Devils Re-Sign Nico Daws To Two-Year Deal

The Devils have re-signed RFA goaltender Nico Daws to a two-year deal, according to a press release from the team. It’s a two-way pact in 2024-25 ($775K NHL/$350K AHL) before upgrading to a one-way structure in 2025-26, paying him $850K. That works out to an average annual value and a cap hit of $812.5K. Daws also has a salary guarantee of $465K this season, the team said.

Daws, 23, was selected with the 84th overall pick out of the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm in 2020. He signed his entry-level contract with the Devils one year later after playing one season of pro hockey with Germany’s ERC Ingolstadt. He was immediately thrust into action, making 23 starts and two relief appearances in the 2021-22 campaign. The Germany-born Canadian was one of seven netminders the struggling Devils used that season. He was arguably the best of all of them, leading them with 10 wins and posting a .893 SV%, the highest among NJ goalies with at least 15 GP that season.

After the Devils acquired Vitek Vanecek from the Capitals ahead of 2022-23, Daws could more comfortably return to a development role in the AHL. He responded with an All-Star season for the Utica Comets, posting a .904 SV% and 2.70 GAA in 33 contests with two shutouts and a 16-14-3 record. He added a .920 SV% in six playoff games before undergoing offseason hip surgery that delayed his debut last season until December.

Upon returning to health, Daws was again called upon to aid a New Jersey crease struggling with injuries and poor play from its veterans and other youngsters. He remained a passable NHL option, posting a .894 SV%, 3.15 GAA and -5.1 GSAA in 21 performances and a 9-11-0 record.

With other early-20s competitor Akira Schmid out of the picture after being traded to the Golden Knights a few weeks ago, Daws enters 2024-25 as the Devils’ undisputed No. 3 netminder. He remains waiver-exempt and will likely start the season in Utica with veterans Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom manning the NHL crease. Daws has 14 games remaining until he loses that waiver exemption and will require them beginning in 2025-26, regardless of what NHL action he sees this season, per CapWages’ waivers calculator.