It is not a matter of if but when Dawson Mercer signs his bridge deal with the New Jersey Devils.
As DevilsNation.com has reported and confirmed by two major NHL Insiders, the Devils and Mercer continue to work on an extension. Many thought this would be the off-season the Devils would give Mercer a long-term deal. However, once July 1st came and went with Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, Stefan Noesen, and Tomas Tatar signing deals, the luxury of salary cap space started to dwindle.
New Jersey Devils Need Dawson Mercer at Training Camp
Then Nolan Foote, Adam Beckman, defenseman Santeri Hatakka, and goalie Nico Daws all signed new extensions after being qualified at the end of June, dropping the cap space even further. The Devils have $4.7 million in salary cap space to get Dawson Mercer signed. Thus, the next best option is a bridge deal.
“I just don’t think there is space for the Devils to do long-term, so I think that’s going to be a bridge,” Elliotte Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts Podcast.
However, there has not been much movement between the Devils and Mercer, with the training camp opening next Wednesday.
“Dawson Mercer, with New Jersey, hadn’t really been much there either,” said Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio.
Could Dawson Mercer Get a Similar Contract to Shane Pinto
The question is whether the Devils do a two-year bridge deal or a three-year bridge deal. In the past, we have seen the Devils sign players like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier to long-term extensions when they were in the final years of their entry-level deals. But with Jesper Bratt, it was a two-year bridge deal and then a one-year prove-it deal before he signed an eight-year extension. This could be a similar plan with Mercer.
Players like Martin Necas ($6.5 million AAV), Shane Pinto ($3.75 million AAV), and Kiril Marchenko ($3.85 million AAV) signed new deals, setting the market for Mercer’s new deal. Especially guys like Pinto and Marchencko. Even before those players signed, Kaapo Kakko of the New York Rangers signed his qualifying of $2.4 million to set the floor for a Mercer contract.
The Devils want to get him under $3 million or just about $3 million. Meanwhile, Mercer and his camp want over $3 million, closer to $3.5 million. Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald loves to maximize his cap space later in the year. He knows Simon Nemec and Luke Hughes need new deals soon and does not want to break the bank on Mercer.
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In 246 games, Mercer has recorded 131 points (64 goals and 67 assists). Though he had a down year with only 33 points, he has played 82 games in his first three seasons. Not to mention, he plays in all situations for the Devils. It would be ideal to get a player of his calibre signed and into training camp immediately, especially with a new head coach.
So, the Devils and Dawson Mercer’s first official deadline in negotiations is this Wednesday. They will continue working on things as both parties so that something can be announced sooner rather than later.
