The New Jersey Devils have made big splashes in free agency before. In 2021, they signed Dougie Hamilton, Jonathan Bernier and Tomáš Tatar as free agents. Last year, it was Ondrej Palát and Brendan Smith. The 2023 class lacks the talent for a spending spree, but there are some things general manager Tom Fitzgerald could address when the market opens at noon tomorrow (July 1).
Among the team’s needs heading into free agency are defensive and bottom-six depth and perhaps a goaltender, depending on how they’ve viewed prices on the trade market. Let’s review some options, a few of which we’ve gone over in previous weeks, to set the table for free agency.
Devils Should Find Defensive Depth
If you thought the free-agent class for forwards was weaker than usual, wait until you see what’s available on defense. Fortunately for the Devils, they don’t have any significant defensive needs. They have a core with Jonas Siegenthaler, Dougie Hamilton and John Marino. Luke Hughes is ready to contribute meaningful top-four minutes, while Kevin Bahl and Brendan Smith will get regular playing time.
There’s also Šimon Nemec, the second overall pick from the 2022 draft, who probably has a decent chance to play in the NHL next season. He’s not a lock, though, which is why Fitzgerald could target defensive depth when the market opens tomorrow. Despite being a weak class for free-agent defensemen, there are OK depth options.
The most notable is Connor Clifton, a New Jersey native who spent the first five years of his career with the Boston Bruins. He finished the 2022-23 season with 23 points in 78 games, a career-high in points. Over the last three seasons, he’s been a reliable third-pair defender, finishing with a total goals above replacement (GAR) of 4.3 or better each year.
Clifton projects to land a three-year deal at a cap hit of $3.144 million, a price likely too high for the Devils. But if he’s willing to take a discount to play in his home state, perhaps there’s a path to a deal. If not, there are other names to keep an eye on. Per Jeff Marek (via Elliotte Friedman), the Nashville Predators only plan to qualify two restricted free agents — Alexandre Carrier and Cody Glass.
If that’s the case, that means Nolan Foote’s brother Cal Foote will become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow. Cal was part of the deal that sent Tanner Jeannot to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline. He finished with seven points in 50 games between the Lightning and Predators this past season.
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Though Cal Foote struggled to find a regular spot in the Lightning’s lineup, he had positive value in his brief time with the Predators, posting a GAR of 2.4. If the Devils are looking for cheap depth in case of injuries or Nemec not being ready for full-time NHL minutes right away, Foote could be an option.
Other free agents the Devils could consider are Nick Holden and Luke Schenn. Holden had a solid year with the Ottawa Senators and still has positive impacts at 36 years old. Schenn, meanwhile, is a veteran right-handed shot who’d add a bit more experience and physicality on the back end, something Fitzgerald might want to find more of in free agency.
Devils Seeking More Wingers?
On Day 2 of the draft, Fitzgerald was asked on NHL Network what he may do next this offseason. His answer was interesting, to say the least:
After acquiring Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, it seemed like the Devils didn’t need much work on the wing. That’s probably the case in the top-six. But Fitzgerald may have other ideas for bottom-six, especially if players like Jesper Boqvist and Nathan Bastian are pricing themselves out in negotiations; both are restricted free agents.
If the Devils sign a depth winger in free agency, it likely won’t come at a high price, especially after adding Toffoli’s $4.25 million cap hit to the books. The most obvious fit would be Jesper Fast, who Lindy Ruff coached during his time with the New York Rangers. Fast has long been one of the better bottom-six wingers in the NHL. He’s usually good for 10-15 goals and around 30 points a season and is one of the best defensive wingers in the league:
Fast is also an elite forechecker, ranking in the 99th percentile in recoveries and pressures. He projects to land a cap hit of $2.593 million on a two-year deal, something the Devils *should* be able to afford, though it could get tight if they’re looking to acquire a goalie.
Other names to consider are Pius Suter, one of the more underrated defensive forwards in the NHL, and Garnet Hathaway, who has strong two-way impacts and plays a physical game. Both should come on two- to three-year deals around $2 to $2.5 million annually.
If the Devils are really looking for a cost-effective option, Zach Aston-Reese might be someone they target. He spent the 2022-23 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and finished with ten goals and 14 points in 77 games. He’s long been one of the better defensive wingers in the league and should come on a cheap one-year deal below $1 million; Evolving-Hockey has him projected at a cap hit of $842,700.
Goalie Trade Prices Could Lead Devils to Free Agency
The last bit of work that the Devils could do in free agency is add a goaltender. Fitzgerald has stated multiple times this week that he’s comfortable running it back with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid, which he should be. But as he’s always said since taking over as GM, he won’t pass up on an opportunity to improve the team if it makes sense.
Everyone knows the Devils have interest in Connor Hellebuyck. They could also be talking to the Bruins about Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark if they’re available, per Friedman on the June 28 episode of The Jeff Marek Show. But if prices for those goalies or any other on the market are too high for the Devils’ liking, they could head to free agency.
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Though it’s a weak class for skill players, there’s actually a fair bit of quality between the pipes. Experienced veteran netminders such as Antti Raanta, Frederik Andersen, Semyon Varlamov and Joonas Korpisalo appear to be heading for free agency tomorrow. Varlamov and Korpisalo should come on affordable two-year deals, while Raanta and Andersen could cost a bit more in dollars than the former two.
I’d guess the Devils’ preference for adding a goalie would be through a trade instead of free agency, but it depends on what prices look like in a saturated market. Otherwise, I wouldn’t expect big free-agent splashes like the last two years. Fitzgerald and the Devils will likely round out offensive and defensive depth through free agency, but that could be it.
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Advanced stats from Evolving-Hockey, microstats from Corey Sznajder/JFresh Hockey
