Overview
- The Devils re-signed restricted free agent Arseny Gritsyuk to a three-year, $9.75 million contract that begins in 2026–27 and pays $2.25M, $2.75M and $4.75M in each season respectively.
- The deal is a back-loaded bridge contract that keeps Gritsyuk under team control through 2028–29 while reducing the club’s immediate cap hit and providing a short-term evaluation point before any longer-term commitment.
- New Jersey moved salary the same day by trading Jacob Markstrom to Florida to acquire Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and prospect Ben Steeves, a step that helped create roughly $9.7 million in available cap space.
- The club also locked in captain Nico Hischier with a five-year extension that will begin in 2027–28 carrying a $11.7 million average cap hit and structured yearly payouts that front-load value.
- Gritsyuk’s deal rewards a 25-year-old who scored 13 goals and 31 points in 66 games in his first NHL season, helps him through recovery from recent upper-body surgery, and preserves New Jersey’s flexibility as it reshapes the roster for a contention window.