The Devils have re-signed RFA left winger Nolan Foote to a two-way deal, according to a team release. He’ll cost $825K against the cap if on the NHL roster this season.
Foote, who checks in at 6’4″ and 200 lbs, was limited to eight games last season between the NHL and AHL due to a lower back injury. He scored once in his four games with New Jersey, posting a -1 rating and recording six shots on goal while averaging 10:06 per night. He added three goals and one assist in four games with the Utica Comets.
The 23-year-old was one of the Devils’ two remaining unsigned RFAs alongside Dawson Mercer. While he inked a two-way pact today, there’s a good chance the 2019 first-round pick starts the season on the NHL roster. That’s because he’s no longer exempt from waivers and would need to clear them to return to Utica to start the season. As such, his lengthy contract negotiations this summer likely revolved around lobbying for a higher-than-league-minimum NHL salary, which he landed.
After his rocky campaign, the son of former Avalanche captain Adam Foote affirmed to Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News that he wanted an NHL future in Newark. He’s logged NHL ice in the past four seasons but never more than seven games in a single campaign. In total, he has six goals and two assists for eight points in 23 career contests. Most of his time since turning pro in 2020 has been spent in the AHL with Utica and the Devils’ former affiliate in Binghamton, where he has 44 goals and 90 points in 138 career games.
In 2022-23, his last healthy campaign, Foote finished second on Utica in goals (20) and third in points (37) in 55 games. He was originally drafted by the Lightning but was traded to New Jersey in Feb. 2020 for Blake Coleman.
If he doesn’t make the Devils’ roster, clears waivers, and ends up in the AHL, Foote will earn a salary of $150K with a $200K guarantee, per the team. It’s a considerable pay bump from the $70K minors salary afforded to him by his entry-level contract.
Foote will be an RFA again next summer upon the expiry of this deal.
His brother was the one part of the Canadian Junior scandal, just in case he gets confused in the comments with Cal Foote
Hopefully Nolan can stay healthy and have a break-through year.