Arseniy Gritsyuk Signs with Devils After Scoring 44 Points in KHL Season

The New Jersey Devils have signed Russian forward Arseniy Gritsyuk to a one-year entry-level contract that begins in the 2025-26 NHL season. This is the official NHL transition for Gritsyuk, who was selected by the Devils in the fifth round, 129th overall, of the 2019 NHL Draft. He is currently under contract with SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) until May 31, 2025, and will join the Devils after that.

Gritsyuk is 24 years old, stands 6 feet tall, weighs 195 pounds, shoots left, and primarily plays on the right wing. Over the last five years, he played in the KHL, first with Avangard Omsk and then with SKA St. Petersburg. During the 2024-25 season, he scored 44 points in 49 regular-season games for SKA, with 17 goals and 27 assists. He ranked in the top five among SKA players in goals, assists, and total points.

In the playoffs, he added one goal and four assists across six games, tying for the team lead in scoring. His +22 rating was the highest on the team that season. Despite missing time due to injury, he was one of the KHL’s top performers, averaging 0.90 points per game, which ranked 12th among all qualified skaters in the league.

Before joining SKA, Gritsyuk played three KHL seasons with Avangard Omsk. He debuted during the 2020-21 season and remained there through 2022-23. With Avangard, he appeared in 117 regular-season games. In his first season, he contributed to Avangard’s Gagarin Cup championship and later won the Aleksei Cherepanov Award in 2021-22, given to the KHL’s top rookie. That year, he recorded 16 goals and 12 assists in 39 games.

Overall, Gritsyuk played 216 regular-season games in the KHL and totaled 152 points—68 goals and 84 assists. He also played in 16 KHL playoff games with SKA, recording 5 goals and 6 assists. His best statistical season was in 2024-25, when he led his team in plus-minus and ranked near the top in offensive categories despite missing part of the season.

Internationally, Gritsyuk has represented Russia in several major tournaments. In 2019, he helped Russia win silver at the IIHF U-18 World Championship. He also played in the 2021 World Junior Championship and was part of the national team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where Russia earned another silver medal. At the Olympics, he posted three points in six games.

The Devils are expected to use Gritsyuk for a top-nine forward role. He could potentially join one of the team’s top two lines, depending on training camp and early-season performance. Even though he is skilled and can skate at an NHL pace, there is no doubt he will face adjustments. The ice size in North America is smaller, and the NHL schedule is more demanding. These are all factors that may affect his early impact.

Some believe that fans should not expect him to score 30 goals right away. His career-high in the KHL was 19 goals in one season, which, when projected over an 82-game NHL schedule, translates to about 31 goals. However, this comparison doesn’t account for the challenges of NHL play. A realistic expectation for his first season would be between 15 and 20 goals. If he reaches 20 goals, that would be considered a strong rookie year. At a minimum, the Devils hope he can provide steady scoring in their middle six.

From a contract standpoint, the timing works in New Jersey’s favor. The club will enter the 2025 offseason with under $14 million in salary cap space. With key players like defenseman Luke Hughes needing new deals, Gritsyuk’s entry-level contract gives the team flexibility. He will be a restricted free agent after the 2025-26 season, and the Devils will retain his rights through 2028, giving them time to evaluate his fit and negotiate a longer deal if he performs well.

Gritsyuk’s signing also follows several departures from SKA St. Petersburg. The club has already seen 19-year-old star Ivan Demidov leave for Montreal. Former Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov has also left, and top defenseman Alexander Nikishin is expected to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, who drafted him in 2020.