The New Jersey Devils have been known for giving veteran players a paid tryout late in the offseason. There are plenty of options this season that could make this team.
Last season, the Devils went into the preseason with two veterans who were given a flyer. Jimmy Hayes and Drew Stafford were both given a paid tryout to see if they could make an up-and-coming team, and both provided something decent throughout the season. Stafford was a veteran presence that was good for the first two months before falling off. Hayes was one of the best locker room presences in recent memory.
The PTO has been a tool for teams to test a veteran player without the risk of getting stuck with them. With how quiet the Devils offseason has been, expect Ray Shero to utilize this tool once again.
Some of the PTOs really work out. Brian Gibbons started his career with the Devils as a PTO contract that turned into an AHL deal which turned into his breakout season last year.
As they say, it takes a village. The Devils will need more players, at least just to fill out their training camp roster. They have a ton of prospects and young players, but adding some veteran presences couldn’t hurt.
There are still a lot of players with varied levels of talent left in the tank. Some of these players could help the Devils this year. These five players may already be on the Devils radar.