The New Jersey Devils have agreed to terms on a two-year entry-level contract with Jeremy Davies. The young defenseman will give up his senior season at Northeastern to turn pro and join the Devils organization, starting his new contract in the 2019-20 season. Devils GM Ray Shero released a statement on his newest prospect:
We are very excited to sign Jeremy. He is a very smart puck-moving defenseman who can transition his team to offense in all three zones. His vision, skill, competitiveness, character and leadership helped Northeastern become one of the top echelon schools in the country during his time there. We also want to thank Jim Madigan and his staff at Northeastern for Jeremy’s development these past three years
Davies, 22, was originally selected by the Devils in the seventh round of the 2016 draft, and was seen as something of an afterthought. Following three outstanding seasons at Northeastern as one of the best offensive defensemen in the country, he’s certainly eclipsed that draft status. Now he’ll enter the Devils system as a potential powerplay quarterback and offensive catalyst, though he’ll have to prove that he can produce at the AHL level first.
If Davies can ever get to the NHL it would be an exceptional draft class for the Devils, who used a sixth round pick on Jesper Bratt that year. Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian, Joey Anderson and Brandon Gignac, the team’s first four picks in 2016 have also made their NHL debuts.