The Devils have given out a pair of one-year contracts, one to a potential restricted free agent within the organization and another to a player from outside the team.
General Manager Ray Shero announced that the team had signed left wing Luke Gazdic to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal is worth $700,000 at the NHL level according to the press release on the Devils’ website.
Gazdic, a 26-year-old native of Toronto is 6-foot, 4-inches and 225-pounds. He spent the last three years with the Edmonton organization split between their AHL teams and the Oilers. He had 29 NHL games while in Edmonton, with one goal and 24 penalty minutes. With the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL last year, he had one goal and two assists (for three points) and six penalty minutes in just 11 games. He has played in 136 total NHL games, with five goals and three assists (eight points) to go with 194 penalty minutes. He was with the Dallas Stars organization from 2008-09 to 2012-13, splitting time between the Texas Stars (AHL), the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) and Dallas. He was chosen 172nd overall from the Erie Otters of the OHL (sixth round) by the Stars in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, all according to the press release.
The Devils also re-signed Jacob Josefson to a one-year, $1,100,000 contract. He would have been a restricted free agent.
The 25-year-old Josefson, chosen 20th overall in 2009 by the Devils (first round), saw new careers highs in assists (10) and points (14) according to the press release the Devils put out. He played in 58 games this past season. He notched his 200th career NHL game back on November 22 against the Canucks in Vancouver.
He has a NHL total of 238 games played in six seasons. The centerman has 17 goals and 33 assists (50 points) and 62 penalty minutes in that time. In six playoff games, he has one assist.
The Stockholm native will be returning to New Jersey for his seventh season.