The New Jersey Devils could still dabble in the free agent market.
Things really changed for the New Jersey Devils over the past week. Trading for Andreas Johnsson and Ryan Murray, signing Corey Crawford, and drafting the players they picked changed the philosophy now and in the future. They filled some major holes across their lineup. Defense and backup goaltending was a major issue. While they might not be fixed at this point, they are in much better shape than they were a week ago.
However, the Devils might not be done adding to the team. Obviously, free agency is not the place to get players who are within Tom Fitzgerald‘s target age range, but a good deal could present itself.
Right now, the Devils lines could still use a bottom six center-winger hybrid in case they need someone to fill in for Pavel Zacha/Michael McLeod. They could definitely still use a defenseman so they don’t have to rely on both Connor Carrick and Ty Smith to be NHL contributors on a nightly basis. There are veterans that could add to this roster.
Most of these free agents would only work on very short-term deals. Think one-year deals for most, but two-year deals in very specific situations. There is still some talent left on the free agency market, but it’s dwindling. The Devils can be patient, the market is definitely one that rewards patience, but there are are only a few major players left. To get some help for the roster this season, some names could make some sense.