Story by
Devils sign 31-point rookie to $9.75 million deal after Jacob Markstrom trade
- Story by
- Devils sign 31-point rookie to $9.75 million deal after Jacob Markstrom trade
Devils sign 31-point rookie to $9.75 million deal after Jacob Markstrom trade appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
New Jersey Devils general manager Sunny Mehta is staying busy with less than 24 hours until free agency opens on July 1. After acquiring Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist as part of a package that sent veteran goaltender Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers , he re-signed an effective forward not long afterwards.
Advertisement
"The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team has re-signed restricted free-agent forward Arseny Gritsyuk to a three-year contract worth $9,750,000 total, with an annual average value (AAV) of $3,250,000," the team confirmed on Tuesday.
Gritsyuk enjoyed a strong rookie campaign in Newark , scoring 13 goals and adding 31 points in 66 games. The 25-year-old Russian ranked 13th in points among all NHL rookies, and his six multi-point games ranked in the top-10.
Originally selected in the fifth round (No. 129 overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, he has represented his country on multiple occasions, including the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championship and 2022 Winter Olympics — helping his country win a silver in the latter.
With a couple of strong KHL campaigns under his belt, Gritsyuk looks like he will be an effective middle-six forward for years to come. With Rodrigues and Boqvist now in the picture, it's unclear exactly where he will slot in in 2026-27.
Advertisement
But his skill-first game would make him a realistic option to get more ice time with some of New Jersey 's stars in the top-six, like Jack Hughes , Niso Hischier or Jesper Bratt .
After the trade and Gritsyuk extension, the Devils have just over $9 million in cap space to work with , per PuckPedia with four more pending unrestricted free agents on the roster: Evgenii Dadonov , Zack MacEwen , Paul Cotter and Dennis Cholowski .
As well, Mehta and the front office will need to sort out the goaltending, as, without Markstrom, 35-year-old Jake Allen is the only NHL-ready netminder under contract.
He's better suited to a backup role at this point in his career, and it'll be interesting to see whether New Jersey looks to free agency or the trade market to complete the tandem.
Advertisement
Either way, Gritsyuk is getting rewarded for a very promising first NHL season, and he should be an important part of the franchise's quest to bring playoff hockey back to Newark in 2026-27.
Related: Panthers acquire Jacob Markstrom in trade with Devils
Related: NHL rumors: Devils unlikely to trade Dougie Hamilton after Simon Nemec move
