Post by NJDevilsGM on Dec 14, 2017 19:33:44 GMT -5
Newark, NJ - The New Jersey Devils entered the season with a lot of questions about whether their rebuild had entered a point where they may be ready to make a return to the post-season but one of the underlying questions was what would come of several large name players who could be free agents after the season.
Today, the Devils formally announced they had signed four of those players; Jack Eichel, Aaron Ekblad, Andy Greene and Henrik Lundqvist to multi-year deals.
"We still have some more deals to do but getting these four out of the way is huge for our organization," said General Manager Trent Allen.
Lundqvist signed a three year; $17.15 million deal, cementing his role as the team’s starting netminder beyond this year. The deal comes with a no trade clause and could carry the 25-year-old to the end of his career.
"One of the areas that has been hit or miss in terms of consistency since we got here has been the goaltending," said Allen, noting the team has had Martin Brodeur, Curtis McElhinney, Niklas Backstrom, Craig Anderson and Kari Lehtonen as starters over the past four seasons before acquiring Lundqvist near the trade deadline last year. Between this season and the end of last year Lundqvist has gone 14-9-7 with a 2.48 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.
"You don't win a cup without a good goalie and he's one of the best," said Allen. "We have really solidified our goaltending with our recent additions and we feel strong from the backend out now."
Greene meanwhile garnered a two-year deal for $9.25 million. The blueliner has been a key part of the clubs’ resurgence that began last year and has been an integral cog in the team’s top four defensemen. Last year Greene managed 27 points in 76 games while logging almost 21-and-a-half minutes a game. So far, this year he has four assists in 12 games while picking up 20 minutes a game.
"He doesn't get the attention he deserves," said Allen. "The elite guys get the spotlight but the foundation of a winning team is the unsung heroes who are the glue holding a team together. That's Andy."
The two contracts that garnered the most attention however was for who Allen called "the big E's"; Aaron Ekblad and Jack Eichel. The pair of top picks have been the foundation around which the team is building and the contracts will guarantee the team and the pair remain virtually locked together for years to come. Ekblad signed a seven-year deal worth $28.8 million, a deal that included a signing bonus and a no trade clause.
"He is our anchor back there and one of the staples around which we are building. We feel there could be a Norris is his future.
Ekblad posted career-highs last year, managing 57 points while playing all 82 games and eating up over 24 minutes a game. This year he's off to another good start with seven points in 12 games and has upped his ice time to over 25 minutes per game.
Eichel is to the forward ranks what Ekblad is to the blueline. Eichel has led the team in scoring both years he's played since being drafted second overall in 2015, right behind Connor McDavid. Last year Eichel posted 17 goals and 60 points and has followed that up with one goal and seven points so far this year.
"We are loaded up the middle and Jack leads the way. He is the center cog and we are ready to see how far he can carry up.
Eichel's deal is similar to Ekblad's, a seven-year extension at $32 million with a signing bonus and a no trade clause.
The moves to add to the teams’ salary cap crunch but the club hopes to have it covered in part by reaching the post-season for the first time in seven years. The team is off to a good start, going 6-2-4 in 12 games, good enough to sit fourth in the Metropolitan Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference.
Today, the Devils formally announced they had signed four of those players; Jack Eichel, Aaron Ekblad, Andy Greene and Henrik Lundqvist to multi-year deals.
"We still have some more deals to do but getting these four out of the way is huge for our organization," said General Manager Trent Allen.
Lundqvist signed a three year; $17.15 million deal, cementing his role as the team’s starting netminder beyond this year. The deal comes with a no trade clause and could carry the 25-year-old to the end of his career.
"One of the areas that has been hit or miss in terms of consistency since we got here has been the goaltending," said Allen, noting the team has had Martin Brodeur, Curtis McElhinney, Niklas Backstrom, Craig Anderson and Kari Lehtonen as starters over the past four seasons before acquiring Lundqvist near the trade deadline last year. Between this season and the end of last year Lundqvist has gone 14-9-7 with a 2.48 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.
"You don't win a cup without a good goalie and he's one of the best," said Allen. "We have really solidified our goaltending with our recent additions and we feel strong from the backend out now."
Greene meanwhile garnered a two-year deal for $9.25 million. The blueliner has been a key part of the clubs’ resurgence that began last year and has been an integral cog in the team’s top four defensemen. Last year Greene managed 27 points in 76 games while logging almost 21-and-a-half minutes a game. So far, this year he has four assists in 12 games while picking up 20 minutes a game.
"He doesn't get the attention he deserves," said Allen. "The elite guys get the spotlight but the foundation of a winning team is the unsung heroes who are the glue holding a team together. That's Andy."
The two contracts that garnered the most attention however was for who Allen called "the big E's"; Aaron Ekblad and Jack Eichel. The pair of top picks have been the foundation around which the team is building and the contracts will guarantee the team and the pair remain virtually locked together for years to come. Ekblad signed a seven-year deal worth $28.8 million, a deal that included a signing bonus and a no trade clause.
"He is our anchor back there and one of the staples around which we are building. We feel there could be a Norris is his future.
Ekblad posted career-highs last year, managing 57 points while playing all 82 games and eating up over 24 minutes a game. This year he's off to another good start with seven points in 12 games and has upped his ice time to over 25 minutes per game.
Eichel is to the forward ranks what Ekblad is to the blueline. Eichel has led the team in scoring both years he's played since being drafted second overall in 2015, right behind Connor McDavid. Last year Eichel posted 17 goals and 60 points and has followed that up with one goal and seven points so far this year.
"We are loaded up the middle and Jack leads the way. He is the center cog and we are ready to see how far he can carry up.
Eichel's deal is similar to Ekblad's, a seven-year extension at $32 million with a signing bonus and a no trade clause.
The moves to add to the teams’ salary cap crunch but the club hopes to have it covered in part by reaching the post-season for the first time in seven years. The team is off to a good start, going 6-2-4 in 12 games, good enough to sit fourth in the Metropolitan Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference.