Travis Zajac's new deal.

Former Fighting Sioux forward and current New Jersey Devil Travis Zajac is the first player to sign a big contract under the new CBA.

Here is the break down of the deal:
2013-14 $3.5 million (includes $1 million in signing bonus)
2014-15 $5 million (includes $1 million in signing bonus)
2015-16 $6.5 million
2016-17 $6.5 million
2017-18 $6.5 million
2018-19 $6.5 million
2019-20 $5.75 million
2020-21 $5.75 million

Matteau impresses Devils signs deal

When a loss really isn’t a loss at all – it’s beginning to look like UND hockey team wouldn’t have had Stefan Matteau very long – if at all – even if he had actually honored his original commitment come to UND instead of deciding to go to Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL.

Matteau who was drafted 29th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils really impressed the New Jersey Devils during their prospect development camp so the Devils signed him to an entry level deal.

Tom Gulitti, Fire and Ice --- “We felt very good about him at the rookie camp and we wanted to get him under contract and just get his professional career started, not with any knowledge of where he’ll be playing yet, but so we have the options of doing whatever we think is necessary,” Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said.

Matteau is slated to play for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL in 2012-13, but said at the Devils’ prospect development camp last month that he’ll be aiming to make the NHL roster at training camp in September. His father, former Rangers Stephane Matteau, is an assistant coach for Blainville-Boisbriand.

Lamoriello did not want to discuss the idea of Matteau starting the 2012-13 season in the NHL.

“I don’t even want to talk about that,” he said.

Lamoriello was impressed with what he saw from Matteau at the team’s development camp and said he also played well at the Team USA camp last week.

Zajac doing light skating

Image by clydeorama via FlickrThis might be good news for the New Jersey Devils, Travis Zajac is a valued member of the New Jersey Devils and had been pretty durable up until this injury. In fact if you look at his Hockey Database page you will see that he has only missed two games in five season before this year.

NJ.COM --- Travis Zajac, who has missed the entire season so far with a torn left Achilles' tendon, is at practice today, having flown into New Jersey over the weekend to tend to some "personal business'' he said. The Devils top center said he skated lightly for the first time on Thursday at home in Winnipeg and will skate again this week after he returns to Winnipeg.

Zajac, who suffered the injury during an off-ice training session over the summer, said he "definitely'' will play this season, but he has no idea when that might be. He said he doesn't have pain as much as tightness that restricts his movements. He said skating was actually easier than walking, because the skate boot provides more support than his normal shoes. He said now that he has skated, he anticipates being able to skate more often -- more than once a week.