Devils deciding on whether to qualify Mackenzie Blackwood or not
Amanda Stein: New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald when asked about pending RFA goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood.
“We’ve got some decisions, there’s a (qualifying offer) that needs to be presented to him. We have decisions to make on whether we qualify him, try to negotiate something lower, or whether we move him.”
NHL Rumors: Jakob Markstrom, Carter Hart, and RFAs who may not get qualified
Timo Meier wants an eight-year deal with the New Jersey Devils
Amanda Stein: Devils GM Fitzgerald on Timo Meier; “We have a big RFA that’s pending right now, we’re working towards an agreement, we’re in negotiations.”
James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now: The New Jersey Devils filed to take Timo Meier to salary arbitration but according to GM Tom Fitzgerald it was to extended their negotiating window as the sides work to get a long-term deal done.
“Timo’s agent, Claude Lemieux, and I have been in constant communication and working through proposals,” Fitzgerald explained. “Timo knows, I spoke to him yesterday. He knows how much we want to continue this relationship long-term. He’s reiterated that to me, this is where he wants to be. He sees himself as a Devil and he asked his agent to negotiate an eight-year deal with us, a long-term deal and it’s music to my ears. So we’ll continue to kind of chip away at it. But the goal is to get Timo Meier in a Devils uniform for the next eight years.”
The Devils extended Jesper Bratt yesterday to a long-term deal and Meier is the next priority.
NHL News: New Jersey Devils Re-Sign Jesper Bratt
Devils free agents and salary cap projections
2023 UFAs – Tomas Tatar, Erik Haula, Miles Wood, Ryan Graves, Jonathan Bernier, Robby Russo, Mason Geertsen, Brian Pinho, Jayce Hawryluk, and Joseph Gambardella.
2023 RFAs – Timo Meier, Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian, Jesper Boqvist, Yegor Sharangovich, Kevin Bahl, MacKenzie Blackwood, Reilly Walsh, Gilles Senn, Aarne Talvitie. Zachary Emond, Jeremy Groleau, Timur Ibragimov and Zack Hayes.
2024 UFAs – Timo Meier, Brendan Smith, MacKenzie Blackwood and Tyler Wotherspoon.
2024 RFAs – Dawson Mercer, Akira Schmid, Brian Halonen, Nolan Foote, Graeme Clarke, Michael Vukojevic, Santeri Hatakka, Nicolas Daws, and Tyce Thompson.
