Devils, Wood agree on extension

It appears that the New Jersey Devils forward Miles Wood will play a game with his team this preseason. The 23-year old winger, who is coming off of a career-high 19 goal season, signed a four-year, $11 million extension on Saturday. Wood will see $2.5 million in the first three years of the contract, followed by $3.5 million in the 2021-22 campaign.

The Devils will welcome Wood back to practice on Sunday with open arms. He has missed the first 10 days of training camp and three preseason games due to contract negotiations. Wood will most likely not suit up against the New York Rangers on Monday night at Madison Square Garden, but look to see him try to get inserted into the lineup when the Devils visit the Winnpeg Jets on Thursday night.

Wood’s size, speed and grit will most likely land him in a bottom-six role but his versatility may help him move into the top-six in the lineup. He is known for being a left-winger but has the ability to play on the right side if needed. Since reigning league MVP Taylor Hall and second-year Devil Marcus Johansson round up the left side on the top two lines, look for head coach John Hynes to match Wood’s speed with theirs.

Wood will look to build on what was a successful sophomore season. In his second year with the Devils, Wood posted career highs in goals, assists (13), points (32) and games played (70) while averaging less than 12:30 a night. In 137 career games, he has tallied 27 goals and 22 assists totaling 49 points. He will be a restricted free agent in 2022.