New Jersey Devils' GM Sunny Mehta Faces Salary Cap Dilemma with Markstrom and Hill Contracts
Sunny Mehta recently took over as the New Jersey Devils’ GM, succeeding Tom Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald made some significant errors during his tenure, such as failing to acquire Quinn Hughes and extending Jacob Markstrom's contract. Markstrom's deal, with the Calgary Flames retaining part of the cap hit, poses a challenge for the Devils. They cannot buy out the contract conventionally and would need to send a player to arbitration to trigger a second buyout window. Two players, Arseny Gritsyuk and Paul Cotter, are eligible for arbitration.
One option for the Devils is to trade Markstrom to remove the full contract from their books. They could potentially include him as an additional piece in a trade deal, possibly for a second-round pick. Another possibility is to take on a riskier player like Adin Hill from the Vegas Golden Knights. Hill, with a slightly higher cap hit than Markstrom, is under contract until 2031. Despite his recent struggles and the Knights' preference for Carter Hart, they may look to move Hill after the season.
The decision to trade or keep Markstrom will have long-term implications for the Devils' salary cap situation. While Markstrom's contract expires sooner, Hill's deal extends further into the future. The Devils will need to weigh the potential benefits and risks of each option before making a final decision.