After a sudden change in heart, it would appear the New Jersey Devils are indeed beginning to prioritize re-signing center Cody Glass, their top addition from the most recent NHL trade deadline.
In a recent guest appearance on Sportsnet's "The FAN Hockey Show," NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Devils saw the center market, saw the potential interest in Glass, and are likely to hand him a qualifying offer as a result.
Without this qualifying offer, the former No. 6 overall pick would have hit unrestricted free agency, opening the door for him to leave the Devils for free even if New Jersey was working to keep him anyway.
"The word this morning was that New Jersey heard how much interest there was in Cody Glass, and they changed their minds," Friedman said. "So, we'll see."
Piggybacking on Friedman, PuckPedia is reporting that the Devils are extending Glass a qualifying offer; the deadline to do so is 5 p.m. EST Monday.
Confirming that Glass will receive a qualifying offer and remain #NJDevils property as an RFA https://t.co/yqDv0ZVp8j
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) June 30, 2025
Filling in for what was effectively a top-six role, Glass scored two goals, five assists, and seven points in 14 regular season games for the Devils - a 41-point pace over a full 82-game season.
And, considering the 26-year-old is just two seasons removed from a breakout 35-point campaign with the Nashville Predators, and knowing his qualifying offer costs just $2.5 million, this was the right move by the Devils.
Glass is replaceable, yes, but you can't replace the trade assets you paid for him just four months ago. At worst, Glass is the Devils' No. 3 center, replacing the departed Erik Haula.
And the Devils know that Glass was a good fit in the brief time they had with him before the end of the Stanley Cup playoff run and the start of the offseason.
Consider the disaster averted... for now. The next step is now both sides agreeing to a reasonable contract.