New Jersey Devils Re-Sign Former First-Round Pick

The New Jersey Devils have re-signed center Michael McLeod to a two-year extension. It will carry a cap hit of $975,000 for each season.

The Devils drafted McLeod with the 12th overall pick of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old forward just finished his third season with the Devils, and it was his best one yet. In 52 games, he scored nine goals and registered 15 points in total. In addition to providing decent depth scoring, he was one of the team's most physical players. He led the Devils with 42 penalty minutes and even got into a few notable fights.

The Devils are hoping that he can blossom into a true third-line center for them. Although the offense has yet to really take off, they clearly must be happy with what they are seeing from him. He is showing steady progress and may take on a bigger role next season. He seems like a prime candidate for their penalty kill moving forward, too.