The New Jersey Devils have signed center Cody Glass to a two-year, $5MM contract per Chris Johnston of The Athletic. New Jersey later confirmed the deal in a team press release.
This move will cap off a small saga surrounding Glass’ looming restricted-free agent status. In the days leading up to the NHL Draft, it was reported that the Devils may not have the financial flexibility to extend Glass the $2.5MM qualifying offer that he was originally due. The qualifying offer would have also awarded Glass with salary arbitration rights. It seemed increasingly unlikely that the team would strike a deal, until they changed course and took the steps to retain his rights in the waning hours before July 1st.
Just two days after agreeing to the qualifying offer, New Jersey will avoid arbitration by extending Glass for two more years. This new deal directly mirrors the contract that Glass spent the last two seasons playing through. That deal was originally signed with the Nashville Predators in 2023 and, like this deal, contained no bonuses.
Glass appeared in games with three different teams on his last contract. He began the deal with a firm root in the Predators’ lineup, after coming off of a career-year with 14 goals, 35 points, and a plus-nine through 72 games of the 2022-23 season. That was enough to earn a new deal, though Glass would struggle to uphold his end of the bargain while battling concussions and both upper-body and lower-body injuries through the 2023-24 season. He finished the year with 13 points and a minus-nine in just 41 games – prompting a trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the summer of 2024. Glass was coupled alongside a 2025 third-round pick, and 2026 sixth-round pick, in a deal that landed the Predators ECHL forward Jordan Frasca.
Glass rode a clean bill of health through the majority of the 2024-25 season, though did miss the second-half of November with injury. But that didn’t bring with it much of a lineup boost, as Glass struggled to find much footing among a quiet Penguins’ bottom-six. He scored just 15 points in 51 games with Pittsburgh – prompting a Trade Deadline move to the Devils alongside Jonathan Gruden, in exchange for Chase Stillman, Max Graham, and a 2027 third-round pick.
New Jersey seemed to finally offer the stability that Glass needed – and he snapped back to form in the team’s third-line center role. He scored seven points in 14 regular season games with New Jersey, and seemed poised to contribute to a solid postseason run, until a freak injury cut him short in the first game of the playoffs. Glass sustained a lower-body injury after being slashed by his own netminder and was forced out of Game 1 after just nine minutes of ice time. He’d surprisingly return for Game 2, but ultimately didn’t manage any scoring through five playoff games with the Devils.
His time in New Jersey has seemingly mimicked the stories underlining Glass’ full career. He’s oft injured, and can take some time to settle back into the lineup upon returning. But at his best, he’s an effective top-nine center capable of playing both sides of the puck with good impact. He’ll be a stout option to man New Jersey’s fourth-line center role next season, likely operating behind Dawson Mercer and between two of Arseni Gritsyuk, Connor Brown, Paul Cotter, and Evgenii Dadonov. New Jersey will move forward with just over $6MM in available cap space, and star youngster Luke Hughes in need of a new contract.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports.
