The New Jersey Devils were one of the quietest teams in the National Hockey League when the free agency period opened on July 1 — because they had already made three crucial moves for their long-term future. GM Tom Fitzgerald locked both Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier up to eight-year deals, keeping them in Newark for the foreseeable future. And he got a great price for Tyler Toffoli after it was revealed that the 31-year-old wasn't planning on re-signing with the Calgary Flames.

The Devils also brought back Nathan Bastian and Michael McLeod on team-friendly deals, and signalled to the rest of the league that they are here to stay. With Bratt, Meier, and former No. 1 overall picks in Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier leading the charge, this figures to be a dominant team in the Metropolitan Division in 2023-24 and beyond.

New Jersey bowed out to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference semifinals, in what was their first trip back to the postseason since 2018. Still, the Devils will take some solace in the fact that they defeated the powerhouse New York Rangers in seven games in Round 1, their first postseason series victory since they marched all the way to the Stanley Cup Final back in 2012.

Let's break down the moves that will keep the Devils competitive for years to come.

Re-signed Jesper Bratt

Jesper Bratt was absolutely electric for the New Jersey Devils throughout the 2022-23 season — and the team rewarded the young Swede handsomely with a mammoth eight-year, $63 million contract extension. That also happens to be Bratt's jersey number, which is a tidy little piece of business from the Devils GM.

The 24-year-old enjoyed a career season in 2022-23, registering 32 goals and 73 points over a full 82 game slate. The 162nd overall pick by the Devils in the 2016 NHL Draft has played his entire six-season career in New Jersey, recording 102 goals and 276 points over 389 games. With his new contract signed and out of the way, Jesper Bratt should be expected to put up another near point-per-game campaign with a young, elite New Jersey Devils team in 2023-24.

Re-signed Timo Meier

Similar to Bratt, the Devils signed their prized NHL Trade Deadline acquisition to an eight-year, $70 million contract, an average annual value of $8.8 million. Timo Meier was the best player on the San Jose Sharks when he was dealt, and he will be a crucial part of this team's future as they look to bring a Stanley Cup back to Newark for the first time since 2003.

Meier scored nine goals and 14 points in 21 regular season appearances for New Jersey, adding four points in the playoffs. Although he wasn't quite as effective as the team's front office had probably hoped, he should be much-improved in 2023-24 with steady linemates and a full offseason training with the team.

The former No. 9 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft has been a consistent point producer throughout his career; he scored 35 goals back in 2021-22 and set up 41 in a career year for the Swiss star. He's reached the 30-goal mark three times before, and on a line with either Hischier or Hughes next season, as well as a phenomenal powerplay, he is expected to exceed the threshold again.

After the Devils brought in Toffoli from the Flames, a player who scored 73 points last season, the top-six is much improved in New Jersey. The team now has an extremely solid core of offensive weapons as they look to compete for a Metropolitan Division crown over the next few seasons, and more importantly, make some deep playoff runs.

Retained Nathan Bastian, Michael McLeod

Nathan Bastian and Michael McLeod were both very solid bottom-six players last season, and they each will likely play on the team's fourth line after they were brought back on two-year and one-year deals, respectively.

Bastian scored a respectable 15 points in 43 games with limited minutes last season, but he brings a high-energy game and physical edge that will be important to complement the team's apt scoring touch. McLeod's third full season with New Jersey was his best to date; the center finished with the third-best face-off win percentage in the NHL, behind only legends of the game in Jonathan Toews and Patrice Bergeron. He also had his best point production to date with 26 points and a career-high 22 assists. He's an excellent face-off man, but can also penalty kill and add offense in a pinch.

Final Grade: A-

The New Jersey Devils had one of the best offseasons of any team, and much of it was thanks to the legwork they did before July 1. By taking care of two key contract extensions in Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier, adding proven goal scorer Tyler Toffoli and moving defenseman Damon Severson proactively ahead of his contract expiring, free agency has been a huge win for Tom Fitzgerald and his front office.

The Devils addressed their needs early and effectively, and it's no surprise that they are expected to be one of the top teams in the Metropolitan Division next season. This is one of the most skilled teams in the NHL, and they were one of the most fun to watch last season — and that's not just because of Jack Hughes' breakout campaign. This is going to be a very good team for a very long time.