The New Jersey Devils announced the signing of minor league forward Eric Tangradi. This will end up being a backup plan for the Devils if their current crop of prospects aren’t ready for the big leagues.
The New Jersey Devils finally announced a signing after weeks of nothing. It may not have been the player fans were looking for, but it’s definitely one full of intrigue. The Devils announced they signed former Detroit Red Wings prospect Eric Tangradi.
Tangradi has been all over the map since he was selected 42nd overall in the 2007 NHL Draft. He’s been traded three times, including once for just a seventh-round pick and another time in the move that sent Chris Kunitz to Pittsburgh. He’s been a tweener between the AHL and NHL for the past seven seasons with four different franchises.
Most recently, Tangradi was playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He enjoyed the best professional season of his career. Tangradi scored 31 goals with 33 assists while playing his entire season in the AHL.
Tangradi has never been able to turn AHL scoring into NHL production, but he thinks this is different. He told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette before last season that he believes he’s ready to prove he can score.
"“I definitely feel like I have something to offer. I’ve been able to score at the AHL level. Whether that can translate to the NHL level … I believe it can. I just need to get an opportunity."
It’s surprising that he never got a real opportunity with the Red Wings. He helped carry the team to the 2017 Calder Cup Championship with a point per game in the playoffs. Then, he broke 30 goals while in the AHL. This, while the Red Wings season went down in flames again.
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Tangradi was signed as an insurance policy for the Devils. They know that he’s an NHL-ready forward for an AHL price. They signed him for a two-way deal that pays $650,000 in the big leagues and just $250,000 in the minors.
He’s going to be a nice addition to the Devils, whether that’s New Jersey or Binghamton. Tangradi is here in case a player like Nick Lappin or Michael McLeod is not ready to make it to the next level. This is pure insurance, and honestly one of the best insurance moves left on the market.
Tangradi is 29 years old. This may be his final chance to ever become an everyday NHL player. That’s clearly motivating him. If that can drive him throughout this season, that could help him get to Brian Gibbons-like heights. If this signing doesn’t work out, then it’s another scorer to build up Binghamton.