5 former New Jersey Devils who signed deals in KHL this offseason

The New Jersey Devils are one of many teams anxiously waiting for their Russian prospect to finish his KHL contract to join the team. Arseni Gritsyuk has one more year on his contract with SKA St. Petersburg before he can take his talents to New Jersey. The 2019 fifth-round pick appears ready to play his way onto the top six, but he needs to finish his commitment first.

However, sometimes it goes the other way around. There are times when NHL athletes, even those who aren't Russian, will head to the second-biggest league in the world to keep their professional careers alive. Some go to the KHL to eventually make it back to the NHL, and there are others who go there for the money.

This offseason, we saw quite a few players sign new contracts with KHL teams. One is very familiar, as we thought he could become a star in New Jersey early in his career.

Frédérik Gauthier
HC Vityaz

The Devils signed Frederik Gauthier in October 2021. The former Toronto Maple Leafs player signed a two-way contract, trying to earn a spot on the NHL roster. He spent much of the season in the AHL, but he did spend a cup of coffee with the Devils team. After the season, Gauthier went to Switzerland to revamp his career. He had a decent enough season to see him upgrade leagues to the KHL.

Gauthier's last NHL games will likely be with the Devils. He doesn't seem much closer to the NHL than he did in the 2022 offseason when his Devls contract ended.

He's signing with Vityaz, the KHL team in the Moscow region. They claimed his size would bring a necessary element to their team. He also scored 10 goals last year, so they hope his veteran prowess could lead to more offense. Gauthier was once an exciting prospect, but now he's just trying to salvage what's left of his hockey career.

Will Butcher
Signs with Barys Astana

It is rare to see a career fall off the rails faster than the career of Will Butcher. The former Hobey Baker Award winner as the best player in college hockey signed with the Devils in 2017. He was one of the most coveted college free agents in recent history, spurning the then-floundering Colorado Avalanche to join a supposed up-and-coming Devils team.

It looked like a smart decision at first. Butcher was incredible in his rookie year, making a huge impact on the offense as his instincts and skills immediately translated to the NHL. In his very first game against the team that drafted him, Butcher had three points, the first Devils rookie to do that in his very first game. 

Butcher had 44 points in his first season with the Devils, and he added four points in five playoff games. He wasn’t as good in 2018-19, but the Devils still gave him a three-year deal for decent money. Butcher fell off a cliff, and the Devils were forced to give the Buffalo Sabres a fifth-round pick just to take him away.

Butcher was never the same again, and he’s been floundering in the AHL for the Sabres, Penguins, and Wild franchises. Now, still not yet 30 years old, he’s looking to use a change of scenery over trying again in the AHL. He signed with Barys Astana, which is based in Kazhakstan. Hopefully, being a big fish in a little pond can revamp his confidence and line his pockets.

Jean-Sebastien Dea
Signs with Neftekhimik

Jean-Sebastien Dea was one of the many players Ray Shero brought in after drafting him while with the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise. The Pens put him on waivers in 2018, and he immediately made an impact. He scored three goals in his first four games after the waiver claim.

It seemed like Shero had once again seen something we didn’t see, but that didn’t last. Dea didn’t score another goal with New Jersey, and he was once again placed on waivers. The Penguins claimed him back, but he’s been on the move ever since.

Dea has spent the past two seasons in the KHL, but he’s re-signing with the franchise that gave him a chance last season. Neftekhimik traded for him midseason, and he rewarded them with 11 points in 27 games. They really liked playing him in a better spot in the lineup. Between Neftekhimik and Metallurg, he had 10 goals on the year. 

Dea is never going to be a prominent player, but it seems like he found a team that likes him in a certain role. He just needs top-six minutes, and he will try to once again be a contributor to the offense. Is this ever going to lead to a return to the NHL? It would be hard to think so with his advancing age and his lack of impact in the NHL already.

Nick Merkley
Signs with Yekaterinburg

Nick Merkley was the closest NHL player to return to the New Jersey Devils in the trade that sent Taylor Hall to the Arizona Coyotes. Of course, he wasn’t nearly the best player. That ended up being Dawson Mercer, who was the player the Devils got with their first-round pick that was in the deal. Kevin Bahl was also wildly better than Merkley. Still, at one point, Merkley had high hopes.

Merkley played 31 games with the Devils, but the former first-round pick didn’t really do anything of note. He scored three total goals over two seasons and had 12 total points. He was traded to the San Jose Sharks, and then his career became one of travel. After trying to catch on with the New York Rangers franchise (only to get stuck in the AHL again), he signed with Dynamo Minsk in the 2022 offseason. There, he had his first professional 20-goal season. 

This offseason, he moved on to Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, signing a two-year contract with the franchise out of the Sverdlovsk Region. That shows a commitment to continuing his career in Russia. 

Merkley might be the only player on this list outside Butcher who could make his way back to North America. Not only is he securing contracts in the KHL, but he’s performing better there than he had in the NHL or AHL. If anything, if he wants to come back to North America, he can always play for an AHL deal that pays him pretty well.