Dawson Mercer signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the New Jersey Devils on Friday. It has an average annual value of $4 million.
The 22-year-old forward, who was a restricted free agent, had been absent from Devils training camp, which opened Wednesday.
Mercer had 33 points (20 goals, 13 assists) in 82 games for the Devils last season.
"I knew exactly where I wanted to be," Mercer said Saturday. "I loved it here in Jersey, and that was my mindset throughout the full summer. Obviously the situation, being an RFA, you know how things play out, and I just wanted to do what we could. As you as you can tell, this is exactly what we all want, what everyone wanted, where I wanted to be. And to finally get it done and be here in Jersey, it's a spot so special to me. I got drafted here, picked by the organization, and I'm really happy to get those three years to be here and focus on growing here with the team."
Selected by New Jersey in the first round (No. 18) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Mercer has 131 points (64 goals, 67 assists) in 246 regular-season games and seven points (three goals, four assists) in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Mercer, who was on the ice Saturday for practice, said he's hoping the Devils can play more like the team that had team records with 52 wins and 112 points in 2022-23 before seeing their point total decline by 31 and missing the playoffs last season.
"We want to step it up from last season," Mercer said. "We knew a few years ago where we were and the type of team we could be, and I think we made those adjustments there that we know give you a really good shot. Big thing is believing in that and right now, I know, and from what I can tell, we want to be contending and just take a step forward, but I think it all comes with time and we're ready to get back on track."
Mercer will not play when the Devils open the preseason against the New York Islanders on Sunday. The Devils begin the regular season against the Buffalo Sabres in Prague in the 2024 NHL Global Series Czechia presented by Fastenal on Oct. 4-5.
"Great to have him in the building for sure," Devils first-year coach Sheldon Keefe said. "Obviously we have to work to get him up to speed because there's a lot of new things happening here but great to see him off the ice and chat with him a little bit and then on the ice. You can tell right away he's a very good player, clearly an NHL player, and those guys usually stand out pretty quickly despite it being his first day. With our group, it looked like he hadn't missed a beat."
NHL.com senior draft writer Mike G. Morreale contributed to this report
