​A week ago, the New Jersey Devils extended an offer sheet to Mammoth right wing Barrett Hayton, hoping to pry him away from Utah. As the seven-day window dragged on, we weighed whether Utah might match the offer, understanding that the decision would reveal the franchise’s long-term plans for Hayton and shape the Devils’ leverage in the near term. Today, that decision arrived. Per Elliotte Friedman, Utah has indeed matched the Hayton offer sheet and will retain his services for the upcoming season. The Mammoth confirmed the development on their official Twitter account, making the arrangement official.
Hayton is now locked in for one year at a cap hit of $4.775 million. Since the CBA prohibits teams from trading a player who has been matched on an offer sheet, Utah will essentially guide him toward unrestricted free agency next summer. In practical terms, Hayton could become a name to monitor a year from now as Sunny Mehta and his staff evaluate potential targets for 2026-27. For New Jersey, the immediate takeaway is that Hayton will not be wearing a Devils sweater next season.
I’m hesitant to say the Devils “lost Hayton” since they never actually had him under contract, but they did miss out on a player they hoped would contribute meaningfully. Mehta was aware of this risk when he submitted the offer, and now that the decision is official, it’s time to consider how he might adjust his strategy moving forward.
With Hayton’s offer sheet matched, New Jersey’s current cap space sits at about $7.6275 million, according to Puckpedia, assuming Topias Vilen remains their only unresolved RFA. That figure could shift modestly, as Vilen is likely headed to Utica and won’t command a significant salary. It’s worth noting, however, that the calculated space includes David Rittich at a $1 million cap hit and Lenni Hämönen, who can be sent to the minor league affiliate. In reality, the cap space is probably closer to $9.5 million when you account for possible adjustments and the flexibility of minor-league moves.
In addition to adding extra first-round picks from the Simon Nemec trade, New Jersey also retains the 2027 second-round pick that would have compensated Utah for Hayton. The Devils are now short three 2027 picks due to earlier trades—a 3rd (Cody Glass), a 4th (Declan Chisholm), and a 6th tied to the Palat deal. While this is not a catastrophic hit to their draft capital, it does leave them lighter than ideal in that year. Mehta has shown a willingness to move down in the draft to accumulate more picks, so the prospect of accumulating 2028 and 2029 picks becomes more plausible if the team isn’t moving a first-rounder.
Of course, there are levers the Devils can pull to free up cap space or add draft capital if they choose. They could trade players deemed expendable, which, given Hayton’s continued absence, might make it easier to justify moving a center. That would potentially improve Cody Glass’s or Nick Bjugstad’s odds of remaining with the team this season. In any case, the Hayton outcome largely reduces the immediate need to shop for a top-line center, and it creates some breathing room for Mehta to optimize the roster within the framework of their current cap situation.