The New Jersey Devils had a good day on Wednesday which was the first day of NHL free agency. This team needs to make a few additions so that they can take a big step towards becoming a good team in 2022-23. They have some nice young parts but improving is pivitol.
It started off by sending Pavel Zacha to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Erik Haula. That is a trade that improves New Jersey’s entire forward core. He should be really good for them in their bottom six.
Speaking of depth, they also added a defenseman in Brendan Smith. He is someone who should be an effective bottom pair guy this season which is something that the Devils really needed. Their defense is only improving with each year and adding someone like him can help in the short term.
They also added Andrew Brunette to be an assistant coach on their staff. In 2021-22, he was a finalist for the coach of the year award in the NHL because of how great he was with the Florida Panthers in a messy situation. He should really help them get the most out of their players.
The New Jersey Devils are adding another really ice forward in Ondrej Palat.
All of these moves came while the entire hockey world waited for Johnny Gaudreau to make his decision. It was believed to be one of the New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, or New York Islanders going into the week.
Fairly early on Wednesday, it became obvious that the Flyers were out on him which had to be devastating to Gaudreau who grew up a Flyers fan. It seemed like the Devils had a legit shot to get him.
To the shock of the entire hockey world, Gaudreau picked a mystery team and decided to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is an insane move for him as it came out of nowhere. From there, the Devils were left to wonder.
They didn’t go the rest of the evening without doing anything, however, as they made a somewhat big signing. Former Tampa Bay Lightning hero Ondrej Palat will be coming to New Jersey on a five-year contract. He will likely be a fixture on New Jersey’s second line.
As a result of this addition, it seems like the New Jersey Devils could have a really nice top-six forward group. Five of their top six are already locked in. Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes are the centers with Jesper Bratt, Ondrej Palat, and Yegor Sharangovich.
To round it out, there are a couple of options. Of course, having Dawson mercer on the wing is a possibility but this team is probably better served with him as a centerman on the third line. Erik Haula is also someone who can play both but he is best suited for the bottom six.
There is also a chance that a kid comes up and steals that last job as a top-six winger. If it was someone like Alexander Holtz, it could become a very productive group. Having a veteran presence that has won a lot like Palat is also going to help. This is a really nice addition for the Devils.