The New Jersey Devils moved to keep several young players in the fold on Monday, extending qualifying offers to a group that included Arseny Gritsyuk, Nico Daws and Amadeus Lombardi.
Around the NHL, qualifying offers went out to restricted free agents teams wanted to retain, while plenty of others were left without one and will now become unrestricted free agents. New Jersey had its own mix of expected decisions and notable omissions.
Gritsyuk stands out as the easiest call. After a strong rookie season in 2025-26, he looks like a player the Devils want around for the long haul. He brings scoring touch, creativity and the kind of offensive punch that makes him a real asset in the organization’s plans.
Daws is in a different spot, but the Devils are giving him another opportunity. He has flashed the ability to be a very good goaltender, though he has yet to lock down the net and hold it. His future role in the system remains to be seen, but he is still in the picture.
Lombardi, acquired in a trade last week, also received a qualifying offer as New Jersey works toward a deal and tries to find out exactly what it has in him.
The Devils did not extend offers to Calen Addison, Tyler Brennan, Paul Cotter or Dylan Wendt. Those players will become unrestricted free agents, though a return is still possible in theory. Realistically, it does not appear likely.
Cotter is the most notable name in that group. The forward has shown bursts of impact, with the kind of flashy goals and shootout flair that jump off the ice, but he has not put it together with enough consistency to overcome the rest of the issues in his game.
Among the players who did receive offers, Gritsyuk is set to make the most money in 2026-27. For everyone else in that group, the next step is proving they belong in the NHL lineup rather than spending time with the Utica Comets.
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For a team trying to keep building around a stronger talent base, that approach can matter just as much as the first name off the board. The draft also left enough room to wonder whether the Devils are keeping an eye on bigger roster movement elsewhere, with Winnipeg at least willing to hear trade ideas on its side of the goalie market, even if the full shape of that situation is still unclear. [Read more 🡒]