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New Jersey Devils: Adding Jack Hughes Helps With Free Agency

By Vincent Parise

VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 5: Jack Hughes #6 of the United States skates with the puck in Gold Medal hockey action of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship against Finland on January, 5, 2019 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 5: Jack Hughes #6 of the United States skates with the puck in Gold Medal hockey action of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship against Finland on January, 5, 2019 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /
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The New Jersey Devils will be adding a big-time prospect to their organization with the number-one pick, and that could lead to them being contenders in free agency.

The New Jersey Devils are going to add a guy some consider a generational talent. At the very worst, he will be a very good player. The Devils fortunes as a franchise have changed forever when they won the NHL Draft Lottery.

One of the things that it will impact is free agency. Certain guys may never want to play for the New Jersey Devils, but having a core involving Jack Hughes couldn’t hurt. This could be the type of player that you see free agents want to play with.

It’s been proven in the past players want to play with greats like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. On top of that, the Devils have the luxury of being close to New York City. There are a few things right there that might make a guy want to play their home games at The Rock.

Not only will the Devils have Hughes, but he will be added to to a core of Nico Hischier, Kyle Palmieri and of course the reigning MVP of the league Taylor Hall. That is a really nice core of forwards that hopes to compliment a nice group of young defenseman on the rise with solid goaltending out of Cory Schneider and MacKenzie Blackwood.

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There is some really nice talent hitting the free agent market this summer. It is up to Ray Shero to not get a bad contract on the books, but if a great opportunity presents itself he might take it. That could also come from a trade but free agency is the likely move.

We will get more in depth after the playoffs on who is available, but there is a crop of players to chose from that might really help shape up the middle six and even the bottom six group of forwards. There could also be some help on defense even though the depth at the position will not be a strong in free agency.

It might not end up being a hot free agency destination, but having yet another number-one overall pick and a rather bright future certainly won’t hurt their chances. Very good times could be ahead for the New Jersey Devils.

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