Devils Finally Sign Top Forward Prospect; 2025-26 Expectations

The New Jersey Devils announced on Tuesday that they’ve finally signed top forward prospect, Arseni Gritsyuk, to a one-year, entry-level contract that begins in the 2025-26 season.

The 24-year-old forward spent the last five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), playing for SKA St. Petersburg and Avangard Omsk.

The Devils forward prospect established himself as an offensive threat in the KHL after he was drafted 129th overall, in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft.

In 2024-25, Arseni Gritsyuk accrued 44 points (17 goals, 27 assists) in 49 games, career highs in the point and helper columns.

The 6-foot, 194-lb forward is a left-shot winger who is known to reach top speed easily and has a knack for creating separation between himself and defenders.

Back in March, general manager Tom Fitzgerald explained he was trying to get the Russian forward prospect under contract. he was never expected to sign and debut in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, similar to how his fellow country-man Alexander Nikishin can.

Gritsyuk comes to New Jersey as a decorated forward, despite his young age. He was named the top KHL rookie—winning the KHL Aleksei Cherepanov Award— following the 2021-22 season. He’s a Gagarin Cup winner with Omsk in the 2021 KHL Playoffs. In the 2022 Winter Olympics, Gritsyuk took home a Silver medal with Russia.

Gritsyuk also helped Russia win bronze at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and Silver in the same year at the U18 World Junior Championships.

The Devils forward also received several nominations for player of the week/month.

Gritsyuk is expected to be at Devils training camp in the fall and to compete for an NHL roster spot with the anticipation he will be a boost to their middle-six and depth scoring.

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