New Jersey Devils: 5 Free Agents To Watch In Return-To-Play Playoffs

Erik Haula

Erik Haula is one of those players that was out of his mind when his career was given a second chance with the Vegas Golden Knights two years ago. He was middling in the bottom six of the Minnesota Wild lineup, but once he jumped over to the Knights, he came one goal short of being a 30-goal scorer in 2017-18.

Haula was one of the many casualties of the Vegas spending spree, when he was traded not long after the Knights signed William Karlsson to an eight-year contract extension right after the 2018-19 season. Haula  was much worse in his second year in Vegas thanks to a spat with injuries held him to just 15 games.

In Carolina, Haula was not good. He scored just 12 goals while playing 41 games before the Florida Panthers made him a major piece in the Vincent Trochek trade. That was an odd move in of itself.

Haula is someone that needs to put points on the board. If all goes right, he will be on the second line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Hoffman as they try to take down the New York Islanders in the opening round of the return-to-play format.

Haula could be an interesting name for the Devils to target. He’s already 29 years old, so his timeline doesn’t exactly match up with where the Devils want to be, but how much is he actually going to cost? If the Devils are at the table with a contract that’s worth more than $1.5 million, is anyone matching that in a flat cap year? Haula could show Devils ownership he’s worth a shot as he gets an opportunity to score on the Panthers second line. He might even get some power play time, but the Panthers also have Brian Boyle on that unit. We know how that might turn out.