Devils re-sign Santeri Hatakka to one-year, two-way contract

The team from the Garden State has ensured some more depth on the back end, at least for another season.

On Monday, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald announced that the team has re-signed defenseman Santeri Hatakka to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal carries an NHL cap hit of $775,000 for the 2024-25 season, with a minor-league salary of $125,000. $150,000 of Hatakka’s contract is guaranteed.

Hatakka just finished up his entry-level contract, which he originally signed with the San Jose Sharks, the team that took him in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft, in May 2021. The Finnish blueliner was sent to the Devils in the trade that saw Timo Meier be dealt to the San Jose Sharks right before the trade deadline during the 2022-23 campaign.

After finishing that season, and the beginning of 2023-24, with the Devils’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets, Hatakka made his debut with New Jersey on Jan. 22, 2024, against the Vegas Golden Knights. It was his first NHL game since he was in San Jose during the 2021-22 season. Hatakki ended up playing 12 games with the Devils, the most NHL appearances in a single season for the 23-year-old. He registered two assists and a plus/minus of +5. In 48 games with the Comets, he notched five goals and 15 assists for 20 points, all career highs, with a -1 rating.

Hatakka has played a total of 21 games in the NHL, posting four assists with a zero rating. He has appeared in 97 AHL games, scoring eight goals and 26 assists with a -6 rating.

Prior to coming to North America, Hatakka built up his stock playing back home in Finland. The Riihimäki native came up through the Jukurit program, making his debut in Liiga with Ilves during the 2019-20 season. He played parts of two seasons with the club before signing with the Sharks. In 72 Liiga appearances, Hatakka scored two goals and 10 points, playing in five postseason games in the spring of 2021.

Hatakka also represented his country on multiple occasions. In addition to playing for the Under-16 and Under-17 Finnish National Teams, he played with Suomi at the 2019 IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship. Hatakka was also on the 2020 and 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship teams, winning bronze in 2021.