New Jersey Devils: Players That Should Be Protected In Expansion Draft

With the regular season over, the biggest questions of the offseason surround the upcoming Expansion Draft to build a team for the Vegas Golden Knights. The New Jersey Devils have some hard decisions to make about who to protect.

The NHL threw a wonderful wrench into the process of the Expansion Draft when officials announced that all draft protection lists would be made public. That makes decisions even harder for general managers who know some feelings are about to get hurt.

The New Jersey Devils have some hard decisions to make when it comes to the expansion draft. The team has two options: protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie or protect any eight players and a goalie. All first and second-year professionals are exempt from selection, which helps on Pavel Zacha and Miles Wood.

It seems the Devils best option, and honestly most team’s best option, is to keep 11 players over eight.

This list obviously doesn’t take into account possible free agents the Devils could sign (cough cough Kevin Shattenkirk), but as currently constructed, the Devils have plenty of players they should want to keep.

So, who should the Devils keep?

Taylor Hall

This one is obvious. He is far and above the very best player the Devils have. There is no question in anyone’s mind (hopefully) that Taylor Hall should stick with the Devils for as long as they can keep him.

Kyle Palmieri

Another obvious choice. On a team that is anemic on offense, Kyle Palmieri once again came close to a 30 goal season. His chemistry on the top line gives confidence the Devils can find a way to fill holes and get better next season. The hardest thing to do in the offseason is to get top-end talent, but that isn’t what the Devils need, at least from a forward point of view. He’s signed through 2021 making just over $4.5 million per season. He’s everything the Devils and their fans could want and more.

Travis Zajac

Travis Zajac was very good this season, something that was a breath of fresh air. He looked like he lost a step without the help of other top players like Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise. It was obvious that the additions of Hall and Palmieri the past two seasons helped bring new life to his game. His contract may be a hit, but with a growing salary cap, and the Devils barely hitting the floor, Zajac is an easy player to keep throughout the remainder of his eight-year deal.

Adam Henrique

He’s a fan favorite. His game continues to evolve. He continues to show he can be an offensive force for years to come. Adam Henrique had a rough season at times this year, but at the same time showed the flashes of greatness that brought him to 30 goals a year ago. He was hurt by an ever changing second line, and some inconsistencies in his own game. Despite that, there is no way the Devils should think about losing him for nothing. Henrique needs to stay in the red and black, especially since he is signed through 2019 at just $4 million per season.

Beau Bennett

This is where the decisions start to get hard. The requirements show every team needs to make two forwards available that either played 40 games this season or 70 in the past two. Beau Bennett is a restricted free agent this offseason, but a late season surge showed he finally found his groove after coming over from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the offseason. He can provide the secondary scoring the Devils desperately wanted all season, and can help incoming free agents get in that same groove.

Mike Cammalleri

Mike Cammalleri had his worst season ever in 2016-17. Not only did he get hurt, again, but when he was healthy he just couldn’t score. He hasn’t lit the lamp since January sixth. That is preposterous for a guy who has 287 career goals and showed in seasons past he lights the lamp when he’s on the ice. So, why keep him? Honestly, because who else do the Devils keep? Would fans rather the team protect Devonte Smith-Pelly, who just couldn’t find the scoring touch he had a year ago? Maybe Jacon Josefson, who is a restricted free agent anyway? Cammalleri is the best of the bunch, especially if he can overcome one bad season.

Incoming Free Agents

When looking at the New Jersey Devils contract situation, there aren’t many players that actually qualify for the expansion draft. This offseason is crucial for Devils GM Ray Shero. He needs to fill a ton of holes and make hard decisions on parting free agents (even if most of them are restricted). There is no way that this position isn’t held by an incoming free agent forward. Honestly, if the Devils sign two worthwhile free agent forwards, Cammalleri could feasibly made available via expansion draft.

Andy Greene

Now to the defense. Andy Greene is the captain. He’s signed for three more seasons. He may have lost a slight step, but that could be because of his inability to make up for the rest of the defense’s shortcomings (something the best defenders in the league would have trouble with). Greene is still a necessary cog to the future success of the Devils.

Damon Severson

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Damon Severson had a weird season. On one hand, he is head and shoulders above every other Devils defender when it comes to handling the puck. His 28 assists was good for third on the team. On the other hand, his turnovers really hurt this team. It showed in his -31 plus/minus. While that is an extremely flawed stat, being third worst in the league shows there were issues with his game. Severson is only 22 years old. He has so much room to improve, and the Devils cannot afford to lose him, especially for nothing.

John Moore

This spot could clearly go to an incoming free agent like Shattenkirk or any other defender signed this offseason, but as of right now John Moore could easily fill this spot. He played better towards the end of the season. He provides needed depth, but at his best could easily fit into the top four. He scored 12 goals from the blue line, more than any other Devils defenseman. That was tied for 13th in the league amongst all defenders this season. If the Devils sign a defenseman and make Moore available, there is a decent chance he’s the player the Golden Knights choose to send across the country.

Cory Schneider

It was one bad season. While it was in a year the Devils needed him to be better, he could completely turn it around in the offseason and become the elite goalie he was just one year ago. Shero needs to protect him, but at the same time he needs to bring someone in to make available. The Devils could re-sign Keith Kinkaid, make him available, and hope he’s cool with being the backup again this year.

In Conclusion

The expansion draft is just two months away. The NHL Playoffs are just days away, then comes one of the most energetic offseasons in history. Teams have 18 days from the start of free agency on June 1st to finalize the team for the Golden Knights to go shopping. The Devils have a lot of spots to fill, and must do it rather quickly.

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