Devils sign free agent Lovejoy, re-sign 3 others
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Devils have signed free agent defenseman Ben Lovejoy to an $8 million, three-year deal and re-signed defenseman Jon Merrill and forwards Beau Bennett and Devante Smith-Pelley.
General manager Ray Shero announced the deals on Friday as the NHL opened its free agency period.
Lovejoy will count $2.67 million against the salary cap through the 2018-19 season. He'll make $2.5 million next season and in 2017-18 and $2.75 million in the final year of the contract.
The 32-year-old Lovejoy won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played in all 24 playoff games and recorded two goals and four assists.
The Devils did not give Merrill, Smith-Pelley and Bennett qualifying contract offers on Monday but Shero was confident that he would re-sign them.
The 24-year-old Merrill received a two-year contract that will pay him $1 million this season and $1.275 million in 2017-18. He has appeared in 165 career games with the Devils, scoring five goals and 25 assists. This past season, he notched one goal and four assists in 47 games.
Smith-Pelley, who was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in late February for former first-round pick Stefan Matteau, also got a two-year contract that will pay him $1.25 million this season and $1.35 million in 2017-18.
Smith-Pelly set career highs with 14 goals and 11 assists in 64 combined games this season. He had eight goals and five assists in 18 games with New Jersey.
Bennett got a one-year, one-way, $725,000 contract. He was acquired last weekend from Pittsburgh in exchange for a 2016 third-round pick at the draft.
Lovejoy replenishes New Jersey's blue line after the Devils traded Adam Larsson to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday for left wing Taylor Hall. Hall gives the Devils their best scoring threat in years.
