Slater Koekkoek
This would be another depth move similar to the Devils adding Christian Jaros from the San Jose Sharks on Monday. The Devils could use a player like Slater Koekkoek to put into the lineup when things hit the fan. If a player gets injured, it would be much better to put Koekkoek into the lineup over someone like Matt Tennyson or a player like Colton White who still needs more development.
When compared to his draft position, Koekkoek is a bust. He was a top-ten pick in the awful 2012 NHL Draft, but the Tampa Bay Lightning gave him a few seasons to prove himself. He’s been on the Chicago Blackhawks, where he was pretty good, and the Edmonton Oilers, where he was not.
He only played 18 games last season and he only scored one point (although it was a goal). He clearly has skills, but he’s never been in a place where he could put it all together. We won’t pretend this is the place where he finds his stride that made him the 10th-overall pick, but the Devils could watch the film of his first year with the Syracuse Crunch and figure out what caused him to fall off a cliff offensively.
Koekkoek is a pure flier that could be fun. If he’s terrible, the Devils are likely giving him a league-minimum deal anyway. It won’t matter, he will just be an injury replacement for Will Butcher.