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For the most part, the biggest moves of the 2024 NHL offseason have all been made, but there are still some big names whose situations still have yet to be resolved. For the New Jersey Devils, they are still looking for a way to re-sign talented young center Dawson Mercer, who is a restricted free agent currently.
After being selected with the 18th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft, Mercer eventually broke in with the Devils the following year, and he hasn't missed a game for them since then. It's no surprise that the team wants to keep him around, and general manager Tom Fitzgerald recently provided a quick update in an exclusive with RG.org on their extension talks as the offseason drags on.
“We are working towards an agreement after exchanging proposals.” – Tom Fitzgerald, NHL Trade Rumors
Devils working towards re-signing Dawson Mercer
Mercer has been incredibly consistent through his first three seasons with the Devils, as he's played in 82 games each year to help aid their attack. Along the way, he's put up some solid numbers, with the 2022-23 campaign being his best one yet, as he racked up 27 goals and 29 assists. He wasn't as good this past season, but he still managed to find the back of the net 20 times, while also adding 13 assists.
Heading into his age 23 season, Mercer is already a key piece of the Devils gameplan, and he figures to only get better. Thankfully, he's a restricted free agent, which makes their chances of losing him on the open market slim, but it's been a bit concerning to see a deal not have come to fruition between the two sides this late into the offseason.
According to Fitzgerald, though, it seems like they are working on getting something done, indicating that a deal could be on the horizon. Mercer obviously is coming off a down year of sorts, but he has tons of potential, and he's already proven to be arguably the most reliable player on their team. It's clear he's worthy of a big payday, and it seems like he will be getting one in the near future.
If Mercer can keep on chipping in 20 goals a season for New Jersey, the team will surely be thrilled. The hope is that he can keep on developing as a defender and a passer to round out his game, but again, he still has a lot of time to develop even further into a star. There's no resolution here yet, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see something get done sooner rather than later.
