Devils re-sign Butcher to 3-year deal with $3.73M AAV

The New Jersey Devils avoided arbitration with restricted free-agent defenseman Will Butcher, agreeing on a three-year contract with an average annual value of $3.73 million, the team announced Wednesday.

Butcher was a fifth-round draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2013. However, he never signed with the Avs, and after a storied NCAA career at the University of Denver, he agreed to join the Devils as a college free agent.

The 5-foot-10 blue-liner was an effective player in his first two NHL seasons. He tallied 44 points in 81 games as a rookie and followed that up with 30 points in 78 contests last season, although the Devils plummeted to near the NHL's basement.

Butcher was arguably New Jersey's best defenseman a year ago. At five-on-five, he led the team's blue-liners in differentials for shot attempts, scoring chances, and high-danger scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.