The New Jersey Devils announced on Monday that Arseny Gritsyuk was one of the players to whom they have tendered a qualifying offer. 

That became a moot point on Tuesday, however, as they came to terms on a three-year contract extension worth $9.75 million. It will carry a cap hit of $3.35 million.

The $3.25 million cap hit exists as his average annual value, but the actual money will be $2.5 million for the first two years and $4.75 in the third year. 

Gritsyuk earned this contract in 2025-26, his rookie year in the NHL, because of his ability to be a great depth forward from an offensive perspective. 

In 66 games played for the Devils, Gritsyuk had 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points. For being his first year playing pro hockey in North America, it was good offensive production. The expectation is that he will only improve from there, hence the three-year deal. 

Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Timo Meier are the core forwards who are expected to lead the offensive burden on the team. If Gritsyuk can continue to provide great depth support, and others on the roster follow him, they will get back to being a dangerous team in their attacking zone. 

Off the ice, Gritsyuk is active on his favorite social media platforms, and fans have taken a liking to his personality. That doesn't directly help them win games, but it is important to have good people inside the locker room. He fits that mold. 

Do the Devils still need another high-end forward to join their top-six? Yes, they do. However, having Gritsyuk along for the ride gives New Jersey another good piece that will help them in some of their weaker areas. 

They are, as mentioned before, hoping for some development in his overall game. They believe that he has the tools to take leaps when it comes to goal scoring and playmaking, but they also would like to see his play away from the puck get better. 

More pending RFAs that received qualifying offers await extensions, and there are a handful of other moves expected of Sunny Mehta. With July 1st's free agency window set to open, this is just the beginning. 

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