When Luke Hughes signed his seven year contract with the Devils this past week, it confirmed a few things. Most importantly for Devils fans, the Hughes family wants to be in NJ, however it's not just the Hughes' that want to be in Jersey, but many other NHLer's as well. Lets take a look at the pros and the very few cons of joining the Devils organization.
The Pros
The Current Core
Led by their very likable Captain Nico Hischier, the Devils have a plethora of young talent just entering their prime. Nico, Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes and even Timo Meier are all on reasonable long term deals(The cap will be $113m in a few years, please remember that before you try to argue that any of them are overpaid). This base will allow the Devils and GM Tom Fitzgerald much flexibility at the deadline and in future off seasons, especially when as the cap continues to rise and salaries of high paid vets like Dougie Hamilton and Ondrej Palat are moved or expire.
Low Pressure
Let's be honest, while our fanbase is spectacular and wants nothing more than to win, we aren't Toronto, Montreal or New York. We've kissed girls at the dance before and have the confidence that we will kiss again. Imagine just a signle smooch, one time in the past 85 years? That lonely, angry fella that spent a ton of money on dates since his last one is right across the Hudson, and it ain't pretty. There's a reason why Dancin' Larry has been bald forever and Bauman has aa full head of hair still. Gimme a DDDDDDDDDDDD!
Jersey Living
Historically the butt of many jokes, New Jersey is no longer just the foul smelling suburban outskirt of NYC. With the rapid development of a variety of living options, NJ has become a real estate hotbed. Whether players want the city vibe, beach life or a more relaxed family oriented lifestyle, it's all packed within close proximity to the teams facility. In addition, travel to Manhattan can be as little as fifteen minutes in some spots giving players opportunity to take full advantage of New York, both on and off of the ice.
Hollywood's Return To The Garden State
With a billion-dollar, massive Netflix Studio being built in Eatontown as we speak as well as Lionsgate devloping their own studio in Newark, many A-list celebs have already been scoping out the real estate market in NJ. With the varying landscapes of the state allowing for any shot a director may need, along with substantial new tax credits and incentives for film production, expect any and all studios to follow. The influx of A-list actors and actresses will only intrigue the A-list forwards and defensemen of the NHL for years to come.
Travel Relief
Playing in the Eastern Conference, especially the Metro Division, substantially cuts down hours of travel and jet lag. While a few more hours on a privately chartered plane may seem insignificant to most, over a course of 82 games plus playoffs it definitely adds up. Over the years its often been said that playing in cities on the East Coast has been essential in keeping players fresh and prolonging careers. For example, the Devils will travel a total of 34,069 miles in order to complete their 82 game schedule this year, while the Canucks(see what I'm doing here?) will travel over 48,000 miles. God forbid you play in Vancouver and want to visit your family in NJ for Christmas...more travel I guess!
The Cons
High Taxes
Oh well, they make enough money. They'll get over it.