The New Jersey Devils have signed forward Joe Gambardella and defenseman Robbie Russo to two-year, two-way contracts; and forwards Chase De Leo and Brian Flynn to one-year, two-way deals.
Gambardella spent the last four seasons in the Edmonton Oilers organization, posting six goals and seven assists in 27 games with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors in 2020-21.
An AHL All-Star in 2019, Gambardella has totaled 63 goals and 48 assists for 111 points in 183 career AHL contests, all with Bakersfield. He made his NHL debut with Edmonton in 2018-19, posting three assists in 15 games.
Russo skated in 34 games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda in 2020-21, his sixth pro campaign.
He has played 358 regular-season AHL games with San Jose, Tucson and Grand Rapids, totaling 31 goals and 145 assists for 176 points. Russo led the AHL in plus/minus (+40) as a rookie in 2015-16, and played in the AHL All-Star Classic in 2016-17.
Russo has also collected one goal and 12 assists in 33 postseason games, winning the Calder Cup with Grand Rapids in 2017.
Originally a fourth-round pick by the New York Islanders in the 2011 NHL Draft, Russo has appeared in 19 career NHL games, all with Detroit in 2016-17.
De Leo recorded 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in 37 games with the San Diego Gulls in 2020-21, tying for sixth in the AHL in scoring. He also skated in one NHL game with Anaheim.
Over six pro seasons, De Leo has played 365 games in the AHL with San Diego and Manitoba, and has totaled 90 goals and 132 assists for 222 points.
A fourth-round selection by Winnipeg in the 2014 NHL Draft, De Leo has played five games in the NHL with the Jets and Ducks.
Flynn returns to North America after spending the last three seasons in Switzerland. He has played 137 regular-season games in the AHL with San Antonio, Texas and Rochester, recording 35 goals and 54 assists for 89 points. Flynn also has 15 points in 25 postseason games, reaching the Calder Cup Finals with Texas in 2018.
The nine-year pro has played 275 games in the NHL with Buffalo and Montreal, tallying 27 goals and 34 assists for 61 points.
