

Of course, many will say these two players are not on the same level and mean different things to their respective franchises.

In Minnesota, Faber has become a top-pairing defender, while Hughes is slated to be a second-pair skater. That could be true, but Hughes stepped up in Dougie Hamilton's absence and skated about three minutes less than Faber.

Both youngsters will be key figures in each team's pursuit of a playoff spot and potential Stanley Cup title.

So, where does Hughes' next salary figure start? Is he going to cash in at $6.5 million? Could he push it past $7 million or cap out at $8 million?

Unfortunately for Fitzgerald, Luke Hughes is the younger brother of his star player, Jack, who is locked up for the next six seasons.

The pressure is on to keep the Calder finalist and his older brother happy, who is committed to staying in Newark long-term.

Just like the Philadelphia Flyers set the bar for future free agents with an eye-catching deal with forward Travis Konecny, the Wild unknowingly set the market for rookie defensemen who end up Calder Trophy finalists.