Free Agency Recap: New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils have been quiet during free agency, although they did sign one relatively big-name player in Wayne Simmonds. They were expected to be quiet given they just drafted Jack Hughes first overall and then traded for P.K. Subban the next day. So, they had already drastically improved their team for next season and it wasn’t necessary for them to chase down the big fish in free agency. Here is a recap of what they’ve done since July 1st.

• Wayne Simmonds, F. Simmonds signed a one year, $5 million contract with New Jersey. Last season, Simmonds was traded to the Nashville Predators at the deadline by the Philadelphia Flyers. He appeared in 79 games between the two teams, in which he scored 30 points. He then played in two playoff games with the Predators, in which he failed to record a single point. Over his NHL career, he has played in 841 games, over which he has tallied 474 points. Drafted 61st overall in 2007 by the LA Kings, Simmonds will be joining his fourth team over his 11 season NHL career. 
• Jack Hughes, F. Hughes was signed to a three year max entry-level contract worth $11.325 million that carries a $925,000 AAV. Last year with the U18 USNDT, he appeared in 50 games and recorded an incredible 112 points. Over his USDP career, he played in 110 games and produced at an over two points per game pace as he tallied 228 points. The 18-year-old center was chosen first overall in the 2019 draft and is expected to make the NHL team to start this upcoming season, and he will become the first player to ever jump directly from the USNTDP to the NHL in doing so.
• Matt Tennyson, D. Tennyson signed a two year, $1.4 million deal that carries a $700,000 AAV. He appeared in four games with the Buffalo Sabres last season, in which he failed to record a single point. He also appeared in 47 games for their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, over which he produced 21 points. He then appeared in three playoff games for the Americans but failed to produce a point. Over his NHL career, he has played in 124 games and produced 20 points. Over his AHL career, he has played in 275 games and tallied 104 points. The 29-year-old defenseman was an undrafted free agent that signed with the San Jose Sharks towards the end of the 2011-12 season when his college career ended. Tennyson is entering his ninth professional season and will be playing for his fourth organization.
• Ben Street, F. Street signed a one year, $750,000 contract. He appeared in 21 games last season for the Anaheim Ducks, in which he tallied five points. He also appeared in 32 games with their AHL team, the San Diego Gulls, in which he produced 26 points. He then played in 16 playoff games for the Gulls, over which he put up 11 points. Over his brief NHL career, he has appeared in 56 games and tallied eight points. Over his AHL career, he has played in 460 games and recorded 383 points. The 32-year-old center was an undrafted free agent that signed with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before the 2010-11 season. Street is entering his tenth professional season and will be joining his sixth organization. 
• Dakota Mermis, D. Mermis signed a one year, $700,000 contract. He appeared in 62 games with the Tucson Roadrunners, the AHL affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes, last season, in which he scored 24 points. He has only appeared in ten NHL games over his career and has yet to record his first career NHL point. Over his AHL career, Mermis has appeared in 251 games and tallied 68 points. The 25-year-old defenseman was an undrafted free agent that signed with the Springfield Falcons prior to the 2015-16 season, and he is entering his fifth professional season and will be joining his third franchise.
• Josh Jacobs, D. Jacobs was resigned to a one year contract worth $700,000. Last season, he played in 69 games with New Jersey’s AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils, in which he recorded 13 points. He has only appeared in one NHL game in his career and did not tally a point in that game. Over his AHL career, he has appeared in 174 games and produced 38 points. The 23-year-old defenseman was drafted 41st overall by the Devils in 2014, and this will be Jacobs’s fifth professional season with the only team he has known over it.
• Brandon Baddock, F. Baddock was resigned to a one year contract worth $700,000. Last season, he played in 67 games with Devil’s AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils, in which he tallied ten points. He has yet to appear in an NHL game, but over his AHL career, he has played in 120 games and scored 17 points. The 24-year-old winger was drafted 161st overall in 2014 by the Devils, and this will be his fourth professional season with the only organization he has known over them. 
• Connor Carrick, D. Carrick was resigned a two year contract worth $3 million that carries a $1.5 AAV. Last year, he started out with the Dallas Stars, before he and a third round pick was dealt to New Jersey in exchange for Ben Lovejoy. He played in 34 games between the two teams and produced 11 points. Over his NHL career, he has appeared in 201 games and recorded 41 points. The 25-year-old defenseman was drafted 137th overall in 2012 by the Devils, and he will be returning to the Devils for his second season. The Devils are the fourth organization he has played for over his seven season NHL career. 
• Mirco Müller, D. Müller was resigned to a one year contract that’s worth $1.4 million. Last season, he played in 53 games for the Devils, in which he produced 11 points. Over his NHL career, he has appeared in 135 games, over which he has tallied 21 points. The 24-year-old defenseman was drafted 18th overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2013, and this will be Müller’s third season with the Devils and seventh NHL season overall after spending his first four seasons with the Sharks.

• Nikita Gusev, F. Gusev has never played an NHL game, but led the KHL in scoring last season, with 17 goals and 65 assists in 62 games for SKA St. Petersburg. He then played in 18 playoff games for the team, in which he put up nine goals and ten assists. He also played in 26 international games for Team Russia last season, including ten at the IIHF World Championships, and he recorded eight goals and 30 assists over all of them. Over his KHL career, Gusev has appeared in 391 games, through which he has produced 119 goals and 213 assists. The 27-year-old left wing was drafted in the seventh round (202nd overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and played for four different teams over his nine season KHL career.
• Will Butcher, D. Butcher signed a three year, $11.2 million contract that carries an AAV of $3,733,333. Last season, he appeared in 78 games for the Devils and in those games, he tallied 30 points. In his NHL career, he has played in 159 games and has produced 74 points. The 24-  defenseman was drafted 123rd overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2013 and this will third season with the only team he has played for. 

This post will be updated if and when the team makes any more signings.