It looks like forward Patrik Elias will re-sign with the New Jersey Devils after all. He’s close to agreeing on a new contract, according to the Star-Ledger’s Rich Chere.
The financial terms of the potential agreement are not known, but the Devils have a lot of cap space despite the fact that they recently added goaltender Cory Schneider.
Retaining Elias’ services would be a huge win for New Jersey. He’s 37 years old, but he still led the Devils with 14 goals and 36 points in 48 games last season. On top of that, he’s one of the team’s most recognizable players.
He ranks third on the franchise’s all-time list in terms of games played and has scored more goals and assists in the Devils’ uniform than anyone else in history.
If he does end up testing the unrestricted free agent market, he’ll be one of the best forwards available, although there are a number of intriguing candidates this year, including Jarome Iginla and Vincent Lecavalier.