- The Devils are closing in on a contract extension with pending RFA Arseni Gritsyuk, per James Nichols
- The 25-year-old Russian winger scored 13 goals and 31 points as a rookie this past season
- Read below for what the next deal could look like and why talks are trending the right way
Arseni Gritsyuk isn’t going anywhere.
New Jersey is closing in on a contract extension with the pending restricted free agent, and the deal “should be wrapped up soon,” per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now.
Gritsyuk’s entry-level deal and its $925,000 cap hit run out on July 1, which put him on the radar with free agency opening the same day. Nichols says it might not get done by the first, but it won’t be long after, and that talks are headed the right way.
The 25-year-old just wrapped a strong first season in North America. He scored 13 goals and added 18 assists in 66 games before a shoulder injury ended his year early.
He spent most of his career with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. The Devils drafted him in the fifth round back in 2019 and finally got him across the Atlantic last fall.
His first NHL goal came against Minnesota in October. Check it out:
A source told New Jersey Hockey Now that Gritsyuk’s camp is pushing for more than two years. AFP Analytics projects his next deal at around $3 million a season.
The Devils have been busy taking care of their own this summer. They already pushed a Nico Hischier extension over the hump, and now Gritsyuk looks like the next name to sign before camp opens.
Lock up the winger and New Jersey crosses one more restricted free agent off the list before July hits.
