The Devils signed winger Timo Meier to an eight-year extension worth over seventy million dollars and removed Meier from the free agent marker.
While Meier was a restricted free agent and the Devils could have matched any contract offer, I've always thought that teams are far better off in avoiding another team extending an offer sheet by signing the player themselves.
It avoids other teams from getting into the player's ear and allows both sides to keep any hard feelings from building up, such as the team possibly feeling that they paid more than they had to or accepting a poison pill such as a no-trade clause or the player resenting the team matching an offer when he had wanted to leave town.
Meier turns twenty-seven just before opening night, and the agreement locks Meier into price certainty (8.8. million average) for eight years, which covers his prime seasons and may even allow Meier to end his career as a Devil.
Meier scored forty goals last season, nine of those with New Jersey, after being obtained from San Jose for a package of prospects, this year's first-round pick, and a 2024 second-rounder that could become a first round, if the Devils hit certain marks in the 2024 postseason.
You have to like this signing after paying such a price to acquire him and considering his age, past production, and that he still has some prime seasons ahead of him, the only minor complaint may be that the Devils might be overpaying him for the final season or two of the contract.
And even that is part of the cost of doing business in this era, as teams realize that is likely to occur but the trade-off is worth it with the cost certainty and the likelihood that contracts are only going to continue to rise as the years click by.
With Meier and Jesper Bratt signed and in the fold for the long term, the Devils have a case for having the most exciting two lines in hockey with various combinations that include Meier, Bratt, Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, newcomer Tyler Toffoli, and either Dawson Mercer or Alexander Holtz.
New Jersey finished fourth in the league last season in goals scored, and when you add in an entire season with Timo Meier and now the addition of Tyler Toffoli, it's not unrealistic to believe that the Devils could threaten the Edmonton Oilers for the top spot in the category next season.
While Devils fans have to be thrilled with Tom Fitzgerald's off-season work in signing Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt to long-term contacts, trading for Tyler Toffoli, and signing veteran Erik Haula to a three-year agreement, the Devils still have a few needs to fill.
The biggest concern is in the net as should Fitzgerald let it ride, the Devils will have to hope that Vitek Vanecek can repeat his regular season work and that his playoff slide isn't a sign of things to come, along with hoping that Akira Schmid's postseason play is representative of his future, instead of getting hot at the right time.
I'm not sure how the goaltending is going to go but it's a gamble to double-down on Vanecek/Schmid, although I'm not sure who would be available that would be a big improvement other than Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck and Winnipeg will have a high asking price on him.
I also would be in the market for a veteran defenseman that could fit into the third pairing with Ryan Graves likely to sign elsewhere in free agency, a reasonably priced veteran could give the team a little bit of depth and insurance in the event of some rookie struggles from either or both Luke Hughes or Simon Nemec.
Other than those potential additions, the Devils look set for a strong season and for many seasons in the future as well.
I don't claim to know very much about the hockey draft prospects but I'm likely to try to put something together about the player that the Devils select with their first pick in round two tomorrow and in the event that Tom Fitzgerald has another transaction in mind, I'm sure I'll add something about that as well.
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