New Jersey Devils: 5 Players To Consider From Edmonton Oilers

Riley Sheahan

The New Jersey Devils have seemingly 15 forwards who could play on the bottom six right now, but none of them are the kind of bottom-six players you might want. There are players like John Hayden, who provide some grit but make a million mistakes. Maybe a player with more skill and less mistakes in a similar role would do the Devils well.

Riley Sheahan is a player who will be lucky to hit 25 points in one season in his career. The Devils need players who can score points, but they also need players who will do everything else well. Sheahan was really good at muting chances from the other team this season. Against the Blackhawks, he had a positive CorsiFor%, GF%, and high-danger chance percentage.

During the regular season, that wasn’t the case. He put up some atrocious 5v5 numbers. However, he was a monster for Edmonton on the penalty kill. He had the most forward minutes down a man, and that helped the Oilers have the second-best PK in the league. Sheahan needs to do better at 5v5, but he was stellar when the Oilers needed him. He was able to stifle high-danger chances.

Should this be a priority for the Devils? Absolutely not. However, it would be a nice addition to the bottom line for a basement price. He’s a free agent after this season, so the Devils could provide him with an opportunity. Maybe his super productive days he had with Detroit are over, but he’s still deserving of a spot in the right situation. With a possible Pavel Zacha at center, they could learn from each other. Especially on the kill, these two could do work. Although, if there are still dreams of making Zacha an offensive contributor, this wouldn’t be the best move.