The New Jersey Devils are in a very interesting spot. They are stuck between a rebuild and trying to get better in the present and that has led to some fan frustration. However, there is a really nice foundation being built with kids like Nick Hischier, Jack Hughes, Ty Smith, and Jesper Bratt amongst others. It is going to take a while for it to all gel together but when it does things are going to get fun.
The New Jersey Devils need to be smart with the way they handle the Seattle Kraken.
There is going to be an NHL expansion draft for the second time in the same decade. It is a lot of fun to see new teams but every active team is going to lose at least one player off their non-protected list. The Devils are going to have some decisions to make in terms of that list to determine who the Seattle Kraken has a chance to take.
In 2017, the expansion draft was less of an issue. The Devils were in a way worse spot back then than they are now. It may be hard to believe at this point but they are eventually going to pull through. They aren’t showing it in the standings yet but everyone will see how good they are once their young players develop more.
All we can do right now is guess who the Devils are going to leave unprotected. They are going to, in all likelihood, lose a player that will be successful with the Kraken. These are the three players that have the best chance of being selected in the expansion draft: