Dawson Mercer
(courtesy IG @dawson1417)

Devils sign one of their 2020 first round picks to three-year, entry-level contract.

The New Jersey Devils have been busy this week. Less than 24 hours after announcing a new deal with goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, the Devils put pen to paper with one of their first round picks from the 2020 NHL Draft.

Dawson Mercer, the 18th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the team on Christmas Eve. He was the second of Jersey’s three selections in the first round of this year’s draft.

Mercer is currently playing with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, one of six returning Canadians who won gold at the 2020 tournament. Canada’s first game in the tournament is against Germany on Dec. 26 and can be viewed on NHL Network in the United States.

He will return to Chicoutimi in the QMJHL for the regular season in 2021.

Tab has written about MLB, the NHL and the NFL for more than a decade for publications including The Fourth Period, Bleacher Report and La Vida Baseball. He is the author of two books about the Chicago Blackhawks and has been credentialed for the MLB All-Star Game and postseason and multiple Stanley Cup Finals. He is the co-host of the Line Drive Radio podcast.