The New Jersey Devils are set with Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes as their top two centers for many years to come. Erik Haula, who can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, will likely re-sign with the Devils. Meanwhile, Michael McLeod’s status is up in the air until the NHL completes its investigation into Team Canada’s 2018 World Junior team. If one or both of Haula and McLeod don’t return, the Devils need fallback options to strengthen their center depth. Let’s look at some players to keep an eye on IF either player isn’t on the team next season.
Lars Eller
- 2022-23 Counting Totals: 10 goals, 13 assists and 23 points in 84 games
- Evolving-Hockey Contract Projection: one year, $1.315 million
Lars Eller has long been one of the more reliable bottom-six centers in the NHL. Having spent the last six-plus seasons in Washington, the Capitals moved him to the Colorado Avalanche at the 2023 trade deadline in exchange for a draft pick, as their playoff hopes were slim.
Though his counting totals slipped a bit this season, Eller’s impacts were still solid. He finished the season with a total goals above replacement (GAR) of 3.5, with his defensive prowess being the best part of his game. He excels in the faceoff dot, as he won 53.7 percent of his draws this season and has a career faceoff percentage of 50 percent. While he’s not a high-end goal scorer, he is more of a threat to find the back of the net than McLeod and has been an efficient five-on-five goal scorer as a bottom-six forward for most of his career.
If the Devils sign Eller, they’d be adding a veteran who’s played on plenty of competitive teams during his career. He won a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018 and should come on an affordable deal as an unrestricted free agent this summer. He can even move into a third-line role if injuries arise, and he kills penalties. As a fallback option, he may be one of the better ones available in free agency.
Tomáš Nosek
- 2022-23 Counting Totals: 7 goals, 11 assists and 18 points in 66 games
- Evolving-Hockey Contract Projection: one year, $1.094 million
Tomáš Nosek was one of the original misfits on the Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural team in 2017. He spent four years there before ending up on the Boston Bruins for the 2021-22 season. In his two years with the Bruins, he was one of the more reliable fourth-line centers, specifically defensively, both at even strength and on the penalty kill.
Nosek’s even-strength defense has been worth a GAR of 2.5 over the last two years, which tracks with his expected GAR of 2.7. He’s also been of the Bruins’ primary penalty-killing forwards and maintained that role because of his ability to suppress quality shots at a high level. That’s where most of his value comes from, but he does have other attributes to his game.
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Nosek was one of the best faceoff men in the league in 2022-23, finishing with a faceoff percentage of 59.3 percent. He’s won 54.7 percent of his draws for his career, so it’s one of his best assets. As a fourth-line penalty-killing forward, that’s an important trait to have. And though he doesn’t provide much offense, he’s averaged nearly 27 points per 82 games for his career. He could be a good value signing on a one-year deal for most teams, the Devils included.
Pius Suter
- 2022-23 Counting Totals: 14 goals, 10 assists, and 24 points in 79 games
- Evolving-Hockey Contract Projection: two years, $2.237 million cap hit
Pius Suter is different than the first couple of options mentioned here. Though he does play center, he’s also seen his fair share of time on the wing. After performing well in the NLA — the top tier of hockey in his native Switzerland — Suter signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2020. He had a solid first year in the NHL, but the Blackhawks decided not to re-sign him, making him a UFA in 2021.
The Red Wings pounced on the opportunity and signed Suter to a two-year deal. He’s been productive in Detroit, averaging 15 goals and 31 points per 82 games. When looking at his underlying numbers, it seems he has a bit more to give offensively. But even then, he’s been a highly underrated defensive forward in his three NHL seasons:
Suter is a bit of a Swiss Army Knife (no pun intended). He’s a high-end defender, can chip in offensively, and is versatile enough to play either left wing or center. He’s not great on faceoffs; he’s below 47 percent for his career. But he makes up for it in other areas of the game. Even if the Devils don’t need center depth, they could still consider him in free agency to play on the wing in the bottom-six.
David Kampf
- 2022-23 Counting Totals: 7 goals, 20 assists and 27 points in 82 games
- Evolving-Hockey Contract Projection: 3 years, $2.192 million cap hit
It took a while for David Kampf to settle into a role in the NHL, but he found it in Toronto with the Maple Leafs. After struggling with the Blackhawks, the Maple Leafs turned him into a well-rounded fourth-line center. He finished 2021-22 with 11 goals and 26 points in 82 games and followed it up with another solid season in 2022-23.
Though Kampf can chip in some offense, his real value comes defensively. His defensive impacts did fall off this season from a year ago, but they were still solid; his even-strength defense was worth an xGAR of 1. He’s a good penalty killer and has a career faceoff percentage of 51.5 percent, something that Devils head coach Lindy Ruff values.
Three years might be a bit much for a fourth-line forward, but if McLeod gets his name cleared in the 2018 investigation, I imagine the Devils will sign him for three years too. Kampf has less offensive upside than McLeod, who’s an underrated playmaker. But he would be a decent fallback option if the Devils need to find a replacement.
Adam Henrique
- 2022-23 Counting Totals: 22 goals, 16 assists and 38 points in 62 games
- One year left on his contract at a cap hit of $5.825 million
If, and I mean IF, the Devils don’t re-sign Haula for whatever reason, former Devil Adam Henrique would be a quality replacement. Though he turns 34 years old in Feb. 2024, he’s still producing at a top-six level. Had he played 82 games this season, he would’ve been on pace for 29 goals and 50 points.
Henrique has many of the same qualities that Haula has. He can play left wing or center, something Haula did plenty of this past season. When on the wing, Haula was usually alongside Jack Hughes, a role Henrique could also take on. The difference here is Henrique is a better finisher than Haula and would likely convert more chances into goals on Hughes’ wing. His defensive impacts have fallen off, but he still has plenty to offer offensively:
Henrique is the only player on this list who’s not a free agent this summer. He’s one of the Anaheim Ducks’ best trade chips, so he won’t be cheap to acquire, perhaps costing a couple of draft picks and a good prospect. The Ducks would also have to retain a good portion of his $5.825 million cap hit to make the money work for the Devils. The only way I see the Devils targeting him is if talks with Haula fall apart, but that doesn’t seem all that likely. Still, he’s a sensible trade option just in case things go sideways.
It’s Better to Be Prepared
The Devils’ bottom-six should be in good shape heading into 2023-24 one way or another. All signs point to Haula returning, so that shouldn’t be a concern. As for McLeod, there’s no way to know his status until the NHL reveals its findings in the investigation into Team Canada’s 2018 WJC team. Until then, it’s wait-and-see, but it’d be wise for the Devils to plan ahead in case they have to make an external addition.
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Advanced stats from Evolving-Hockey
