NHL teams are coming down to the wire to sign the last eight-year deals for the foreseeable future. On September 16th, 2026, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement regulations on contracts will kick in, limiting the length of re-signing contracts to seven years and dictating that the most a team can offer a new player is six years. Players can still be signed to eight-year deals up until that point, as Colorado showed most recently with the Cale Makar signing.
For the New Jersey Devils, there are nine players who will be free agents in 2027. Could any of those guys be the recipient of an eight-year deal before it's gone? The prime candidate is Dawson Mercer.
Dawson Mercer's career has been inconsistent so far
Mercer has spent all of his young career with the New Jersey Devils. He was taken by the Devils in the first round of the 2020 draft and started his career with the team in the 2021-22 season. He had his best season with the Devils in 2022-23, putting up 56 points in 82 games during the regular season and seven points in 12 playoff games.
Since then, he's been building his way back towards the 50-point mark, reaching 42 last season. He plays on the top line during 5-on-5 play, centered by Hischier, with Meier on the wing, and plays center on the second PP line. He's also trusted on the penalty kill, playing on the first unit. Although he wasn't producing in the top five Devils forwards this past season, that doesn't mean that he won't work his way back up to his prime, especially if he can get a longer-term opportunity with the team.
Is Mercer is a good eight-year deal candidate?
Up until now, Mercer has only signed relatively inexpensive three-year deals. When he re-signed his most recent deal, which expires at the end of the 2026-27 season, Mercer said he loved New Jersey and felt at home there.
He currently gives good bang for his buck, dressing for all 82 games each season he's played in the league. He can play in different situations, including switching between wing and forward. He's also young, much younger than other players who signed eight-year deals this off-season, like Alex Tuch or Jack Eichel.
The two biggest issues that could arise with working out an eight-year deal in the next two weeks include cap space and potential. The Devils just signed Hischier, and the team does have nine players coming to the end of their deals next season. Managing that will be part of Mehta's year, for sure.
Given Mercer hasn't quite hit the marks he's been expected to, and may move down the lineup slightly next season, the Devils may want to use this season to evaluate Mercer's game and see if he truly is going to step up. An eight-year deal is a long time, especially if you aren't 100 percent certain about his level of production. With the September 16 deadline coming up, there isn't much time for evaluation.
Even if the Devils can't, or don't, get a deal done before September 16th, Mercer should still be a candidate for a long-term deal.
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