Initially, the New Jersey Devils were expected to have to make a decision on signing prospect Samu Salminen by Aug. 15. Despite the deadline passing without Salminen signing an entry-level contract, the Devils still hold his NHL rights, a team source told NJ Hockey Now.
Thus, the prospect forward remains on the Devils’ reserve list.
According to PuckPedia, Salminen has not taken the necessary steps to leave the Devils’ reserve list and become an unrestricted free agent.
For NCAA players (like Salminen) in this situation, that means submitting paperwork to NHL Central Registry indicating that they are no longer an undergraduate college student, either because they graduated or voluntarily left school. Once that process is complete, the player is removed from his drafting team’s reserve list and becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Salminen did not complete that process by Aug. 15. As a result, he remains on New Jersey’s reserve list, and the Devils continue to hold his exclusive NHL rights. PuckPedia lists him among players with an “Indefinite – College” status, meaning he will remain on the reserve list until the required paperwork is filed.
A few years ago, the Devils and their fans had some high hopes for Salminen after selecting him No. 68 overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. That hope was fueled by flashes of talent at each annual Development Camp, a genuine willingness to interact with fans, and some sick highlight-reel plays. (Remember this Michigan?)
Through four years of college hockey — two at UConn and two at Denver — Salminen amassed 37 goals and 91 points in 149 games. Earlier this year, he played a key role as an alternate captain on Denver’s NCAA Championship-winning squad.
In 2021, Elite Prospects said, “Salminen sees plays developing several steps in advance and plans his every step accordingly, whether he has possession or not. He has that goal-scorer’s knack for finding the right place to set up shop, and his one- and two-touch finishing game never fails him. He’s every bit the credible shooting threat without the puck as he is with it.”
However, despite those flashes, some were hoping to see more offensive production from Salminen, who is now 23 years old. Development isn’t always linear, and it remains possible that he eventually carves out an NHL role.
For now, though, the Devils may not have closed the door on that possibility.
Exactly why Salminen has remained on the reserve list rather than pursuing unrestricted free agency is not clear, but the important takeaway is that Saturday’s deadline did not end the Devils’ control over his future. At least for now.
The Devils could still sign Salminen to an NHL contract if the two sides eventually reach an agreement. Conversely, Salminen could still take the necessary steps to become a draft-related unrestricted free agent at any point. He could also sign overseas.
There are now just 36 days until the Devils’ first preseason contest — and 47 days until the season opener. Click here to read more about their 2026-27 schedule.
Daniel is a New Jersey Devils Beat Reporter for Sportsnaut. He graduated from Montclair State University in 2025 with … More about Daniel Amoia