The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team has re-signed unrestricted free-agent forward Nathan Légaré to a one-year, two-way contract. The contract details are as follows: 2024-25: $775,000 at the NHL level and $85,000 at the American Hockey League (AHL) level. The announcement was made by President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald and Devils’ Assistant General Manager/Utica Comets General Manager Dan MacKinnon.
Légaré, 23, was acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Arnaud Durandeau on March 11, 2024. The 6’0”, 210lbs. forward began the season with Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Laval where he played 39 games. He played the remainder of the season with New Jersey’s AHL affiliate in Utica appearing in 15 regular-season contests. Légaré totaled 12 points (8g-4a) in 54 AHL games in 2023-24. He also recorded two game-winning goals, four shorthanded goals and 61 PIM. Légaré was one of five AHL skaters who earned four, or more, shorthanded goals last season.
Légaré also spent two seasons, 2021-22 and 2022-23, with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Overall, the righthanded shot has played in 179 regular-season AHL contests (23g-24a=47pts) and totaled 167 PIM. He also earned two points (1g-1a) in two post-season games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Born on January 11, 2001, Pittsburgh selected Légaré in the third round, 74th overall, in the 2019 NHL Draft. A native of Montreal, Quebec, he played four seasons in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 2017-18 to 2020-21. He dressed for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar from 2017-18 to 2020-21 before he was acquired by the Val-d’Or Foreurs in his final QMJHL season. Légaré served as team captain for Baie-Comeau between 2019 and 2021. He also led the team in goals during the 2018-19 (45) and 2019-20 (35) seasons.
Légaré represented Canada on the international stage at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) 2019 U18 World Junior Championship (WJC). He recorded four goals and was named an alternate captain of the team.
