NEWARK, N.J. -- Luke Hughes was not on the ice for the New Jersey Devils during the opening day of training camp at Prudential Center on Thursday.

The 22-year-old defenseman remains a restricted free agent after completing the final season on his three-year, entry-level contract.

"This is part of the process," New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald said on Thursday. "We're grinding through this together and presenting both sides' stories and where we want to go with this, respecting each other's opinions.

"Unfortunately, we're disappointed he's not here. I know he's disappointed he's not here. I was texting with him [Wednesday], knowing that we will get through this at some point. We just don't know when that point is."

On July 2, Fitzgerald reiterated on three occasions that re-

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