GM: Devils working toward extension with young forward

The New Jersey Devils kick-started a busy offseason by acquiring goaltender Jacob Markstrom earlier in the summer from the Calgary Flames. Once free agency opened on July 1, the team brought Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, Stefan Noesen, and Tomas Tatar around an already talented roster. The Devils only have one item left on their plate before training camp opens up in September — the looming extension for forward Dawson Mercer.

In an interview on Sunday with RG.org, the general manager of the Devils, Tom Fitzgerald said, “We are working towards an agreement after exchanging proposals."

This quote is a good indication that the two sides will get a deal done before training camp starts as it confirms the two sides are far enough down the line where they have exchanged offers. Although the Devils may have gotten an offer sheet scare last week with the deals made between Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg and the St. Louis Blues, the relationship between New Jersey and Mercer may nix any idea of that happening.

Given the Devils’ current salary cap situation, the deal will likely be on the shorter term. New Jersey currently has just under $5M in salary cap space according to PuckPedia. Unless Mercer is willing to take a sizeable discount to stay with the Devils organization, a long-term deal appears out of the question.

Fitzgerald may take a similar approach to Mercer’s teammate Jesper Bratt, who signed a pair of short-term deals before agreeing to an eight-year contract extension last summer. Mercer has scored 64 goals and 131 points in 246 regular season contests during his entry-level contract which makes for a similar point-per-game percentage as Bratt during his entry-level contract. Once Bratt’s first contract ended after the 2019-20 season, he and the Devils agreed to a two-year, $5.5M deal.

If New Jersey hopes to sign Mercer to a similar contract, it will likely land in the $6M range over a two-year deal. The salary cap has increased by $6.5M since Bratt signed his deal and Mercer should look for a similar percentage of the available cap space. A $3M AAV would give the Devils just under $2M of cap space to work with during the regular season giving them plenty of flexibility to make in-season additions.

Mercer is a valuable asset to New Jersey as he slots in well on the team’s second line and second power-play unit. He has also not missed a game since his rookie campaign in the 2021-22 season which is a bonus to a Devils’ team that has struggled with injuries in recent years.