New Jersey Devils: Ranking 10 Best Free Agent Fits

10. Alex Pietrangelo

There’s a lot about Alex Pietrangelo that doesn’t fit with the Devils, but to keep him off the list entirely would be a mistake. Pietrangelo has been weirdly tied with the Devils, even having a situation brought up to general manager Tom Fitzgerald in a now-deleted NHL.com article. If Pietrangelo says he’d be willing to go to the Devils, they’d at least have to listen.

The issue here is the presence of Subban. Pietrangelo is going to ask for a minimum of $9 million. Let’s say by some miracle the Devils sign him for the minimum. That means the Devils are paying $18 million for the right side of the Top 4. Add in Damon Severson, and that becomes more than $24 million without making the Devils left side better.

Still, Pietrangelo has a lot left in the tank. He can be really good for another five years. The Devils need to consider the fact that he could still be good through Nico Hischier’s prime, and at least the beginning of Jack Hughes’ prime. He could be increasingly important to the Devils once they finally start making the postseason, which could be soon if they make this signing. Next season sounds like it’s going to be a grind. The Devils could compete since they have a talented roster that’s insanely rested. Adding a proven winner like Pietrangelo could speed up the rebuild as Artemi Panarin did for the New York Rangers.

It’s highly unlikely for the Devils, but it’s not like it is out of the realm of possibility entirely. This makes sense, but not as much as a lot of other moves the Devils can make.