Lack Of Scoring Will Hurt New Jersey Devils In Free Agency
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils were shut out again by the Columbus Blue Jackets. If the team continues to play this way, it puts a bad taste in the mouths of impending free agents.
With the New Jersey Devils firmly out of the playoff race, the team is playing for the offseason. Since the calendar struck March, the Devils have scored two goals in 12 periods. That is an epic level of bad.
It’s become so bad, that the team’s star player Taylor Hall told Andrew Gross of the Record that the Devils were not making the playoffs. While that is obvious to everyone else, it takes it to a new level when the players are saying it.
The Devils have lost eight straight. While this is helping their status in the draft, this is making them look like a terrible spot for free agents.
Players on the open market will make big money no matter where they go. Only six teams are over the salary cap right now. Despite multiple reports saying the salary cap will stay stagnant, including one from Yahoo’s Puck Daddy blog, teams will still have money to spend.
The Devils are expected to be very busy in free agency. The team only has 14 players signed for next season. General Manager Ray Shero needs to do major work to get a full team.
The teams terrible play at the end of the season hurts the team’s chances during negotiations. After five straight seasons missing the playoffs, the Devils have no credibility. Now, the team has to use money to bring better players.
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When a team’s only negotiating point is money, it forces them to overpay for talent.
Teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins give veterans a shot at a Stanley Cup. Even teams like the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers can guarantee a playoff berth. The Devils are living on a prayer.
Players like Taylor Hall, Cory Schneider and Kyle Palmieri are a decent core, but many teams have similar talent.
The Devils need to play much better down the stretch. Head coach John Hynes needs to prove he could get the best out of his talent. If the Devils find a way to end the season on the right foot, the team can sell free agents that they are only a few players away. If not, they lose another selling point.