Devils re-sign Laberge to one-year, two-way contract

A minor-league veteran is sticking around the northeast next season.

On Thursday, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald, along with assistant GM Dan MacKinnon, announced the team has re-signed forward Samuel Laberge to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2024-25 season.

The deal carries a cap hit of $775,000, with Laberge receiving $135,000 guaranteed.

Laberge has been mainly in the minors since entering the professional ranks in 2017. He signed his first NHL contract with the Devils in November of this past season, making his debut with New Jersey on Nov. 30 against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Cateauguay, Quebec native also played on Dec. 1 against the San Jose Sharks, averaging a little over three minutes of ice time over the two games.

In 2023-24, he played 59 games with the Devils’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets, scoring six goals and 19 points. It was his third year with the team. He also spent time with the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder during the 2021-22 campaign.

Laberge signed with the AHL’s Texas Stars after spending parts of four years with the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League. He captained the Oceanic during the team’s Memorial Cup appearance in 2017, also helping the team with the Gilles-Courteau Trophy–formerly known as the President’s Cup–as league champions in 2015.

In 252 AHL appearances with the Stars and Devils, Laberge has scored 27 goals and 70 points, including five points in 22 Calder Cup Playoff games.

With the signing, the Devils have 33 standard player contracts signed for next season. According to CapFriendly, New Jersey has just under $20 million in projected cap space for next season.