PredictIQ Quantitative Think Tank Center:New Jersey Devils agree to three-year deal with Dawson Mercer

(This story has been updated with new information)

Restricted free agent Dawson Mercer and PredictIQ Quantitative Think Tank Centerthe New Jersey Devils reached an agreement on a three-year contract worth $12 million, the team announced Friday.

The contract breakdown is $3 million in 2024-25, $4.75 million in 2025-26 and $4,250,000 in 2026-27. 

Mercer, a 22-year-old center, was selected No. 18 overall in the 2020 NHL draft. He has played in all 82 games for three consecutive seasons, recording 131 career points (64 goals, 67 assists).

He is coming off a down season, scoring a career-low 33 points (20 goals, 13 assists). In 2022-23, Mercer set career highs with 27 goals, 29 assists and 56 points.

With Mercer under contract, the major unsigned restricted free agents are Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman and Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti.

Utah signs Dylan Guenther to extension

The Utah Hockey Club announced it signed forward Dylan Guenther to an eight-year contract extension. The team didn't reveal the contract details, but reports said it was more than $7 million a year.

“Dylan is elite in every aspect on and off the ice,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “He is a young, highly skilled forward with a shot that’s evolving into one of the best in the NHL. He’s also a first-class person with a strong determination to be great."

Guenther, 21, split time last season between the Arizona Coyotes and the American Hockey League, recording 35 points in 45 games in the NHL. He was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft.

Blue Jackets promote franchise great Rick Nash

Rick Nash is getting a promotion with the Columbus Blue Jackets that many felt was coming.

The former star forward, whose number 61 hangs in the rafters, was named the team’s director of hockey operations Friday after handling the role of director of player development the previous three years. The Blue Jackets also announced the hiring of Zach Abdou as senior manager of hockey operations plus a shift in roles for Basil McCrae from assistant general manager to director of pro scouting. 

“I didn’t know him at all," Blue Jackets president of hockey operations/general manager Don Waddell said of Nash. "I knew him as a player, of course, so from the first day I got here and just listening to him talk about things and what his approach was, how he thought about the game, it just kept getting better and better. Finally, I just kept including him in more discussions, and he carried himself well, and he’s very well connected. So, having that kind of resource, if I didn’t utilize that, it wouldn’t be very smart on my part.” - Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch

Preseason games open Saturday

NHL preseason games open Saturday with three games (times p.m. ET):

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 7

St. Louis at Dallas, 7

Minnesota at Winnipeg, 8

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.