The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team re-signed goaltender Nico Daws to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $812,500. The contract details are as follows: 2024-25: Two-way deal, $775,000 at the NHL level and $350,000 at the American Hockey League (AHL) level ($465,000 guaranteed) & 2025-26: One-way deal at $850,000 at the NHL level. The announcement was made by President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald and Devils’ Assistant General Manager/Utica Comets General Manager Dan MacKinnon.
Daws, 23, has played parts of the last two seasons with the Devils, splitting time between the NHL and AHL levels with the Utica Comets, where he completed his third season. The 6’4”, 205 lbs. netminder successfully underwent hip surgery during the summer of 2023 and, following his rehab returned to play with Utica on December 8, 2023. Daws played most of the 2023-24 season in the NHL and earned a 9-11-0 record in 21 games with the Devils.
On Feb. 17, 2024, Daws led New Jersey to its first NHL outdoor game win in a 6-3 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers as part of the Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series game at MetLife Stadium. Daws set a new NHL record, making 45 saves on 48 shots, for the most saves by a goaltender in an NHL outdoor game. The 48 shots against were also the most all-time an NHL netminder faced in an outdoor game.
Born on Dec. 22, 2000, Daws made his NHL debut on Oct. 23, 2021, making 24 saves on 25 shots in a 2-1 win vs. Buffalo. He became the fifth goaltender in franchise history to win their NHL debut and has a career NHL record of 19-22-1 with a 3.13 goals-against average and .894 save percentage.
He has earned a 32-24-7 career record in the AHL, with a 2.68 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in 64 career regular-season games. Daws was named a 2022-23 AHL All-Star for the North Division and has posted a 5-5 career record in the Calder Cup Playoffs with one shutout.
New Jersey selected Daws in the third round, 84th overall, in the 2020 NHL Draft. He has represented Canada on the international stage and won gold with Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) 2020 World Junior Championship (WJC). He also appeared in one game for Canada at the IIHF’s 2024 World Championship.
