The NHL and NHLPA are set to enter into a new collective bargaining agreement this week. One of the bigger changes in the new CBA is the reduction in maximum contract length NHL players will be allowed to sign. The max will go from eight years for a player re-signing with their current team and seven years for a player signing with a new team to seven and six years respectively. It might seem small on the surface, but there are many second-order consequences that this change can bring about. This
also means that, assuming Sunny Mehta does not pull off a last-minute max deal with a pending free agent, the eternal answer to the trivia question “Who signed the last eight-year contract with the Devils” will be Timo Meier, who signed his deal a couple weeks after Jesper Bratt signed his own eight-season pact in June of 2023.
Since the NHL is about to enter a new era of free agency, I thought it would be a good idea to go over the current New Jersey Devils who are in the final years of their deals, and thus are eligible for contract extensions. I won’t be going into every single player in the organization who qualifies, only the players on the NHL roster or who figure to play a significant role on the NHL club this season. We’ll be gauging how good of an idea it would be to extend them now, using a very scientific scale:
- Hard Yes
- Lean Yes
- Lean No
- Hard No
We’ll also try to put a range on how many years and how much AAV they would likely command.
The future of the Devils could be at stake with some of these guys. So let’s dive in and see what the future of the Devils’ pending free agents could look like.
Restricted Free Agents
Dawson Mercer
Tier: Lean No
It has sort of felt like a Dawson Mercer trade has been inevitable for some time now. At this moment, I find myself thinking that Mercer would be most useful to this organization as a trade chip, although I wouldn’t want to trade him just for the sake of it. If he can be one of the key pieces in a trade for a legit number one defenseman or a strong top six scoring winger or even an excellent third-line center or promising goalie prospect, then go for it. Couple that with the fact that I think Mercer’s next contract could be prohibitively expensive for a player of his caliber, and I lean toward no on trying to extend him this season. I wouldn’t dismiss the idea outright if he were to take a nice hometown discount, but I’m working under the assumption that won’t be happening, thus making him more beneficial as a trade piece in my opinion.
As far as what he could get on his next contract, I keep coming back to Connor McMichael’s deal with the St. Louis Blues this offseason. After being sent to St. Louis in the trade for Jordan Kyrou, McMichael inked a six-year, $6.75M AAV contract with the Blues, taking him to his age-30 season. Mercer’s and McMichael’s per-season production have been eerily similar, but McMichael has played more center than Mercer, making him a bit more valuable positionally. Given the new realities of the rising salary cap, I can see Mercer getting a five- or six-year deal in the $6.5-$7M range. Even with the ballooning cap, that’s still a tad too rich for a player like Mercer.
Luke Evangelista
Tier: Hard Yes
For anyone who cares to know my thoughts on Luke Evangelista, I did a bit of a deep dive on him last week. Spoiler alert: I am VERY bullish on Evangelista as a player in both the short and long term. As such, I would love to see him inked to a contract extension as soon as Mehta can make it happen. Evangelista is the exact type of player a team with championship aspirations needs to help supplement their core. Heck, I think Evangelista has the potential to actually become a full-blown part of the core if things go reasonably well with his development.
Given current trends across the league, I anticipate Evangelista wanting to go medium term on his next contract. Something like four or five years. I would prefer to extend him for the maximum, as I really do think that highly of his future performance. If it’s medium term, I think he’ll come in around $8M per season. If it’s max term, it’s probably closer to $9M. That might seem like a lot, but again, the rising cap changes everything. By the time Evangelista’s next deal would kick in, that would be second-line money at best. And for a player that I think is capable of blossoming into a true star, that would be a steal in my opinion.
Seamus Casey
Tier: Lean Yes
Believe it or not, Seamus Casey is in the final year of his entry-level contract. Much like Mercer, I think Casey could be very valuable to the Devils as a trade chip. But the reason I lean yes for him while I lean no for Mercer is that I think Casey’s next deal won’t be anywhere close to as costly as Mercer’s. Plus, Casey plays a more valuable position, not to mention a position where the Devils could use some new blood soon. The right side of the blueline at the NHL level is comprised of aging vets who Casey can hopefully take over for in the near future.
I really don’t think it would take much more than a two- to three-year extension at near-league-minumum salary to retain Casey’s services. Perhaps offer him something like two-years, $1.25M AAV and call it a day.
Vladislav Kolyachonok
Tier: Hard No
One of the players Mehta brought in this offseason, Kolyachonok isn’t even eligible for an extension until January 1. Nevertheless, as someone who is probably eighth on the organization’s defenseman depth chart, he’s worth discussing briefly. I think this is a pretty open and shut case. While I trust Mehta and think this no-risk bet on Kolyachonok can pay dividends, he’s still not the type of player that’s worth talking extension with. He’s a very unproven commodity, and as such it’s important to see what he can actually do before committing to him beyond this season. I say no on potentially extending him during the season. Could that change if he ends up getting a bunch of unexpected playing time and crushing his minutes? Of course. But I need to see it first.
