Daniel Amoia
New Jersey Devils‘ GM Sunny Mehta recently proclaimed it’s never reasonable to assume they’re done for an offseason. They’re always looking to improve when the right move comes along.
Of course, not every move is going to be a big splash — like the Jacob Markstrom deal — but each could bear importance nonetheless.
Today, the team announced they signed 24-year-old goaltending prospect Jakub Malek to a two-year, two-way contract. Here are the contract details provided by the team: 2026-27: $850,000 at the NHL level and $175,000 at the American Hockey League (AHL) level & 2027-28: $900,000/$275,000 ($300,000 guaranteed).
Malek showed some signs of promise in 2025-26 with a strong preseason and flashes of success between ECHL Adirondack and AHL Utica. Between the two levels, he sported a 14-14-6 record with an .897 SV%. His season finished with a 25-save AHL shutout against the Belleville Senators.
Furthermore, the team also signed forward Ben Steeves, who they acquired in the Markstrom deal, to a one-year, two-way contract. He’ll be paid $850,000 at the NHL level and $150,000 at the AHL level.
As GM Mehta continues to stress the importance of building a strong AHL team in Utica, Steeves fits that description well. The 24-year-old had 45 points (23 G, 22 A) in 72 games for AHL Charlotte. On top of some impressive flashes of offense, the 5-foot-9 Steeves has some sandpaper to his game. He posted 100 penalty minutes last season.
It’s unclear how much of the eventual Opening Night roster is currently employed by the Devils. There’s always room for further moves — and odds are, with over $7.6 million in cap space, they aren’t done yet. But as we saw when Mehta was with the Florida Panthers, a tiny move could end up being the one that pushes a championship team over the edge.
