That's an excellent RFA bridge deal for a young middle-six center who--after getting jerked around by Laviolette for a couple of seasons--had a great playoff run with Hershey in 2023 leading to last year's AHL championship. Which he (unsurprisingly) followed up with his first good season as an NHL regular in 2023-2024 under Spencer Carbery (who is good with the kids). He could develop into a very solid 3C, possibly even a decent 2C.
It also significantly increases his trade value for any team looking to possibly trade for a young but established middle-six center!