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New Jersey Devils Free Agency Profile: Jason Garrison

By Nick Villano

WINNIPEG, MB - FEBRUARY 1: Jason Garrison #7 of the Vegas Golden Knight heads into the penalty box during first period action against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell MTS Place on February 1, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - FEBRUARY 1: Jason Garrison #7 of the Vegas Golden Knight heads into the penalty box during first period action against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell MTS Place on February 1, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The New Jersey Devils are officially in offseason mode. Over the next few days, we will look at 20 potential free agents they could look at signing. Today, we look at the Vegas Golden Knights Jason Garrison.

It’s hard to fault the Vegas Golden Knights for how they handled the expansion draft, but the player they took from the Tampa Bay Lightning might raise some eyebrows. While players like Cedric Paquette and JT Brown were ripe for the taking, George McPhee decided to take defenseman Jason Garrison instead.

Garrison had a terrible season. Like, so bad that he was sent to the AHL eight games into the season. It was so bad, that while in the minor leagues other players jumped over him on the depth chart. It’s safe to say this was a massive failure.

So, why would the New Jersey Devils even consider signing Garrison?

There is an argument to be made. He’s still only 33 years old. While that age is higher than the current Devils want, he’s had a full season playing against lesser competition. That means he’s taken lesser hits, and dealt with lesser day-to-day wear and tear.

One should hope that after such a terrible season, especially one that has you sent to the minors on an expansion team, he would come back with a vengeance.

Garrison wasn’t as terrible with the Chicago Wolves. He scored eight goals and added 20 assists in the minors. He helped lead that team to their own playoffs, even if they were ceremoniously taken out in the first round.

The Devils would have to take no risk on Garrison, and could even offer him a training camp tryout. Garrison just needs a shot.

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The Devils could end up paying him the league minimum, which would be $650,000. That’s basically peanuts on the salary cap. Garrison’s upside is he can find a way to be the player the Vancouver Canucks gave a six-year, $27 million deal. He’ll never hit his heights, but he can at least be a serviceable defenseman for a basement price.

Some team will give Garrison a chance. He knows he has no negotiating tactics after his terrible season, but he may have an excuse. Only a certain type of player can excel on that team. It needed a perfect equation, that the Golden Knights were willing to cut losses if it didn’t work.

The Devils should give Garrison a shot. In the worst case scenario, he can help teach some of the AHL defensemen how to play like an NHL player. His best case scenario shows him realizing what went wrong last season, and does everything it takes to make it back to the big leagues. It could look like a genius move by Ray Shero, or it could go away with a whimper. Either way, it’s worth a shot.

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