Devils Sign Forward Travis Zajac to Eight-Year Deal

The New Jersey Devils have signed center Travis Zajac to a long-term contract.

Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello announced the deal on Wednesday, shortly after Zajac scored a goal in a scrimmage against Albany of the AHL. The deal will run eight years, and pay Zajac, who should be the No. 1 center this season, $46 million.

Lamoriello said the two sides had started to work on the new contract before the NHL lockout began in September. They finished it after the league and its players finalized a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement last week earlier this month.

The 27-year-old Zajac is set to enter his seventh season with the Devils. An Achilles' injury limited him  to 15 regular-season games last year, but he stepped up in the playoffs and scored seven goals in helping New Jersey reach the Stanley Cup finals.

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