New Jersey Devils: 5 Players Losing Waiver Exempt Status
The New Jersey Devils have an interesting offseason ahead of them. One thing that might force interesting decisions is the waiver status of some prospects.
It’s going to be a wild offseason for the New Jersey Devils. Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier are restricted free agents. Damon Severson, Ryan Graves, and Miles Wood are unrestricted free agents. We’re not sure if Lindy Ruff has an extension in place yet. Andrew Brunette left for the Nashville Predators, so they have to replace him. Right now, only 13 players are under contract. Tom Fitzgerald has to find a way to add 10 more players to this roster before opening night.
Fitzgerald is definitely considering who can replace those leaving in free agency. There are a few players who can make the jump from AHL to NHL next season. Players like Graeme Clarke and Simon Nemec are the most obvious options to take a roster spot next season. However, both are eligible to go back to the Utica Comets if necessary. There are players who are not.
Those options might force Fitzgerald’s hand, at least early in the season. That’s why it is good for the Devils to know who is no longer waiver exempt. The Devils might decide to put these players in the lineup so they don’t risk losing them for nothing.
Dawson Mercer
This one obviously has no impact. Mercer is no longer waiver exempt, but he’s a lock on the Devils roster. There is no decision to make because Mercer proved himself on the NHL roster. There is literally nothing that could happen that would cause Mercer to end up in the AHL.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate Mercer. He jumped right into the NHL after a COVID-shortened season in the QMJHL. He was quite good, scoring 42 points in 82 games. This season, he was even better, putting up 56 points in 82 games. Not only is Mercer getting better as a player, but he hasn’t missed a game as an NHL player. What a find by Tom Fitzgerald.
Kevin Bahl
This one seems pretty set. While Kevin Bahl hasn’t had the same success as Mercer, he did prove he could handle an NHL spot. Bahl played 11 games in the playoffs, and he played his style of hockey. He only had one point, but he used his physicality to make a presence. The Devils needed him to play well, and for the most part, he did.
Next season, Bahl is close to a lock to make the opening night roster. His waiver status probably makes him a lock. There’s no way the Devils would risk losing Bahl on waivers, even if he has a tremendously terrible preseason. The Devils would use him as a seventh defender in the owner’s box before he could play for another team without proper compensation.
The left side of the Devils defense looks like it could be Bahl, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Luke Hughes to start next season. All showed great promise, and it gives the Devils a left side with players aged 26, 22, and 19.
The one strange situation is that Bahl is a restricted free agent this offseason. He still needs to sign with the Devils before he can guarantee his spot on this roster. That will probably happen pretty quickly, but we never know.
Tyce Thompson
This is where things get interesting. The next three players are going to put Tom Fitzgerald into a very precarious position. He has to decide whether these players are going to go on waivers or if he’s going to find a spot on the NHL roster for them. Tyce Thompson might be the most interesting of the bunch.
The Devils thought Thompson might be NHL ready coming out of college. Once he signed with the Devils after his time with Providence College, the former fourth-round pick went right to the NHL to start his quarantine to play in the NHL. He played seven games that first season before he was sent down. He only had one assist in those seven games.
Since then, Thompson has zero points in four games. He got into two games last season, and he was awful. He’s last on the Devils in Corsi For Percentage, and he was on the ice for a goal against at 5v5 but none for. That’s not something that will stand out for Lindy Ruff and his staff. Thompson has a lot to prove this offseason. If he wants to live up to the hype surrounding his name, he needs to show he can do it in training camp.
Speaking of hype, his name alone might get him claimed on waivers. His brother Tage Thompson turned into a bonafide superstar. He’s become one of the league’s great wingers. If anything, Buffalo would claim him just to make their star happy. Are the Devils willing to take that risk?
Nolan Foote
This one is interesting too, but it seems like this one is leaning towards an NHL roster spot. Nolan Foote played well with the Utica Comets last season, putting up 37 points in 55 games. Tom Fitzgerald is high on the winger, calling him the “example of proper player development.” That’s high praise for Fitzgerald, who got Foote in the Blake Coleman deal. He traded away the other piece of that deal (Shakir Mukhamadullin in the Timo Meier deal), so we have to believe Fitz is rooting for Foote to succeed maybe a little more than other prospects.
Foote still has to prove himself in training camp, but he has the right people rooting for him. With the backing of his general manager, it is hard to see a world where Foote doesn’t at least get a chance to be an extra to start the year.
Foote has the right skill set to succeed at the NHL level. He can score. He has a great shot that hits the back of the net. That’s been proven in his short time in the NHL. He has five goals in 19 games. That would translate to 21-22 goals in an 82-game season.
We have to see what the Devils do in the offseason to see Foote’s fate. The Devils bottom six is largely facing free agency. The Devils made a last-minute trade for Curtis Lazar to fill one spot, but if the Devils move on from Wood, Mike McLeod, or Nathan Bastian, it would open another spot. Either way, we see Foote finding a spot on this roster.
Reilly Walsh
Most people are just assuming that the Devils are going to replace the departing Damon Severson with Simon Nemec. It makes sense. The Devils used a second-overall pick on Nemec, who looks like a future superstar. He had a really good season in the AHL, and at times he was their most electric player. However, another player has been electric in the AHL, and he could be the one to take up that spot.
Reilly Walsh was surprisingly signed three years ago in the middle of the pandemic. He left Harvard, where many thought he would play out his four years and become a college free agent. Instead, he’s been playing with Utica, and playing well mind you. He was quite good in an expanded defensive role this season while still recording 41 points.
In the playoffs, Walsh took over. He had four goals in five games. That is insane coming from a defenseman. He was dynamic and took over games. The Utica Comets were able to salvage some semblance of success by winning a round in the playoffs, something they couldn’t do last season when they dominated the regular season.
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Can Walsh play that way in the NHL? He won’t have to. He will probably be on a pairing with Kevin Bahl, another player on this list. Bahl will take care of the defense while Walsh secures an offensive game. It’s how Coach Ruff has done his defense, so it makes sense. Walsh has a real chance to do good this offseason and next season.