With the New Jersey Devils slightly over $95.5 million salary cap, they needed to clear some cap space. On Friday, a Devils trade with the Ottawa Senators sent forward Kurtis MacDermid north of the border, in exchange for forward Zack MacEwen.
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After the Devils signed Luke Hughes to a seven-year contract that carries a $9 million average annual value on Wednesday, it put them over the salary cap by $3.98 million.
MacDermid’s $1.15 million cap hit for the next two seasons now goes to Ottawa. MacEwen, however, is on an expiring deal at $775K, which saves the Devils $375K in cap space.
MacEwen is on a one-way contract.
Although the Devils relieved themselves of some debt, they’re still $-2,120,547 in the hole.
The expectation is that defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic will be placed on long-term injured reserve following knee surgery this summer. The 28-year-old blueliner is not expected back until the New Year at the earliest.
MacEwen is an enforcer himself, with several fights under his belt in the NHL. Last season, MacEwen registered four fights, three at the NHL level and one at the AHL level.
In 21 games last season in Ottawa, MacEwen scored two goals, one assist, and threw 49 hits. In 23 AHL games, he registered seven goals, and nine assists with 29 penalty minutes.
The Devils acquired MacDermid in March 2024 from the Colorado Avalanche, in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft (previously acquired from Nashville) and forward Zakhar Bardakov.
MacDermid registered seven fights in a Devils jersey across two seasons, and was at the center of a line brawl with the Devils’ rival, the New York Rangers, in a spirited fight against Blueshirts enforcer, Matt Rempe.
In 39 total games with the Devils, MacDermid registered one assist, 73 penalty minutes, and 69 hits.
