The New Jersey Devils did not dabble into free agency’s waters, after spending the second least amount of money this offseason. One name that’s still technically available, and could help the Devils, is Rick Nash.
The New Jersey Devils did nothing in free agency this offseason. Whether that’s by design or not, that fact cannot be debated. Their “big” signing was defenseman Eric Gryba, who might not make the opening night lineup. They also added John Ramage and Kurtis Gabriel. I didn’t expect to say their names that often, but here we are.
The Devils watched as James Van Riemsdyk, Jack Johnson, Calvin De Haan, Riley Nash and Anthony Duclair all signed with division rivals. Sure, John Tavares left the division in free agency, and the Islanders were making some head-scratching moves to replace him, but the other teams have progressed while the Devils stood pat.
Speaking of pat, Patrick Maroon signed with the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. The former Devils winger was likely the last significant free agent to sign this offseason until the college free agents are released. That is, unless Rick Nash decides he wants to continue his playing career.
Nash is no longer the 40 goal guy he was just a few years ago. He can still be a very productive player, but not one of the best in the league. That’s exactly what the Devils need from a forward right now. They don’t need a star, they already have the reigning MVP in Taylor Hall. The Devils need a veteran who will come in, teach some of the kids how to excel, and score some clutch goals.
Nash can very easily do that, as long as his concussion issues don’t linger.
Nash had a lot of suitors at the beginning of free agency, but things changed. There was a rumor he was offered a multi-year deal worth $15 million, but Nash was not interested. He may be looking to go the Jaromir Jagr route, signing one-year contracts every season. That would fit right into what the Devils are looking for today.
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Now that we are this deep in the offseason, the Devils are one of the few teams with an abundance of cap space. Even if the team pulls off a cap-dump deal to take on Tyler Johnson and Ryan Callahan, they’d still have plenty of money to pay Nash $5 million to play this season.
Nash had a down year last year, and he scored 21 goals. Only Hall and Kyle Palmieri scored more this past season. Putting Nash on the second line makes this team immediately better. Nash could put the Devils top six into the conversation with one of the better units in the division, although this division is stacked.
If the Devils want to compete this season, signing Nash would help. He’s got something left in the tank as long as his head injuries don’t linger. He will take his time to make a decision. Now that everyone else is off the board, the Devils have nothing but time before making a decision on Nash.