The Devils should consider some big free agents before the season.
As you have heard by now, the National Hockey League is almost back. Training camps are going to begin next week and the season will be underway on January 13th. There are four newly constructed divisions to minimize travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is going to be some great hockey this season. The New Jersey Devils are going to be in the new East Division, which is going to be pretty tough for them.
The biggest key to New Jersey’s season this year is going to be the development of their young players. Kids like Nico Hischeir, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Mackenzie Blackwood among others are going to try and help this team succeed. There is a lot of work to be done and this season is very important to that cause.
Of course, it shouldn’t be all on the kids to get it done. There are some great veterans on the Devils like Kyle Palmieri, P.K. Subban, Travis Zajac, and Corey Crawford, but they could use more. There is a new coaching staff in place, so adding just another veteran or two would really help them implement any new philosophies or systems.
With the way the year has gone in the hockey world, things have been tough. It was a bad time to be an NHL free agent, but some players have it worse than others. The top guys all got signed pretty quickly, but that is because they are top guys. The mid-level to above-average players haven’t had the same level of success in free agency. That’s good news for teams like the Devils looking to add before training camp begins. These are five last-minute free agents for the Devils to consider.