Unrestricted Free Agents
Cody Glass
Tier: Lean Yes
If you had asked me this a couple months ago, I would have slotted Glass into the Hard Yes category. This was due to the combination of his very solid on-ice play relative to his role, as well as the fact that I didn’t think he would break the bank. Heck, this actually was something I wrote about back in March, projecting a theoretical Glass extension at four-years, and in the neighborhood of $4.5M AAV. But a lot can change in six months, and while I still think it would be smart business to talk extension with Glass, New Jersey has improved it’s center depth so much in that time that I’m not quite as all-in on a Glass extension as I used to be. Still, I think a reasonable new contract could be worth the Devils’ while.
I think the plan for the long-term future is for Sunny Mehta’s very first draft pick, Alexander Command, to eventually take over the 3C role. Assuming he’ll be ready for such a role in two or three seasons, I think trying to get Glass’ name on a two- or three-year extension would be ideal. Let him handle the third line until Command is ready, then pass the torch to the youngster. As for AAV, with contracts exploding league-wide, I think that $4.5M AAV projection from March is a bit low. Not by too much though, as I think something in the ballpark of $5.5M per season would get the job done. I would be in favor of a deal like that for Glass.
Evan Rodrigues
Tier: Hard No
It’s not that I think Rodrigues is bad. On the contrary, I think he can absolutely thrive in the role currently projected for him on the Devils. It’s just that he turned 33 over the summer, and locking down non-star players in their mid-thirties is risky business. We don’t have to waste too much time on this: Let Rodrigues play the year out, see how it goes, and revisit potentially bringing him back on a short-term deal next summer.
Stefan Noesen
Tier: Hard No
Another one that we don’t have to waste much time on. Noesen is in the final year of his deal, and while his $2.75M AAV is far from an albatross, injuries and age have sapped him of some of his effectiveness. Enough to where I think the prudent thing to do is let him play out his walk year and then let him…well, walk. If he has a big season, then maybe Mehta can do an about-face. But I just don’t see it happening.
Jesper Boqvist
Tier: Lean No
I would categorize Boqvist as a hard no, except for the fact that I at least think he’s young enough and would be cheap enough to potentially buy low on him as a depth piece on a short term deal. I’m not quite sure how much playing time Boqvist will get this season, but I do think he can be a strong fourth-liner/rotational depth piece. With that being the case, even though I would probably just let him play out the final year of his deal, there’s a world in which I would be ok with signing him to something like a two-year, $1.75M AAV extension.
Nick Bjugstad
Tier: Hard No
Again, we don’t have to spend a lot of time here. Bjugstad came over in February of last season, didn’t produce, didn’t drive play, is already in his mid-30’s, and could even get waived or traded before this coming season begins. That’s not the type of player that should warrant serious extension consideration.
Brenden Dillon
Tier: Hard No
I think Brenden Dillon brings some quality traits to the table. He plays solid defense, he’s an intimidating physical presence, and his leadership qualities are through the roof. There’s value in all of that, and under certain circumstances I would be open to trying to sign him to a one- or two-year extension. But given his incredibly limited offensive game, the fact that New Jersey is starving for more offense from the blueline, and the current logjam at LHD, I am very much ready to move on from Brenden Dillon at the end of this season. He’s been a fine Devil, but I would strongly advise against extending him.
Declan Chisholm
Tier: Lean Yes
This one here might be my hottest take in the entire article.
Aside from perhaps Amadeus Lombardi, Declan Chisholm is the under-the-radar player getting the most praise from Mehta this offseason. When you consider that Mehta seems to think so highly of Chisholm, his underlying numbers being pretty sparkling, and the fact that his next contract will probably be a very cheap one, I think it’s worth taking a chance on him. Mind you, this would be a pure gamble on upside, as Chisholm is such an unproven player. But unlike Kolyachonok, who I said roughly the same thing about, Chisholm has more of a track record. And again, Mehta seems to really like him, and since my trust in Mehta is at an all-time high right now, I would be willing to roll those dice here.
I think a three- or four-year deal at something like $2.5M per season would be ok with me. Again, I acknowledge that would be a risk for someone as unproven as Chisholm. But I can absolutely envision a scenario where Chisholm blossoms into a strong second- or third-pair defenseman at a bargain-bin price. The downside is real, but the upside is sky-high.
David Rittich
Tier: Hard No
Unlike Chisholm, there’s no bet on untapped potential here. What you see is basically what you get with Rittich, who isn’t eligible for an extension immediately anyway. Once again, we won’t waste much time here. Rittich can play out this season without any extension talks.
Final Thoughts And Your Take
Looking over this list, Evangelista is the clear top dog for me. His future is the most important one, something I would like to see Mehta take care of sooner rather than later. Mercer, Glass, Casey, and Chisholm all hold varying level of importance as well, and the rest can play out as-is.
What do you think of contract extensions for these players? Do you disagree with any of these assessments? Which of these players are you the highest on? As always, thanks for reading!
