The deed is done. The New Jersey Devils have completed some tasks that not everyone thought they’d be able to do this off-season. Their biggest issues have officially been solved.
It started with the news of the Jesper Bratt contract. It seemed like his negotiations were going to be a process. They were but they ended up agreeing on a great deal for both sides (8 years, $63 million).
That put Bratt ($7.875 million AAV) right along the lines of Jack Hughes ($8 million AAV) and Nico Hischier ($7.25 million AAV). They have been the three best players in New Jersey for a few years now and are only getting better.
Not long after that, they extended Erik Haula for 3 years at $3.5 million dollars against the cap. A great 3C that can play wing, kill penalties, jump in on the power play, and is clutch in the playoffs is locked up for three years.
The New Jersey Devils needed to get Timo Meier extended as soon as possible.
Once that was done, they desperately needed one more player to get signed. There are others that they’d like to get done but one stands out above the rest as a must.
The Devils traded for Timo Meier ahead of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. He is a fantastic power forward that can score goals from all areas of the offensive zone.
He came to the Devils from the San Jose Sharks with 31 goals and he ended up getting the 9 goals he needed with New Jersey to become a 40-goal scorer. It was a great season for him.
They knew they needed to get him to training camp with an extension instead of arbitration. Now we know that is going to be the case. The Devils and Meier agreed to an eight-year deal with an annual cap hit of $8.8 million. This is a great deal.
Devils and Timo Meier have agreed to an 8 year deal worth $8.8 M AAV per season @TSNHockey @TheAthletic
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 28, 2023
Now, Meier is locked in for a long time with studs like Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Dougie Hamilton, and the aforementioned Jesper Bratt. This core is very good.
With the team that the Devils are building, it feels like Meier is going to be a part of something special. This is a great day for everyone involved with this organization.
Now, this team is ready to win big. 2023-24 will be a year in which New Jersey believes it can win the Eastern Conference. We now know that Timo Meier will be in the mix for a long time to try and complete that task.