New Jersey Devils: 5 Worst Free Agent Signings Of All Time
The New Jersey Devils’ championship success was always defined by smart drafting, shrewd trades and a team first mentality. The Devils had seen many fan favorites leave via free agency, yet always had someone come in younger and cheaper who could get the job done just as well.
Devils teams over the years had a plethora of talent in their system that helped them make deep runs on route to the Stanley Cup. Everything that worked out in general manager Lou Lamoriello’s favor for nearly two decades stopped working towards the end of his tenure with the club.
The team stopped drafting high end NHL talent, saw core players leave without being replaced in house and uncharacteristically started dipping in the unrestricted free agent pool to replace NHL talent on the roster. Free agency is a lot like Netflix’s ‘Love Is Blind,’ where you are just looking to get a return on an investment. For the Devils, the return on their investments included trades, abrupt ‘retirements,’ and buy outs.
Richard Matvichuk
Richard Matvichuk’s signing of 4 years for $7.2 million came at an odd time with Scott Stevens’ uncertain playing future battling a concussion and a looming lockout on the horizon. Matvichuk would have been a welcome fixture to the blue line pre-lockout, as he was a pillar on a highly touted Dallas Stars defense. Post lockout is where this deal became an issue.
The ‘New NHL’s’ emphasis of offense, speed and youth was the exact opposite of what Richard Matvichuk could bring. The 32 year old relied on positioning and physicality, and less on speed and puck movement.
His first played season in New Jersey was palatable, however his second season saw him battling a back injury which forced him to miss 81 games. The third year saw him playing in the AHL. Matvichuk’s days as a Devil were more than forgettable.
Vladimir Malakhov
Vladimir Malakhov’s signing with the Devils began a weird string of awkward post-2004-lockout free agent signings. Losing two Hall of Fame defensemen in consecutive seasons in Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer respectively will take it’s toll on any team.
Malakov had success at the NHL level, as Devils fans witnessed first hand as he helped the team capture the franchises second Stanley Cup. However, at 36 years of age, he would not be giving the Devils glimpses of their Hall of Fame defensemen. More curious was signing the defenseman to a two-year contract worth $7.2 million as the team needed to oblige to the NHL’s new mandated salary cap.
The Devils were hard pressed against the cap as is, so signing Malakhov did not make much sense. Lamoriello watched this disaster unfold for only 29 games, before Malakhov’s abrupt ‘retirement’ on a flight home following a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. It quickly became a he said-she said as the Devils spun it as retirement and his agent called it a ‘leave of absense.’
Malakhov wouldn’t easily ride off into the sunset, forcing the Devils to be on the hook on for the entirety of the contract. The Devils finally found a trade partner with San Jose to stay in compliance with the salary cap. In the trade, the Devils had to surrender a 1st-round pick.
Many suggested that Lamoriello was simply working his magic unloading a ‘retired’ player’s albatross of a contract. That merits some recognition, however Lamoriello mortgaged the future for a guy who only played 29 games with the team. Seeing how sketchy Lamoriello’s drafts had been in the 2000’s, one could not even guarantee that the 1st-round pick would have even worked out in the Devils’ favor.
Brian Rolston
Brian Rolston is tough to put on this list for a variety of reasons. He was originally drafted by the organization, became a fan favorite and was beginning to enter the prime of his offensive career before he was eventually traded for Claude Lemieux in midst of the Devils second Stanley Cup run in 2000.
Rolston saw a lot of offensive success in Boston and Minnesota, scoring 30-plus goals four times. Prior to signing a 4-year $20 million contract, he scored 30 goals for three-straight seasons in his age 32-34 seasons. He was a special teams machine, scoring 11-plus power play goals and tallying 7 short handed goals in that three-year span.
Would that type of production be sustainable as he approached his late thirties? Conventional wisdom would think that the Devils were paying a premium for what he did before, not necessarily what he was going to do.
Things did not go according to plan right off the bat in his second stint in red and black, as he suffered an injury and could never really get back in a groove with the team. He scored 15 goals, with half of his goals coming on the power play.
His second year was a bit better than his first, as he did score 20 goals. However, he never seemed to gain much chemistry with any linemates, and his skating was a detriment to the team. His third year in New Jersey was a tumultuous one. Lou Lamoriello waived him, hoping another team would pick up his contract. When no one bit on the contract, Rolston found his way back on the team.
Rolston actually finished off the season strong where he was put in better situations to succeed. He would be traded to the New York Islanders the following summer for Trent Hunter and a conditional draft pick. This ended his up and down tenure as a Devil, where he seemingly never found his ‘way’ with the team.
Michael Cammalleri
Michael Cammalleri was a player that Lou Lamoriello tried acquiring many times over the course of his career. Lamoriello got his wish on the first day of free agency 2014. The Devils signed Cammalleri to a 5-year $25 million contract.
The Devils needed an offensive jolt to their lineup as they still felt the wrath of both Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk leaving the club years earlier. Cammalleri seemingly could be the go-to guy to put the puck in the net, as he was a six-time 20-plus goal scorer, including two 30-goal campaigns.
His first season saw him score 27 goals and 15 assists. His job was to score, so netting 27 was a good start to the contract. It all went down hill from there, as health and inconsistency impacted his overall game the next two seasons. He scored just 24 goals the rest of his Devils career. Under new general manager Ray Shero, Cammalleri was bought out for the final two years of the contract. Fun fact. Michael Cammalleri was the first player in franchise history to wear the number 13.
Anton Volchenkov
Anton Volchenkov’s signing had many Devils fans salivating that he would bring his physical style of play to the Prudential Center. Many compared his physicality to legendary defenseman Scott Stevens, which is an unfair comparison for Volchenkov, or anyone for that matter.
In the summer of 2010, Volchenkov was signed to a 6 year, $25.5 million contract. Lamoriello seemingly never learned his lesson after the disaster signings of slower defenseman in Dan McGillis, Richard Matvichuk and Vladimir Malakhov, and you have to wonder why he thought Volchenkov would be any different.
The first couple of years were a mixed bag, leaving a whole lot to be desired. He was physical, he blocked shots and was a solid penalty killer. However, late in his Devils tenure his ice time continued to diminish as he was on the third pairing defense. Plus, too often he was either injured or a healthy scratch. In 2014 the Devils used one of their compliance buyouts to rid themselves of the final two years of Volchenkov’s contract.
Next. 3 Free Agents Devils Should Avoid Signing. dark
The Devils have had some disasters on their hands with some awful free agent signings. Sadly, there are many more who could have made the list. Many of the goal scoring and defensive issues that has plagued the team for years never got fixed, even with the signings. Whomever is leading the New Jersey Devils this off-season should not make the same mistakes, because as we all know, hockey is not won making splashy free agent moves.