New Jersey Devils sign Nolan Foote to one-year extension
New Jersey Devils sign Nolan Foote to one-year extension
The 23-year-old winger has a lot to prove this fall.
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The New Jersey Devils have signed another of their own, inking Nolan Foote to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Foote will carry an $825,000 cap hit at the NHL level while pulling in a $200,000 guarantee regardless of which level he’s playing at.
Two-way extensions have been a common theme for the Devils this summer. The likes of Adam Beckman and Nico Daws also signed short-term deals that will see them earn a whole lot less if in the AHL.
Foote is coming off a very strange season. He dealt with injury problems for ~90% of the campaign before making short cameos in Utica and New Jersey down the stretch.
Foote produced four points in four games with the Comets while finding the scoresheet just once with the big club.
That kind of sums up where he’s at. A very solid AHLer and perhaps not good enough to play regularly with the Devils.
His play at the NHL level definitely left me wanting more. Analytically, he was not good.
He posted a 30.33 xGF% and was outscored at 5v5. He also landed only three hits over four games and didn’t put his size to use, be it laying the body or fighting to get to chances at the net front.
Now, Foote was stepping into the fire rusty at a time most guys on the team were ready to pack it in.
His most common linemate (Chris Tierney) is also still without a contract while the other player Foote prodominitely shared the ice with (Kurtis MacDermid) is an enforcer. Foote wasn’t exactly dealt a great…hand. Still, it would’ve been nice to see a little more from him.
He will be given a fighting chance to make the team out of the camp. For me, he’s in the same group as Beckman. There’s an opening as a 13th or 14th forward but he has to take it.
He’ll need to show more foot speed (no pun intended) and/or aggressiveness if he wants to stand out and earn a spot. Roaming around without purpose – which we’ve seen during cups of coffee in recent years – will see Foote end up on waivers as he is no longer exempt.
With Foote signed, the Devils have ~$4.9 million in cap space on their projected 23-man roster. That should be enough to get Dawson Mercer extended for the long haul if the Devils decide to go that route.
numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com and CapWages.com