5 Players You May Not Realize Aren’t New Jersey Devils Anymore
Every year, the New Jersey Devils let some players walk away in free agency or end contracts early, and it falls under the radar. This year is no different.
Remember Brett Seney? The former New Jersey Devils forward was a mainstay in the AHL, and he was even given a long-term look in the NHL in 2018-19. He seemed like he’d be a player that would always be around. The organization liked him, and he was giving them enough at the minor league level to warrant a roster spot. Then, one day he was gone.
He made our list of players who some fans might not realize aren’t in the organization anymore. He was joined by Josh Jacobs, Nick Merkley, and Connor Carrick. These are players who made an impact on the team in some way, but we didn’t really notice when a team signed them away. The same goes for this offseason. While we are well aware that Ty Smith is now playing in Pittsburgh and P.K. Subban is going to find a new home soon, there are others we aren’t sure aren’t here until the Devils take the ice in the preseason.
Janne Kuokkanen
Janne Kuokkanen had one of the most precipitous falls we’ve seen in a long time for this franchise. He was on the first line with Yegor Sharangovich and Jack Hughes in the COVID-shortened 2021 season. They were the team’s first line for most of that season and were pretty successful. That led to the Devils signing him to a two-year deal worth $1.825 million AAV. He got through one year of that deal before the Devils realize they made a mistake.
The Devils bought out Kuokkanen this offseason. They needed to make some salary cap space and the team just needed more space on the roster. Kuokkanen did not contribute like the Devils hoped last year, and now he’s no longer a part of the Devils’ future.
It turns out that Kuokkanen left the NHL altogether. He signed with the HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the Finnish National League. He went back to his home country after a very volatile few years in North America. The Devils got Kuokkanen in the Sami Vatanen trade, and he at least contributed some, but the Devils very quietly let him go.
A.J. Greer
The Devils signed A.J. Greer to a one-year deal after he was added to the deal that sent Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac to the New York Islanders. He had a pretty good stretch with the Devils, putting up 14 points in 16 games with the Binghamton Devils when he first got to the organization. The former second-round pick didn’t even look completely out of place in his nine games in the NHL last season. On top of that, he was one of the Utica Comets’ most important players. He scored countless clutch goals, and he led the young players to consistency.
That’s probably why the Boston Bruins gave him a two-year deal this offseason. Greer was a player who might even be an outlier to make their NHL roster. We know he would have been given a chance to do it in New Jersey under Lindy Ruff. It would have been a long shot, which is likely why he left.
Greer was a pretty decent option for the AHL team. He was still just another body that might get in the way. The Devils likely wanted him to basically play the role he played the last two seasons. Greer probably wanted more. There is an opportunity with an interesting organization in Boston for him. Greer also got a one-way deal from the Bruins, showing they see him as an NHL forward. That’s a little bit of a surprise, but we are happy for him and wish him well in his future endeavors.
Colton White
Colton White had the same feel that Josh Jacobs and Steve Santini once had. They were second-round pick defensemen that had a long leash with the organization. They were Lou Lamoriello’s picks that were still in the organization. They had some skill, but they were far from a complete package. White is a little different because he was taken in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, but he still felt like the same player as the previous two.
White jumped into the Devils organization in 2017 when he left the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL. He joined the Binghamton Devils and the Adirondack Thunder (the Devils’ ECHL affiliate). For the next four seasons after his first in professional hockey, he spent most of his time in the AHL but got at least one NHL call-up.
This offseason, the Devils and White ended the cycle and went their separate ways. The writing is on the wall. White was falling further down the depth chart with Nikita Okhotyuk and Kevin Bahl taking AHL minutes. Despite playing 27 games in the NHL, the Devils were still looking past White when it comes to the future.
White signed a two-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks this offseason. The length probably made it much easier to leave the Devils organization. Or maybe the Devils weren’t an option. Either way, the Ducks will likely be in a similar position where he will get an NHL opportunity.
Chase DeLeo
Chase DeLeo came to the Devils organization after spending his first few years with the Anaheim Ducks organization. He made an immediate impact on the Utica Comets. He was their leading scorer as some team in this organization finally made the playoffs. However, as soon as he could, he went back to the Ducks organization. He is a California boy, and he’s going back home. That’s how he put it on Twitter.
DeLeo played well but didn’t get the same opportunities as a lot of the other AHL forwards. He only played two NHL games last season. An organization like the Ducks who invested more in him, they would be more likely to give him an NHL shot. While they didn’t draft him, they brought him in as a hometown boy.
DeLeo didn’t have a huge shot to make the NHL roster this season. Even if he repeated his AHL production, the Devils have a long line of forwards looking for NHL minutes. DeLeo is getting older, and his NHL dream is dwindling if he’s not in the right situation. The Devils clearly weren’t that situation, so it makes a lot of sense that he’s moving on. Even though he’s going to be missed on the Utica side of things, the fanbase as a whole likely won’t notice he’s gone.
Jimmy Vesey
Jimmy Vesey was a pleasant surprise last season. He came in and completely changed his style of game for what Lindy Ruff wanted. This team needed a penalty killer, and Vesey came in and played very well on that unit. Vesey’s 137 minutes on the PK was the most of any forward on the team. He was huge in the team’s turnaround from one of the worst PKs of all time to one of the better ones in the league.
This offseason, it wasn’t expected that Vesey was going to come back. Many teams can use a good penalty killer, and the Devils just don’t have a ton of space to give a player a guaranteed contract. Vesey earned himself a new contract after fighting his way on the roster following his tryout in training camp. He was incredibly reliable even if he’s not the offensive dynamo we once thought he could be.
After leaving the Devils, Vesey went back to the team he chose when he originally left Harvard in 2016. Vesey is once again joining the New York Rangers. What’s interesting is his contract is not guaranteed. If he doesn’t make the Rangers out of training camp, he could return to the Devils. The Rangers only gave him a PTO. It’s an interesting move from Vesey, who likely chose the proximity and familiarity of the Rangers over other possible opportunities. Either way, we can’t wish him well if he’s playing for our biggest rival.