The New Jersey Devils haven’t made all of the additions they thought they would this offseason. However, they made a few moves with upside. Connor Brown could play really well after a successful run with the Edmonton Oilers. Evgenii Dadonov was a really positive addition for the price. However, the addition with the highest upside is Russian forward Arseniy Gritsyuk.
The addition of the 24-year-old prospect wasn’t a surprise. He has said in previous interviews that he planned to join the NHL when his contract ended in the KHL. That’s exactly what he did. He wants to prove that he can compete at the highest level, and that’s in the NHL.
In a recent interview with Russian outlet Sports-Express, Gritsyuk had a lengthy interview with a few hard questions. He revealed a lot about his thoughts on joining the Devils, living in New Jersey, and the ins and outs of joining a new league.
Much of what he said was positive, but there were a few quotes that might be of concern for New Jersey Devils fans. Of course, there’s always worry when it comes to a Russian star after how Ilya Kovalchuk left this team high and dry.
So, when we see Gritsyuk admit that there is an out clause in his contract that allows him to return to Russia, we don’t love to hear that. He didn’t give all of the details, but it sounds like if he isn’t on the NHL team by a certain point, he’ll return to the KHL.
These interviews sometimes have rough translations, and some things are lost in context, but Gritsyuk was pretty clear about his thoughts on playing in the AHL.
"Yes, there is such a point. If it doesn’t work out, I can come back... I understand that you are talking about the AHL. I am ready to endure it for some time, but two or three months, no more."Arseniy Gristyuk via Sports Express
To be fair, we don't see much of a chance that Gritsyuk would play more than a month in the AHL. He's got the skill set to excel on the NHL level. He might just need a few weeks to get used to the rules of the game. It could also be a good way to get cap compliant since Gritsyuk wouldn't need waivers to go down.
But there is no luxury to traveling in the AHL. While the Devils are moving on private planes, the Utica Comets are going town to town on buses. The food is different. The lifestyle is different, and most importantly, the pay is different. Gritsyuk would be paid his NHL salary, but only if he's a part of the NHL roster.
Gritsyuk gets paid $925,000 with a possible $500,000 in additional bonuses when he is on the Devils. His salary in the minors is $70,000. One paycheck in the NHL is about what he makes for a year in Utica. The price difference is insane.
We can understand not wanting to take that big a pay cut just to develop for a year with no guarantee. This might not be worth worrying about until we see what Gritsyuk looks like in the NHL.