Arseny Gritsyuk signed a three-year, $9.75 million contract with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. It has an average annual value of $3.25 million and begins next season.
The 25-year-old forward had 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 66 games for the Devils this season, his first in the NHL. He could have become a restricted free agent on Wednesday.
“When we call with Sunny (Mehta, Devils general manager), when he (first) signed contract with Devils, he told me hello and we work together, and we can speak about our contract with my agent,” Gritsyuk said Friday. “I think it’s not hard deal for me and for him because I want to be in Devils. It’s good organization. I’m happy to stay here. We talked about two months and like little bit price up, a price down, and deal for three years, four years, five years, but three years was a good deal for us together.”
Gritsyuk said he still is working his way back from shoulder surgery in April, and expects to begin skating Monday.
“I didn’t skate for three months so now I need a bit more time for work on my shoulder, my arms,” Gritsyuk said. “The thing I want to improve is my skating because you see Quinn Hughes, Jack Hughes, Cale Makar, the best skaters in the League, Connor McDavid also … I think I need a little bit more skating and to get faster.”
Gritsyuk, who was selected by New Jersey in the fifth round (No. 129) of the 2019 NHL Draft, spent five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League before playing in the NHL.
On Tuesday, the Devils also traded goalie Jacob Markstrom and forward Angus Crookshank to the Florida Panthers for forwards Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves.
NHL.com senior draft writer Mike G. Morreale contributed to this report
