New Jersey Devils: Time To Go After Reilly Walsh Now
The New Jersey Devils should go after defensive prospect, Reilly Walsh, now that they have learned the fate of Ivy League fall sports.
There was a lot of news to come out in New Jersey Devils land yesterday. All of the focus was on the report that the team is going to hire Lindy Ruff to be their head coach. They are also going to remove the interim tag on general manager Tom Fitzgerald. That is all huge news that is getting different reactions, but those two might want to come together and work on something that involves the other news from Wednesday.
The Ivy League announced that they have canceled all of their fall sports for 2020. That directly affects Harvard defenseman, and New Jersey Devils draft pick, Reilly Walsh. They are not entertaining the idea of sports being played until after January 1st. It is unclear if hockey will be able to resume at that point, but there’s at least the possibility it is done for the year. For that reason, the Devils should now go hard for Walsh.
Before COVID-19, it sort of felt like Walsh was going to walk away from the Devils as an unrestricted free agent. He would be allowed to sign with any team he wants if he didn’t sign with New Jersey before a certain date, similar to the way the Devils signed Will Butcher back in 2017. Now that Harvard isn’t going to be playing, it might be wise for Walsh and his career to sign in the NHL now.
The Devils are, as of now, going to be getting their 2020-21 season underway on December 1st after camps that are scheduled in November. Elliotte Friedman reported all of these (COVID-19 willing) dates on Wednesday. It might not be good for Walsh to skip a whole season of hockey, especially if the Devils are going to want him in the mix. With all of these variables in mind, they should absolutely go after him before he has a chance to sign with someone else.
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Everyone knows the Devils need help on the blue line. That could absolutely be where Walsh comes in if he chooses to do so. In 30 games for Harvard this year, he had eight goals and 19 assists for 27 points. That is pretty good offensive producution for a college hockey defenseman. The Devils chose him in the third round at 81 overall in the 2017 NHL Draft so you know that had some high hopes for him. He would be wise to turn pro now that his final college season is all but over thanks to the virus.